Makar Sankranti or what I learnt in school ‘Uttarayan’ is celebrated in India in many states and in many forms. Apart from symbolizing the Sun’s entrance in the Capricorn (Makar) zodiac sign it also has some celestial significance, like the Sun also starts its journey towards the northern hemisphere this day thus it’s the beginning of the end of winter in the Indian subcontinent. Though not directly connected to Sankranti or the Sun’s aforementioned path Lorhi and Pongal is also celebrated around the same time, which also can be described as the harvest festival in the state of Punjab and Tamilnadu respectively.
Sankranti as its popularly known is I feel our own Thanks Giving, not the kind where you throw an impressive dinner and be thankful for what you have but exchanging of Tilgul and wishing each other to be welcoming, cordial and friendly. “Tilgul ghya aani god bola” are the repeated words this auspicious day in every household of Maharashtra (home state to Mumbai), the literal rendition of which is, “Take Tilgul and talk sweetly”. Tilgul is nothing but sesame brittle made in round shape loaded with the goodness of peanuts, dry coconut and jaggery.
There are many facets of this single event in the rest of India and one of the popular is the Kite Festival. I will need another chapter to write about the love for the Kites in India. I hope the pictures below will quench your curiosity.
The festival series kicked off in Shravan (a month from Hindu lunar calendar) kind of takes a break for a while after Sakranti but thanks to the secular (not intolerant) country that we are, we never actually are short of public holidays apart from the usual weekends.
Ok, before my thoughts go on wandering aimlessly like a kite I would like to put an end here, for we should always know when to pull back the manza (the kite string) a little in order to let it fly graciously.
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The high i fly you the higher you fly my soul and spirit
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Off the topic PS: Please get your hands on ‘The Kite Runner’ by Khaled Housseini. He is a truly gifted story teller and while you are at it find ‘ A Thousand Splendid Suns’ too 🙂
To view more pictures tap here: https://wordpress.com/post/haveaphotogenicday.wordpress.com/95
I inked 