Melody of Makar Sankranti in Madhes

“The festival of Makar Sankranti traditionally coincides with the beginning of the Sun’s northward journey (the Uttarayan) when it enters the sign of Makar (the Capricorn). It falls on the 14th of January every year according to the Solar Calendar. This day has a very special significance because the day and night on Makar Sankranti are exactly of equal hours. It is celebrated as a festival right from the times of the Aryans and is looked upon as the most auspicious day by the Hindus,” according to PK Das’ ‘Hindu Feasts And Festivals: Makar Sankranti’.

Madhes is a legendary land of fairs and festivals. There is a festival which falls every month of the year. Most of these festivals are related to gods and goddesses. Makar Sankranti is a unique festival because it is not associated with any god and goddess. It is not even related to a local deity. But it is somewhat related to the sun god visible all over the world. It is celebrated on the first day of the month of Magh according to the Bikram era. It falls in the winter season in which the earth reaches the southernmost point and starts returning to the northern hemisphere. The people of Madhes celebrate it for bright, beautiful and sunny days because there is a shivering cold at that time of the year. So they worship the sun god after immersing themselves in a water body. People dare to dive into the cold water of any river and pond and pool for a ceremonial bath. Bath is compulsory on this occasion for purification of body and mind. So they go to the confluence of rivers for a sacred bath. 

Either they go to the Kankai river which is popularly known as Maibeni Mela or Narayanghat where three rivers like Narayani, Seti and Gandaki meet. There they take a customary dip in the river to purify themselves. 

Days get warmer and warmer from this auspicious day. A great poet of English literature, PB Shelly is quite right when he says, “If winter comes, can spring be far behind?” So, people are hopeful of winter coming to an end soon. Lazy people also feel enthusiastic, spirited and strong on this day. The message of the Makar Sankranti is to enliven and encourage the lazy and lethargic souls. After taking a bath in a nearby river, they pray to the sun for better health and after coming back home they also seek blessings from elders.

After taking bath early in the morning, people of Mithila eat Khichadi (a mixture of rice and lentils) with pure ghee which is available in their sweet homes. They eat delicious dishes to beat this shivering cold of Magh.

This festival is called ‘Tila Sankranti’ in the Maithili speaking area and Khichadi in the Bhojpuri-speaking area. This festival represents Makar (Capricorn), the tenth sign of the Zodiac. Thus according to the Hindu scriptures the first day of Magh is observed as Makar Sankranti. The month of Magh is considered as a merrymaking month. The month of Poush is considered inauspicious whereas Magh is considered auspicious. Some religious people start bathing the whole month early in the morning, though it is very cold in the morning hours. Even idle and sick people take bath on the auspicious occasion of Maghe Sankranti. It has been articulated astrologically and astronomically that on this day the sun, the only visible god, is the farthest from the earth. So days become longer, better and warmer from this day. The people of Madhes celebrate Maghe Sankranti on the first day of Magh. It is worthy to note that Madhesi culture is very rich and renowned. 

Various fairs and festivals are the demonstrators of this richness, bathing rituals and processions take place at various religious places such as Janakpurdham, Dhanushadham and Jaleshwardham. Women throng these pious places and worship Lord Mahadev, the god of gods. They prefer to take bath on the confluence (Sangam) of at least two or more rivers because it is considered sacred. The people of Madhes rush toward rivers and rivulets and take a ceremonial bath to purify themselves. After taking the holy dips, they prepare several sweet recipes such as Mudhi and Lai made of molasses.They also prepare Khichadi—a mixture of rice, vegetables and lentils. So this festival is also called Khichadi in some places of Tarai-Madhes.

Tharu people also celebrate Maghi for three consecutive days. They eat special and decent dishes on this occasion. They sacrifice he-goats, chickens, pigeons and buffaloes. They celebrate their greatest festival by singing and dancing. They call it Maghi in their native language, celebrating it as the beginning of their new fiscal year whereas the people of Mithila celebrate it for one day only. 

Non-vegetarian people eat several kinds of dishes of meat according to their choices. Vegetarian people eat sweet potatoes and eat ladoos made by mixing Tila and molasses. This is a very healthy food item as it produces energy and heat in the human body. They also eat Dahi (curd) and Chiuda (beaten rice) and sugar. Khichadi with ghee is also considered a very nutritious food. People prefer to eat this type of food on this occasion. They also invite their married daughters and their husbands’ in-laws and other close relatives for family feasts. 

This festival gives enough opportunity for socialization. It is a perfectly cultural and social festival of the Hindu people who constitute a majority in Madhes. This is a great occasion for the grand gathering of this community for exchanging greetings and well-wishes. The main motto of this festival is peace, fraternity and unity in the society. This festival helps in creating an amicable atmosphere of social harmonization.

Makar Sankranti is an important festival that falls in mid-January. It is preceded by Lohri (bonfire) into which is thrown harvest produce like sugarcane stalks, parched rice and sesame seeds. On the day of Sankranti, Khichadi (mishmash of rice, lentils and vegetables) is prepared and given in charity. Sankranti, signifying light, also gives the message of intellectual illumination. It is the Viveka (discriminatory wisdom) to choose between the right and wrong that is believed to lead man on the path of happiness, Utpal K Banarjee fittingly states in his book titled ‘Hindu Joy of Life’.