Since time immemorial, demons have been troubling humans as well as

Deities. When such situations arise, God incarnates and slays the
demons. It is said that Sankranti, a Deity, slayed a demon, Sankrasur,
on this day.

Makara Sankranti is celebrated to let go of our differences with each

other and increase love (prema bhava) in us. Spiritually, this day is very
conducive for sadhana and to imbibe the Chaitanya in the environment.

Sankranti is considered a Deity. According to a legend Sankranti killed a

demon named Sankarasur. The day followed by Makara Sankrant is
called Kinkrant or Karidin. On this day, the female deity (devi) slayed
the demon Kinkarasur.

Importance of Makara Sankranti

1. Worldly Importance
In Bharat, Makara Sankranti is celebrated to let go of our differences
with each other and increase love (prembhav) in us. One way people
come close together on this day, is by distributing sweets to each other.
These sweets are typically made of sesame seeds.

2. Spiritual Importance
a. On Makara Sankranti from sunrise to sunset, the environment is full
of Chaitanya. Thus, a seeker doing sadhana (spiritual practice) can
derive the maximum benefit of the increased Chaitanya. Due to the
Chaitanya, tejtattva (Absolute Fire Principle) also increases in seekers.

b. The day of Makara Sankranti is very conducive for sadhana.

Spiritual Significance of Sweets Made Out of Sesame

Seeds
a. Before distributing sweets made out of sesame seeds, they should be
kept in front of an idol or a picture of a Deity on one’s altar. This helps
retain the Shakti (Divine Energy) and Chaitanya (Divine Consciousness)
in the sweets.

b. When distributing sweets made of sesame seeds, bhav (spiritual

emotion) and Chaitanya is awakened in us.

c. All the members of the house derive the benefit of the increased
Chaitanya in the environment.
d. The prembhav (love) in people increases and they are able to
overcome negative thinking and replace it with positive thinking.

e. According to Ayurveda, eating sesame seeds in winter is beneficial for

our health. Spiritually, sesame seeds and sesame oil have the ability to
absorb and emit Sattva frequencies more than any other oil. Hence,
during Makara Sankranti, sesame seeds are favorable for good sadhana
(spiritual practice) to happen.
f. Importance of sesame seed sweets: Sesame seeds have the ability to
absorb and emit high amounts of Sattva frequencies. By consuming
sesame seed sweets, inner purification happens which helps improve
one’s sadhana. By distributing these sweets to each other, there is an
exchange of sattvikta, which helps increase everyone’s sattvikta.

Hindu festivals are great opportunities to imbibe the increased amount

of positive energy and Deities’ principle in the environment. However
this is possible only if one celebrates the festivals as per the guidance of
Hindu Dharma. By adhering to Dharma we can derive the maximum
benefit of each festival thereby purifying ourselves as well as the
environment.

How is Makara Sankranti Celebrated?

Different regions in Bharat (India) celebrate Makara Sankranti in
different ways. The following are some examples of the various rituals
that are performed on this day.

The period from sunrise to sunset is meritorious. A Holy bath at any

Holy place on the banks of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Krushna,
Godavari, etc., on this day, yields great merits.

The period from Makara Sankranti (14 January in 2014) to Rathsaptami

( 6 February in 2014) is called a Transition period (Parvakal or
Sandhikal). Any offerings / donations (daan) and meritorious acts done
during this period definitely yield fruit.

White sesame seeds (til) are used extensively while celebrating Makara
Sankranti. People prepare sweets made of sesame seeds and distribute
them to others. Sesame seeds have the ability to absorb and emit high
amounts of Sattva frequencies which in turn facilitate spiritual practice.
Women celebrate this day with an event known as ‘Haldi-Kumkum’ or
‘Haldi-Kunku’. They apply turmeric and kumkum (vermilion) on the
forehead of other women at the site of the adnya-chakra, apply perfume
(attar) to hands-forearms-feet, offer 13 types of sattvik gifts (vaan),
sprinkle rose water on them, offer sweets made of sesame seeds and do
the ritual of offering a sāṛī and/or a piece of cloth to a female Deity or to
a married woman (Oti).

Methods of Celebration of Makara Sankranti

1. Benefit of highest merit acquired by a Holy dip on the day of Makara
Sankranti: The time from sunrise to sunset on Makara Sankranti is
auspicious. A Holy dip during this period carries special significance.
Those who take a Holy dip in the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari,
Krushna and Kaveri at the Holy places situated on the banks of these
rivers acquire the highest merit.

2. Makara Sankranti Offering: Importance of making an offering during

an auspicious period: The period from Makara Sankranti to Rathsaptami
is an auspicious period. Any donation and meritorious deeds in this
period prove more fruitful.
Substances offered on Makara Sankranti: An offering of new vessels,
clothing, food, sesame seeds, pot of sesame seeds, jaggery, a cow, a
horse, gold or land should be made depending on the capability. On this
day, married women also make some offering. They take things from
unmarried girls and give them sesame seeds and jaggery in return.
Married women organise a ceremony of haldi-kumkum (applying
vermilion and turmeric to the forehead) and gift articles to other married
women.

3. Importance of haldi-kumkum ceremony performed by married women

on Makara Sankranti : Performing haldi-kumkum(Turmeric powder and
vermilion) ceremony is in a way invoking the waves of dormant Adi-
shakti in the Universe to get activated. This helps in creating impression
of Sagun (Materialised) devotion on the mind of an individual and
enhances his bhav (Spiritual emotion) unto God.

A. Steps in haldi-kumkum ceremony

A 1. Applying Haldi-kumkum :
Applying haldi-kumkum to a suvasini (A married woman whose husband
is alive) activates the dormant Principle of Sri Durgadevi in her and
bestows well-being to the applier suvasini.

A 2. Applying Perfume :
Fragrant particles emitting from the perfume please the Principle of the
Deity and bestow well-being to the applier suvasini within a shorter
period.

A 3. Sprinkling Rose-Water :
The fragrant waves emitted by the rose-water activate the waves of the
Deity and purifies the environment, and the suvasini who sprinkles it
gets greater benefit of the activated Sagun Principle of the Deity.

Source: worldhindunews.com