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| Sankranti Festival |
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© Mallikarjuna.D.G. Sugarcane being sold for Sankranti Festival Sun is considered the God of light and source of all life on Earth. On Sankranti, people worship the Sun God. Sankranti(Sankramana) means movement. This festival is considered to be the festival of movement of Sun. Though Sun enters 12 zodiac signs every year – Masa Sankranti – but in this 12 Masa Sankranti two days are considered auspicious as these represent the movement of Sun to two different ayanas – Uttarayana and Dakshinayana. The movement of Sun from Karkataka to Dhanu is Dakshinayana and Makara to Mithuna is Uttarayana. Entry of Sun to these zodiac signs is considered auspicious and bring in good results. In some parts of India, Sankranti is celebrated for three days. The festival is also associated with agriculture as it is also the period of harvesting. Makara Sankranti(Pongal), (Pushya Masa Krishna Paksha Ekadasi) January 15: An oil bath ushers in the festive day. Lamps are lit with gingely oil. This festival is also called festival of sesame and jaggery. A mixture of white sesame, groundnut, fried gram and pieces of dry coconut is made. Along with this, sugarcane, banana and designed sugar blocks are kept as naivedhyam to the God. This is later distributed among all and the message is: Eat the mixture of sesame and speak good things and do good deeds. The highlight of the day is the dish: sweet pongal. Pongal is rice cooked with jaggery, dry fruits and ghee. They also bake the new harvest of raw groundnut, raw ballar(avarekayi) and sweet potato. As a custom in the evening, children and women wear new clothes and distribute the sesame mixture to neighbours, friends and relatives. This practice is to cultivate the habit of giving among kids. Also, on this day people give oblations to their ancestors. Also, on this day, farmers wash their cattle and bullocks and decorate them with colour papers and ribbons. They cover the body with rich and colourful clothes and worship the cattle.
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