Makar Sankranti Festival 2016, India

Makar Sankranti is an Indian Sub continent festival celebrated in almost all parts of India and Nepal in lots of cultural forms. It is a harvest festival.

Makar Sankranti marks the transition of the Sun into the zodiac sign of Makara (Capricorn) on its celestial path. The day is also believed to mark the arrival of spring in India and is a traditional event. Makara Sankranthi is a solar event making one of the few Indian festivals which fall on the same date in the Gregorian calendar every year: 15January, with some exceptions when the festival is celebrated on 13 January.

  

Also called	Sankaranthi or Pongal
Type	Seasonal, Traditional
Significance	Festival of Harvest, Celebration of day after Winter Solstice
Celebrations	Kite flying
Date	day when the Sun begins its movement away from the Tropic of Capricorn (mid-January)
2016 date	15 January

India has its own different way of celebrating everything, be it seasons, Harvesting time, State cultures and traditions or anything. Makar Sankranti is the divine festival when the Sun (the Protector of life) enters into the line of Capricorn. It is a symbol of rejuvenating time for Earth. It is time when in India, winter is about to finish and spring is about to enter with the change in weather. Makar Sankranti is a kind of religious occasion which emphasizes the relationship of the Sun with the life on the Earth. Sun symbolizes for spiritual illumination, knowledge, and wisdom. 

Makar Sankranti is the auspecious time when we opt for moving toward the light of knowledge from the darkness. It specifies the beginning of a new life with the Inner aura. It is an auspicious occasion for Hindu they celebrate this festival by having a holy dip into river Ganges. As a sacred ritual there's a tradition to donate money and Khichadi (raw or cooked mixture of pulse & rice) to the poor.

 From north to the South and from east to the west this festival is celebrated with some variations. In Tamilnadu it is known as Pongal, in Andhra it is known as Bhogi, Bihu it has the name in Assam whereas Sankranti in Karnataka. Makar Sankranti falls on January 14th of every year. This is the best time to start your pilgrimage tour in India, most probably to char dham pilgrimage of Uttaranchal. NTP India Tourism Team is there for you to take all the responsibilities of your Pilgrimage tour in India.