Holy dip in the Ganga, donations to poor on the ghats and kite flying marked the celebrations of Makar Sankranti (locally called 'Khichdi') on Friday, January 14.
Makar Sankranti marks the transition of the Sun into Makara rashi (Capricorn) constellation.
It is a major harvest festival celebrated in various parts of India. When the sun moves from the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn in mid-January, it commemorates the beginning of the harvest season and cessation of the northeast monsoon in South India.
While the traditional Indian calendar is fully based on lunar positions, Sankranti is one outstanding solar event. So while dates of all Hindu festivals keep changing as per the Gregorian calendar, the date of Makar Sankranti remains constant over a long term, 14 January.
Makar Sankranti, apart from a harvest festival is also regarded as the beginning of an auspicious phase in Indian culture. It is referred to as the 'holy phase of transition'. It marks the end of an inauspicious phase which according to the Hindu calendar began in mid-December. It is believed that any auspicious and sacred ritual can be sanctified in any Hindu family, this day onwards. Scientifically, this day marks the beginning of warmer and longer days compared to the nights. In other words, Sankranti marks the termination of winter season and beginning of a new harvest or spring season.
Many cities celebrate it in different ways, but in Varanasi there were a lot of kites flying high.
The markets across Varanasi were flooded with colourful kites available in different shapes and sizes to lure youngsters and elderly alike.
Besides kites, shopkeepers have brought a wide variety of manjha (sharp thread used to fly kites) and pareta (the wooden dumble on which the thread is wrapped).
The influence of Chinese stuff is visible in the market of kites as well these days, said Sanjay Aggrawal, a wholesaler of kites in Gadaulia area on Wednesday.
"Now, we have a wide range of colourful kites available in different shapes and sizes. The list includes butterfly kites, warrior kites (in the form of fighter planes), multiple kites or serial kites that are tied together to form a series and the dragon kites that are available in the form of dragon. Similarly, Chinese pareta and manjha are also giving a good competition to the tradition products," he added.
The kite-flying tradition that was earlier confined to the old parts of the city (Pucca Mahal) along the ghats on the banks of holy Ganga has slowly spread to other parts of the city.
People nowadays love to fly kites at new places like the sand-beds in the middle of the Ganga, said Purushottam Aggrawal, a kite trader.
He said that the involvement of foreign visitors and tourists has added glamour and attraction to the festival, locally called khichdi.
from The Times of India and online sources
