Makar Sankranti : Significance in Indian Tradition and Culture


            Today is Makara Sankranti an Auspicious day in Hindu  Calendar. Since this is my first post here I am going to write some of the facts of Makar Sankranti.

    Makar Sankranti (also known as Makara Sankranti in Odiya) is a festival day in the hindu Calender that  is observed each year in January. This festival is dedicated to The Sun as it marks the first day of sun's transit (uttarayan i.e towards north) into the Capricorn ( Makara) marking the end of the winter month with start of longer and warmer days which signals a change of season (i.e. from Winter to Spring in Indian context).
   Maker Sankranti is one of the few Indian festivals that is observed according to solar cycles while most of the festivals being observed according to lunar cycles. It almost every year falls on the same Georgian date i.e. January 14th of every year with an exception of 13th or 15th in some years when dates shifts by a day. This is because of earth-sun relative movement.
  Apart from India, Hindus in Nepal and Bangladesh also observe this festival with different name and tradition. There are many mythological stories associated with each practice being observed during this festival in different parts of India. I am not going to those in detail. I am giving here a highlight of what is being observed in my own state as this is my direct observation since my childhood.
   Makar Sankranti is a harvest festival. In most parts of the country, the time preceding Makar Sankranti indicates the early stages of Rabi crop and agricultural cycle where the crops are sown and most of the work is done. 
   In Odisha, Makara chaula is the traditional food made in almost every household on makara sankranti. A mildly spiced-sweet mixture of freshly harvested rice  (Nua Chaula) with some jaggery, milk, chhena (freshly prepared cottage cheese), khoya (milk solids), Dry fruits, banana, apple, pomogrannate, Shredded/grated fresh coconut, chunks of sugarcane spiced with ground green cardamom, black pepper and freshly grated ginger results into the most delicious makara chaula. Along with Makar Chaula, Til Ladoo (Rasi Ladoo / Sesame seed with jaggery) is also prepared as Naivedyam for God.  Since ancient time in Indian History, Til (sesame seeds)and gur (jaggery)have played their significant role. Til and gur are also ranked highest in Ayurveda as two of the most winter-perfect foods that helps to keep the body warm and also increases the immunity at the same time. The oil present in the sesame seeds helps generate body heat and keeps the internal body temperature from dipping. At the same time, jaggery's iron and vitamin C content has also been used as a traditional remedy for various health ailments such as respiratory disorders and throat problems.
   This time I prepared Makar Chaula at home using the available kind of rice (not the freshly harvested one) and other ingredients.
Ingredients for Makara Chaula :
Raw rice (soaked for atleast 30-45 mins)- 1/4 cup
Dry Fruits - 10-15 each of cashews and raisins 
Ground Jaggery - 2 tsp (if sugar -1 tsp or Adjust according to your taste )
Milk- 1/4 cup
Black pepper -4-5
Green Cardamom-4-5
Grated Ginger-1/4 tsp
Apple cubes - 1 tbsp
Banana cubes-2 tbsp 
Grated coconut-1 tbsp
Method :
Coarsely grind the soaked rice (no water or little water) along with green cardamom and black pepper. Add milk, jaggery, grated coconut, previously cut fruits and dry fruits. Add grated ginger. Mix well. Adjust the sweetness according to your taste. Since coconut, fruits and raisin are sweet I reduced the amount of sugar/jaggery in my preparation. Freshly prepared chenna, other fruits and khoya can be added.


Makara Chaula and Til ladoo as offerings to God on the occasion of Makara Sankrati at Home.
   
      Festivals play an important part in Indian culture and tradition. Most of the festivals involved natural phenomenon and associated with some sort of science with it. These festivals are mostly associated with the agricultural crops cycle and weather/season.



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