Makar Sankranti is celebrated is observed each year in January and is dedicated to the deity Surya.
Makar Sankranti. Makara Sankranti is a Hindu festival celebrated in almost all parts of India and Nepal in a myriad of cultural forms. It is a harvest festival. ... Makar Sankranti marks the transition of the Sun into the zodiac sign of Makara rashi (Capricorn) on its celestial path.
Makar Sankranti is also known as Maghi or Makara Sankranti. The festival is celebrated by Hindus and is dedicated to Surya, the Sun God in the Hindu pantheon. This year, Makar Sankranti will be celebrated on January 15, 2020. As such, the festival is
supposed to mark the first day when the sun is transiting into the Capricorn, also known as Makara. Makar Sankrant also marks the end of the month when the winter solstice, which is also referred to as the darkest night of the year, happens. It also signals that longer days are here again. As per Hindu tradition, Makar Sankranti also marks the beginning of Uttarayana, a six-month auspicious period.
There are two different systems to calculate the Makara Sankranti date: nirayana (without adjusting for precession of equinoxes, sidereal) and sayana(with adjustment, tropical). The January 14 date is based on the nirayana system, while the sayanasystem typically computes to about December 23.
As per the solar calendar, after one year, the Sun comes to the same location 20 minutes late every year, which means the Sun needs 1 day extra after every 72 years in the sky. That's the reason why Makar Sankranti sometimes shifts from 14 January to 15 January, and so on.
Makara Sankranti is regarded as important for spiritual practices and accordingly, people take a holy dip in rivers, especially Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri. The bathing is believed to result in merit or absolution of past sins. They also pray to the sun and thank for their successes and prosperity.
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