SANKRANTI
Sankranti elsewhere :
The festival spread over four days is
celebrated with all aplomb in the states of AP, Karnataka and Tamilnadu by the urban and
rural classes alike. The festival however is referred to as "Pongal" in
Tamilnadu. The festive spirits are seen all around in the holy bathing, special cuisine of
the fresh harvest, bright Rangoli & decorations, devotional music and dance.
The festival however is celebrated in the
North as well as Lohri, Makar or Uttarayana.
Punjab celebrates Lohri by
feasting on sweets made of jaggery, peanuts and sesame seeds, and making a symbolic
bonfire of the departing winter. In the days leading up to Lohri, children visit homes of
neighbours, sing traditional Lohri songs, and ask for coins and sweets in return. While
being Indian in spirit, this custom is similar to the tradition of singing Christmas
carols.
In Gujarat and other western
states, people observe Uttarayana, when the winds change, by flying kites. The
winter sky bursts into colour with thousands of paper kites. The festivities conclude with
a winter feast.
In Maharashtra, people
dress in new clothes and distribute sesame sweets. New brides are welcomed into the family
with sugar ornaments and a turmeric-and-vermilion ceremony. In rural Maharashtra, feasts
of the new harvest mark the festival.
Assam celebrates the paddy
harvest in winter with Magha or Bhogali Bihu. Pavilions with thatched roofs come up in the
villages and there is feasting in the night. The pavilions are set afire in the morning.
The festivities continue for a week.
At Ganga Sagar, where the
Ganga enters the sea, a grand fair is held. The festival is also called Til Sankranti or
Kichri Sankranti, after its main ingredient or preparation.
In Thanjavur, Madurai,
and Thiruchirapalli, in Tamil Nadu, Pongal is marked by jallikattu,
or bullfights. A money bag is tied to the horns of a bull, and the man who succeeds in
tethering the beast to the tree gets the money and a prize.
People observe benevolence and generosity on this
day. They indulge in liberal alms giving and sharing of produce with others.
But for the diverse regional variations, the occasion still reflects the unity in the
basic concepts and understanding of the nature. The festival in general thus brings in
prosperity and affluence. |
