Greetings on Makar Sankranti

 

Special Cancellation on Makara Sankranti Greetings

Bengaluru : 13 January 2023

Image Courtesy: Praveen Shastry - Bangalore

Happy Lohri

Lohri : The first festival of the new year is on the calendar, but with some confusion. Lohri, also known as Lohadi or Lal Loi, occurs one day before Makar Sankranti. Since Mughal times, the auspicious festival of Lohri has been celebrated with great pomp by the people of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir. In the Sindhi community, the festival is known as Lal Loi.

On this day, people light a fire outside their homes or in public places with wood and cow dung cakes, then offer sesame seeds, jaggery, gajak, rewdi, and peanuts to the lit bonfire while performing Parikrama around it. Singing and dancing are integral parts of the festivities. 

Makar(a) Sankranti also referred to as Uttarayana, Maghi,  is a Hindu festival. Usually falling on the date of January 14 or 15 annually, this occasion marks the transition of the Sun from the zodiac of Sagittarius (dhanu) to Capricorn (makara). Since the Sun is regarded to have moved from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere on this day in the Hindu calendar, the festival is dedicated to the solar deity, Surya, and is observed to mark a new beginning. Kite flying is closely associted with Makar Sankranti.Many people fly kites on this day and enjoy the festival.