Makara Sankranti, Worship of the SUN.

 Makara Sankranti, Worship of the SUN.

Makara Sankranti is the day dedicated to worship of Surya Devata–– the Sun god, whose lightnourishes and sustains all life on this planet. This day heralds the beginning of the season ofincreased light in the northern hemisphere, as the sun begins its six-month journey toward thenorth. This journey of the sun, called uttarayana, is mirrored by the inner journey that takesplace within a human being; Makara Sankranti symbolizes the prana-shakti moving upward within one’s being, an inner uttarayana through the various chakras and toward the resplendent,

thousand-petaled sahasrara.

Makara Sankranti is one of the few Indian festival that is based on the solar cycle. According tothe Indian calendar Panchang, it is typically observed on January 14th.

The Sanskrit word sankranti means “passage,” and in Vedic astrology, makara is the name ofthe tenth sign of the zodiac. The makara is a mythological animal, half-terrestrial andhalf-aquatic, and it is often depicted as a crocodile.

It is considered to be a guardian of gateways and thresholds.

Makara Sankranti is the day when people throughout India honor the noble warrior Bhishma Pitahmaha (in English, Grandfather Bhishma), who was the embodiment of dharma and righteousness. The Indian epic Mahabharata recounts how Bhishma was mortally wounded in a

ferocious battle, pierced through by thousands of arrows. Because he had led a life of dharma, he received from Lord Krishna the boon of choosing the time of his own death. Bhishma chose to depart on Makara Sankranti so that his final journey would follow the path of light.

As he lay waiting on his bed of arrows for the auspicious hour when the sun would turn northward, he

imparted to his great-nephew Yudhisthira the revered text Vishnu Sahasranama.

Although on the one hand, there is this association on Makara Sankranti with the passing of thegreat soul Bhishma Pitahmaha, Makara Sankranti is also celebrated as a time of renewal.

The

days grow longer and warmer. Farmers rejoice as they reap a bumper crop from lush green ricefields and a countryside covered in yellow-flowered mustard plants and green and golden stalksof sugarcane.

The impression one has when looking out over this harvest is of an infinite golden

earth.

Throughout India people celebrate, the festival taking on a different name depending onthe region. It is Makara Sankranti in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana; Pongal in Tamil Nadu; Lohri and Maghi in Punjab and Haryana; Uttarayan in Gujarat; and Magh

Bihu in Assam, to name just a few examples.

One of the wonderful ways to celebrate Makara Sankranti is by reciting mantras in homage to Surya Devata.

You may recite these mantras and do spiritual practices throughout the day on MakaraSankranti.