Almost all Hindu festivals are dependent on the position of the moon; however, Makar Sankrāntī is based on the position of the sun. The sun enters the zodiac sign of Makar (Capricorn) on the day of Makar Sankranti. All the tithis (dates) of Hindu Dharma’s festivals vary every year; however, Makar Sankranti falls mostly on 14 January (occasionally on 13th or 15th January). Every eighty years, the difference created due to the revolution of the earth around the sun is made up by pushing ahead Makar Sankranti by a day.

Introduction

Almost all Hindu festivals are dependent on the position of the moon; however, Makar Sankrāntī is based on the position of the sun. The sun enters the zodiac sign of Makar (Capricorn) on the day of Makar Sankranti. All the tithis (dates) of Hindu Dharma’s festivals vary every year; however, Makar Sankranti falls mostly on 14 January (occasionally on 13th or 15th January). Every eighty years, the difference created due to the revolution of the earth around the sun is made up by pushing ahead Makar Sankranti by a day.
Since time immemorial, demons have been troubling humans as well as Deities. When such situations arise, God incarnates and slays the demons. It is said that Sankranti, a Deity, slayed a demon, Sankrasur, on this day.
Makar Sankranti is celebrated to let go of our differences with each other and increase love (prembhav) in us. Spiritually, this day is very conducive for sadhana and to imbibe the Chaitanya in the environment.

How is Makar Sankranti celebrated?

Different regions in Bharat (India) celebrate Makar Sankranti in different ways. The following are some examples of the various rituals that are performed on this day.

1. The period from sunrise to sunset is meritorious. A Holy bath at any Holy place on the banks of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Krushna, Godavari, etc., on this day, yields great merits.
2. The period from Makar Sankranti (14 January in 2014) to Rathsaptami ( 6 February in 2014) is called a Transition period (Parvakal or Sandhikal). Any offerings / donations (daan) and meritorious acts done during this period definitely yield fruit.
3. White sesame seeds (til) are used extensively while celebrating Makar Sankranti. People prepare sweets made of sesame seeds and distribute them to others. Sesame seeds have the ability to absorb and emit high amounts of Sattva frequencies which in turn facilitate spiritual practice.
4. Women celebrate this day with an event known as ‘Haldi-Kumkum’ or ‘Haldi-Kunku’. They apply turmeric and kumkum (vermilion) on the forehead of other women at the site of the adnya-chakra, apply perfume (attar) to hands-forearms-feet, offer 13 types of sattvik gifts (vaan), sprinkle rose water on them, offer sweets made of sesame seeds and do the ritual of offering a sāṛī and/or a piece of cloth to a female Deity or to a married woman (Oti).

People in different regions celebrate Makar Sankranti in different ways. To read more, please click here.

In 2014, Makar Sankranti falls on 14 January.

Importance of Makar Sankranti

Introduction

All religious festivals are intended to be celebrated in a spiritually correct way so as to derive spiritual benefits from them. However, over a period of time, the local customs influence the celebrations. According to the rule that ‘customs have more impact on people than the Scriptures;’ humans emulate others blindly and celebrate festivals in their own way. Thus Makar Sankranti is celebrated differently in different parts of Bharat (India).
In this article, we will explain the spiritual science underlying the celebration of Makar Sankranti, which we hope will motivate our readers to celebrate it in the spiritually correct way.

Importance of Makar Sankranti

1. Worldly importance

In Bharat, Makar Sankranti is celebrated to let go of our differences with each other and increase love (prembhav) in us. One way people come close together on this day, is by distributing sweets to each other. These sweets are typically made of sesame seeds.

2. Spiritual importance

a. On Makar Sankranti from sunrise to sunset, the environment is full of Chaitanya. Thus, a seeker doing sadhana (spiritual practice) can derive the maximum benefit of the increased Chaitanya. Due to the Chaitanya, tejtattva (Absolute Fire Principle) also increases in seekers.

b. The day of Makar Sankranti is very conducive for sadhana.

