Makar Sankranti
Makara literally means 'Capricorn' and Sankranti is the day when the sun passes from one sign of the zodiac to the next. The Sankranti of any month is considered auspicious as it signifies afresh start. However Makara Sankranti is celebrated in the month of Magha when the sun passes through the winter solstice, from the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn.
    This feast is celebrated on January 14th, and is the only feast of the Indian calendar which is not celebrated on a fixed day of the lunar month.
On this day the sun enters the constellation of Makar (Croco-dile) and begins to move towards the north. Throughout the year the sun passes through twelve constellations: Mesh (Ram, Aries), Vrishabh (Bull, Taurus), Mithun (Couple, Gemini), Kark (Crab, Cancer), 5mb (Lion, Leo), Kanya (Girl, Virgo), Tula (Balance, Libra), Vrishchik (Scorpion), Dhanu (Bow, Saggitarius), Makar (Crocodile, Capricorn), Kumbh (Wateijar, Aquarius), Mm (Fish, Pisces). When the sun does not cross any constellation then there is an extra month called “Adhik Mas”. The crossing of the Makar constellation takes place in the month of Paush.

“Tilgul”, Symbol of Friendship
    On this day people eat “Khichadi” made of rice and dal. The Paush month is also known as Dhundhur Mas and people eat “bajari” bread mixed with “til” (Sesamum). On the feast of Sankrant “til” is given great importance, for in this season it is considered to have special nutritive and medicinal qualities. “Til” is a very oil-giving seed. Mixed with jaugari or sugar it becomes a very sticky sweet which people exchange with one another as a sign of friendship. “Tilgul ghya, god bola.” (“Take tilgul and speak sweetly”) is the phrase on everybody’s lips. With this good social custom enmities are forgotten and new friendships started. People are encouraged to emulate the quality of “Tilgul” and stick to-gether in permanent union and love.
    On this day ladies apply “halad-kumkum” (turmeric powder) on each other’s forehead, and children fly kites. Many people take bath at Prayag, near Allahabad, at the meeting point of the Ganges and the Yamuna.
    Makara Sankranti is also celebrated throughout India as a harvest festival. It is a way of giving thanks to the elements of nature that help man. This is the period when the winter recedes, paving the way for the summer. It is the time the farmers bring home their harvest. In the coast al regions, it is a harvest festival dedicated to Indra. In Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, it is celebrated as a three-day harvest festival Pongal. In Assam, the festival is celebrated as Bhogali Bihu, and in Punjab it is called Lohri.
    In North India, a ritual bath in the river is important on this day. In fact, bathing is considered mandatory on this day, and according to a popular local belief in the hills of Uttar Pradesh, one who does not bathe on Makara Sankranti is born a donkey in his next birth. The belief probably originated in cold climates to compel some of the more reluctant people to observe certain rules of hygiene.
    A big fair is held at the confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna and the Sarasvati rivers at Triveni in Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) on this occasion. Being the month of Magha, this fair is also called Magha Mela. Apart from Triveni, ritual bathing also takes place at many places like Haridvar and Garh Mukteshwar in Uttar Pradesh, and Patna in Bihar. Since it is also the season to fly kites, the evening sky is awash with colourful kites of all shapes and sizes. Several kite competitions are held in various localities.  More on Makar Sankranti.

The Hindu Festival Of Makara Sankranti
Makara Sanranti marks the auspicious moment when the sun moves into its northern sphere, crossing over the tropic of Capricorn. It takes place during the Hindu month of magha (January). It is said to mark the beginning of the year.
Makara literally means crocodile but it is also the name of one of the solar months in the Hindu calendar. Thus given that the names of the solar months are also the names of the signs of the zodiac, makara also denotes the name of the zodiacal sign Capricorn. The word sankranti is derived from the Sanskrit word sankrama, which means course or passage. The northern course that the sun takes on this day is called the uttarayana.
Makara sankranti is one of the most important bathing days in the Hindu calendar. It is considered particularly auspicious to bathe at the confluence of the rivers Ganga and Jamuna in Allahabad, also known as Prayag. In Indian mythology, it is believed that a third river also meets at this point called the Saraswati, yet this is not visible to the eye. At this time each year an important festival is held in Allahabad called the magha mela.
Makara sanskranti is observed by bathing in the river followed by feasting on fine foods and sweetmeats. It marks the opening day of the magha mela, which lasts for an entire month. Every year millions of pilgrims reside in huts along the rivers in Allahabad on an enormous expanse of ground set aside for this purpose. Pilgrims travel to other holy cities such as Benaras and Hardwar during this time, to bathe in the Ganga River.
There are certain days that are particularly auspicious for bathing during the magha mela period. These are the day of the new moon of the month of magh (amavasya), the fifth day of the light half of the same month (vasant pancami), the seventh day of the same fortnight (achala saptami), the 11th day (ekadashi) and the full moon day (magh purnimashi).
Traditionally the bath in the Ganga River was preceded by the removal of all body hair. It was believed that only after this was done could the bath have the desired purifying effect. One of the puranas conveys that a Hindu is released from 10 thousand births for every hair above the chin that finds its way into the Ganga River.
Before bathing, the body is anointed with sesame seed oil and sweets are prepared using sesame seed oil as well. Oil is also burned in lamps. This is done to signify that people should abstain from quarrelling and speak sweetly to one another. Some believe that the use of sesame seeds wards off evil.
Makara sankranti denotes the end of an inauspicious time of the year, the winter equinox, and the month of Paush in particular. It initiates a six-month period when the sun travels through its northern phase. The epic poem the Mahabharata relays that the leader of the Kauravas, Bhishma lay wounded on his deathbed of nails, awaiting the commencement of this phase before he chose to depart this world.
The festival of makara sankranti is known as Pongal in the south of India and is closely connected with agriculture. It is traditionally marked by the wealthy, who distribute food and clothes to those who work for them. Sweet puddings and rice are prepared. A pot of milk is allowed to boil over, signifying prosperity in the coming year.
Makara sankranti is one of only three auspicious days in the Hindu year that are calculated according to the solar calendar. Therefore, its date is always the same - January 14th.
The festival of makara sankranti is one of the more important bathing festivals on the Hindu calendar. It marks the time when the sun travels into its northern sphere, signifying the commencement of a period of prosperity and auspiciousness for Hindus.