Makar Sankranti is observed with social festivities such as colorful decorations, rural children going house to house, singing and asking for treats (or pocket money), melas (fairs), dances, kite flying, bonfires and feasts.
A shared cultural practices found amongst Hindus of various parts of India is making sticky, bound sweets particularly from sesame (til) and a sugar base such as jaggery (gud, gur). This type of sweet is a symbolism for being together in peace and joyfulness, despite the uniqueness and differences between individuals.
Makara or Makar Sankranti is celebrated in many parts of Indian subcontinet with some regional variations. It is known by different names and celebrated with different customs in different parts of the region:
States
|
Name of festival
|
---|---|
Karnataka | Suggi Habba, Makar Sankramana |
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala | Makar Sankranthi |
Chhattisgarh, Goa, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Jammu | Makar Sankranti |
Tamil Nadu | Thai Pongal, Uzhavar Thirunal |
Gujarat | Uttarayan |
Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab | Maghi |
Assam | Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu |
Kashmir Valley | Shishur Saenkraat |
Uttar Pradesh and western Bihar | Khichdi |
West Bengal | Poush Sangkranti |
Mithila | Tila Sakrait |
Hindus in other countries too celebrate this day, but under different names and in different ways.
Nepal | Maghe Sankranti or Maghi, Khichdi Sankranti |
Bangladesh | Shakrain/ Poush Sangkranti |
Pakistan(Sindh) | Tirmoori |
In Bihar and Jharkhand, the festival is celebrated on 14–15 January. On this day people of Bihar and Jharkhand made various type of sweets.
Some places in Bihar & Jharkand, there is a tradition to give “Khichdi” to their married daughters.
In this “Khichdi” parents gives new clothes, laddos, sweets made of til(sesame seeds) and gur(jaggery) etc.
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LAI |
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Kassar Laddo(Made with roasted rice flour) |
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Tissi/Alsi Laddo |
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Chura Dahi |