Makar Sankranti is celebrated as a significant festival in India. Everything that we perceive as life is change which. The connotation of Makar Sankranti festival is that it commemorates the day where there is a symbolic movement in the arrangement of the earth’s dial around the sun. There are several sankrantis through the year; the two significant ones are Makar Sankranti, and after summer solstice is Karka Sankranti. On the 22nd of December, the solstice occurs, that implies that in relation to the sun, the tilt of the planet reaches its maximum. Now, from this day on wards, the northern movement is strong.
The harvest
Makar Sankranti is also spoken of as the festival of harvest as this is the time when harvesting is complete and there are big celebrations among farmers. This is the day we endorse those who assisted in making the harvest. The farm animals are pivotal for the harvest, and hence the following day is referred to as Mattu Pongal. The legend behind this tradition suggests the first day for the earth, the second for humans and the third for animals and livestock. Indian mythology places animals higher than humans as humans need animals to survive and not the other way around.
This festivals is a reminder to craft the present and future in a conscious manner. The harvested crop serves as an intimation to actualize a plan for a better harvest the following year. Before technology took over predicting the weather, this festival was when the farmers consulted the elders and prepared the schedule for that year.
Cosmic connections
Makar Sankranti has a surfeit of celestial and spiritual connotations to it as well. This time is the salient time for yogis to make a novel effort in their spiritual proceedings. Several yogic systems evolved in accordance to the connection between the celestial system and the human system. The number 108 reoccurs in the construction of the universe at several instances. This also manifests in the planetary system in which we live. The diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth. The distance between Sun and Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Sun. The distance between Moon and Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Moon. Everything resets on this day.