Maaghe Sankranti - A Nepali Festival

Maaghe Sankranti (or Sakrati) is a Nepali festival, similar to solstice festivals in many other traditions is observed every year on the first day of the month of Maagh. The month of Maagh usually starts during mid January and ends in mid February. This festival takes place around 21 days after the tropical winter solstice (between December 20 and 23) that marks the starting of Uttarayana, which means northward journey of Sun and this year it falls on 15 January 2010. This day is also considered as the coldest of the season (may not be in reality though), signifying longer and warmer days ahead. It also brings end the month of Poush, the month prior to Maagh, where most of the holy ceremonies are forbidden for many trivial and unreasoned religious grounds. This festival is also called Maaghi Parva and Makar Sankranti amongst many other. Maaghi Parva implies a festival in the month of Maagh, where Parva relates to festival, is the other name generally used by Tharu community in Nepal. Sankranti means transmigration of Sun from one Raashi (zodiac in Hindu Astrology) to the other. Hence there are 12 such Sankranti’s and 12 such zodiac in all. However, the Sankranti festival usually refers to Makar Sankranti which relates to the transition of the Sun from Dhanu Raashi (Sagittarius) to Makar Raashi(Capricorn).

On this day pilgrims swarm in at river confluence for a holy dip in the water, despite freezing temperature. Some resort to only sprinkling water above their head because of the cold. In addition to the customary sacred plunge by the brave at heart, this year it is a solar eclipse on this day, which supports the holy practice of taking dip in the river after the eclipse. Devotees, many of them are elderly, take holy dips at the convergence points at Devghat, Barah Kshetra, Triveni, Dolalghat, Sankhamool and other sites all across Nepal. Big religious fair are held on this day at Devghat (near Narayanghat) and Kankai (in Jhapa district) where many people gather for the spiritual feel by worshipping the shrines. Many travel around for fun from different parts of Nepal and India.

In addition to holy bathing and worship of shrines, this festival carries along with it different items to eat so that it will lead to a healthier life ahead. Specially, Ghyu (clarified butter) is used to cook many items as it is religiously accepted notion that the use of ghyu wipes all the impurity. Teel Laddus(sesame seeds ball mixed with jaggery and rounded), Ghya-Chaaku (assemblage of ghee and chaaku – a popular condiment of Newar community), Shakkharkhand (sweet potato), Tarool (Yam), Khichadi (mixture of rice and lentils with clarified butter as the thickener) are the special menu items for this day. It is a normal customary in Nepal to invite married daughters and close relatives during festivities, and Maaghe Sankranti is not an exception. Families come together and share these delights. There is yet another tradition of massaging the body with mustard oil and then basking in the sun with the idea of keeping the body warm and relaxed in this cold day.

Any religious activity is marked with legend of some kinds. One of the many, this day is taken as the commemoration of the death of Bhishma Pita:maha, the elderly grandfather ofPadavas and Kauravas. Bhishma Pita:maha, who had the power to control his own death, happened to choose to die on the day of Maaghe Sankranti. Therefore it is believed that one who die on this day achieve Moksha, a release from rebirth cycle.

The Puranas say that on this day Sun visits the house of his son Shani, who is the swami of Makar Rashi. These father and son do not ordinarily get along nicely, but in spite of many difference between each other Lord Sun makes it a point to meet his son. He visits his son on this day and stays there for a month. Hence this day also symbolizes the importance of special relationship of father and son. It is the son who has the responsibility to carry forward his father’s dream and the continuity of the family.

The other legend is related to sesame seeds and its wide usage during this day. It is understood that a merchant from the village of Bhadgaon (Bhaktapur), had never ending supply of sesame seeds in his store. The more he took out the sesame seeds the supply never depleted. Later, he found out an idol ofLord Vishnu hidden deep beneath the seeds on this day. Since this day Teel Madhav – a special representation of Lord Vishnu is worshipped with the belief that lord will continue to be generous in the supply of food and wealth. Yet another legend is that it was on this day when Lord Vishnu ended the ever increasing terror of the Asuras (Devil) by finishing them off and burying their heads under the Mandara Parvata. So this occasion also represents the end of negativities and beginning of an era of righteous living.

This solstice festival is celebrated all over South Asia with some regional variations. In India it is celebrated by different names in different states, like Makar Sankranti in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharastra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Orrissa and West Bengal, Bihu in Assam, Uttarayan in Gujarat and Rajasthan, Lohri in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and Pongal in Tamilnadu. In other countries too, the day is celebrated under different names and in different ways likeSongkran in Thailand, Pi Ma Lao in Laos and Thingyan in Myanmar.

This festival identifies a period of enlightenment, peace, prosperity and happiness.

 Author: Roshan Upadhyay

Also posted in  Tikijhya.com