Spiritual significance of sweets made out of sesame seeds

a. Before distributing sweets made out of sesame seeds, they should be kept in front of an  idol or a picture of a Deity on one’s altar. This helps retain the Shakti (Divine Energy) and Chaitanya (Divine Consciousness) in the sweets.

b. When distributing sweets made of sesame seeds,  bhav (spiritual emotion) and Chaitanya is awakened in us.

c. All the members of the house derive the benefit of the increased Chaitanya in the environment.

d. The prembhav (love) in people increases and they are able to overcome negative thinking and replace it with positive thinking.

e. According to Ayurveda, eating sesame seeds in winter is beneficial for our health. Spiritually, sesame seeds and sesame oil have the ability to absorb and emit Sattva frequencies more than any other oil. Hence, during Makar Sankranti, sesame seeds are favorable for good sadhana (spiritual practice) to happen.

f. Importance of sesame seed sweets: Sesame seeds have the ability to absorb and emit high amounts of Sattva frequencies. By consuming sesame seed sweets, inner purification happens which helps improve one’s sadhana. By distributing these sweets to each other, there is an exchange of sattvikta, which helps increase everyone’s sattvikta.

Hindu festivals are great opportunities to imbibe the increased amount of positive energy and Deities’ principle in the environment. However this is possible only if one celebrates the festivals as per the guidance of Hindu Dharma. By adhering to Dharma we can derive the maximum benefit of each festival thereby purifying ourselves as well as the environment.

How to celebrate Makar Sankranti?

Every eighty years, the difference created due to the revolution of the Earth around the sun is made up by postponing Makar Sankranti by a day. In year 2014, Makar Sankranti falls on 14 January. Makar Sankranti is celebrated differently in different parts of Bharat (India). In this article, we will explain some ways of celebrating Makar Sankranti.
People usually celebrate Makar Sankranti according to their local customs; however, the following points can help in celebrating this day in spiritually beneficial ways.

1. Increase sattvikta: On this day, there is increased Chaitanya in the environment. Hence, one should avoid activities that increase Raja-Tama; for example drinking alcohol, eating meat, etc., and one should perform activities which will increase sattvikta so as to derive the benefits of the increased Chaitanya. E.g. visiting a temple, attending a satsang, reading spiritual books, etc.
2. Increase sadhana: Makar Sankranti is very conducive for sadhana; hence one should try to do maximum sadhana on this day. E.g. chanting the Name of God, performing Satseva, etc.
3. Holy bath: On Makar Sankranti, a Holy bath at any Holy place on the banks of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Krushna, Godavari, etc. yields great merits. However, in the absence of any such place, when having a bath at home, one can keep bhav (spiritual emotion) that the water is from Holy Rivers and one is at a Holy place. A bath with sesame seeds helps purify our body. (One can put a handful of sesame seeds in a bucket of hot water, and pour this water on the body).
4. Donations and offerings: The period from Makar Sankranti (14 January in 2014) to Rathsaptami (6 February in 2014) is called a Transition period (Parvakal or Sandhikal). Any offerings / donations (daan) and meritorious acts done during this period definitely yield fruit. One can donate items like new utensils, clothes, food, sesame seeds, gold, land, etc. While giving the donation, one can chant the Name of God. One can also donate money for spreading Spirituality and Dharma in society.
5. Gift spiritual items: In some parts of Bharat, women organize Haldi-Kumkum. It is a custom to give some offerings known as ‘vaan’. These days, the ‘vaan’ consists of non-sattvik items such as plastic items, soaps, etc. Instead, one should give items which will be useful for spiritual purposes, like incense sticks, Holy Scriptures, books on Spirituality, pictures of Deities, etc. It will help the person receiving the ‘vaan’, derive spiritual benefits of Makar Sankranti.
6. On Makar Sankranti, one should avoid speaking foul language or words and avoid situations that generate sexual feelings.

Celebrating festivals in a way that attracts sattvikta and Chaitanya and reduces Raja-Tama in the environment increases overall sattvikta in the society. When the sattvikta of the society increases, the influence of the negative energies on us reduces considerably, thereby reducing the problems caused by the negative energies. In a way, through these celebrations, our spiritual practice for the sake of society (samashti sadhana) happens and our spiritual progress happens rapidly.

Source: Forum For Hindu Awakening.org