According to astrology, Sun is called the king of nine planets. The Sun changes its zodiac sign every month which results in a Surya Sankranti taking place every month.
That ways there are a total of 12 Sankranti of the Sun that occur in a year. But it is only Makar Sankranti which is said to have special significance.
Makar Sankranti takes place when the king of planets, Sun, enters the zodiac sign Capricorn. Sankranti means changing the zodiac sign of the Sun. It is believed that by doing charity on this day, taking bath in holy rivers like Ganga etc. one attains 100 times more virtue. On this day, Lord Surya is worshiped and people offer black sesame seeds and jaggery.
Bhishma Pitamah sacrificed his life on Makar Sankranti
With regards the significance of Makar Sankranti, it is said that on this auspicious day, Bhishma Pitamah chose to sacrifice his five physical bodies. He had the boon of dying voluntarily and he left his body only when the sun set to Uttarayan. The Sun sets in Uttarayan only on Makar Sankranti and at this time one attains salvation after death.
Maharaja Sagar’s sons also got salvation
It is also believed that on the day of Makar Sankranti, Gangaji had saved 60,000 sons of Maharaj Sagar. It is believed that 60 thousand sons of Maharaja Sagar attained salvation and went to the abode of God. That is why it is believed that the doors of heaven open on the day of Makar Sankranti.
How Bhishma Pitamah attained moksha during Uttarayan
The festival of Uttarayan is celebrated to mark the beginning of the harvest season in India but there’s another side to it.
Makar Sankranti is probably the first festival that sparks the wave of other celebrations in India. This day is celebrated on January 14 in various parts of India to show gratitude to the Sun God for the good harvest, but that is not it, this festival holds great significance in Hindu mythology and is even mentioned in the epic Mahabharata.
The legends of Makar Sankranti
As per the legends, a devil named Sankarasur used to torture and kill people on earth without rhyme or reason. On hearing this, Devi Sankranti landed on Earth and killed the devil in a fierce battle. Thus, Makar Sankranti got its name from Devi Sankranti and is celebrated to mark the defeat of Sankrasura. The day after, Devi slayed another demon called Kinkarasur. Hence, the day following Makar Sankranti is also called Karidin or Kinkrant (from the name of Kinkarasur).
Another legend links Makar Sankranti to the epic Mahabharata. Bhishma Pitamah the supreme commander of the Kaurava forces during the Kurukshetra War was wounded by the arrows shot by Pandava Prince Arjuna and suffered till the onset of Uttarayan. He attained moksha during the period of Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti. Hence, it is also believed that people who die on this day achieve moksha.
Why is Makar Sankrati celebrated?
The day of Sankranti marks the transition of Suryadev (sun) from one Rashi (zodiac sign) to another. The sun begins its journey toward the northern hemisphere as it moves from Dakshinayan (south) to Uttarayan (north) hemisphere. Hence, this festival is also called Uttarayan in Gujarat. It is significantly celebrated on the 14th of the first month which is somewhat around 21 days after the tropical winter solstice which takes place between December 20 to 23.
The sun finally moves from Dhanu Rashi (Sagittarius zodiac sign) to Makar Rashi (Capricorn zodiac sign) which is why the prefix ‘Makar’. According to the solar calendar, the day and the night measure the same duration of hours on this day. After which the days become longer and the nights become shorter. The sun’s rays also start to shine brighter.
With regards to it marking the harvest season, it is believed that the Aryans celebrated this auspicious day to mark the beginning of crop cultivation and hence it is celebrated as the harvest festival across various parts of India.
