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| Indian Festivals - Makar Sankranti |
What is Zodiac?
Zodiacs are nothing but group of stars called constellations that
are always seen together and collectively depicting an animal shape. Their
movement has been watched by our ancestors for thousands and thousands of years
and their respective angle of their presence with our Sun and Moon are
calculated.
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| Fire of Bogi - Destroy unwanted things and thoughts |
When you sit exactly on the line of equator on a day when the day
and night are equal at a time just before the rise of sun, you will see a group
of stars precisely at the place where the sun is about to rise. If you continue
watching the same phenomenon every year and from the same place then after 2000
years next constellation or zodiac will appear. Since a single man could not
observe the change the information was stored and followed by thousands of
generations and this phenomenon was given shape.
So, for the entire cycle of zodiac to get completed, it takes
about 24000 years and this data is used to calculate the yugas in Hindu
culture. This concept is called procession of equinox.
How Zodiacs influence our lives?
All celestial bodies in the universe have two powers in common.
One is gravitational force and the other magnetic force. The intensity might
vary from very minimum to vast energies. Stars because of their size exert more
of these powers which apart from their other power of producing light and
energy by fusing hydrogen atoms.
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A group of stars or constellations will have an enormous magnetic
field and gravitational force and when some constellations that are angled
directly with our Sun - the major energy provider for earth, then a minute
change in energy levels happen. These minute changes also could be massive for
living beings in earth because of the relatively small size.
What is Makar Sankranti?
As the earth rotates by itself and also around the sun, the angle
between you, the sun and the constellation changes every day. This alteration
is calculated with respect to the position of Sun or Moon. In either case the
angle of the Sun's presence with that our presence and the constellations
changes twelve times a year. That is Sun gets closer to the attractive field of
a constellation every month.
Every year there will be two days when day and night timings will
be similar and one such day falls on 14th of January. On this particular day
Sun enters the power zone of the Zodiac Capricorn or Makara. The day also marks
the arrival of spring and summer for those who are residing around
equator.
The transition of Sun to the zodiac Capricorn is celebrated
throughout India as Makar Sankranti.
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| Pongal Festival being celebrated in a school in Chennai |
Pongal Festival in Tamil Nadu:
Makar Sankranti is celebrated as Pongal In Tamil Nadu and it is a
major festival here that is celebrated for four days. Tamil Nadu is the only
state in India that receives rain fall ij the months of October, November and
December and hence that period is considered as best time cultivating paddy
that requires large volumes of water for growth. The harvest just coincides
with the pongal festival and with the newly harvested paddy, the festival is
celebrated.
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| Pongal festival being celebrated in a Temple in Tamil Nadu |
Bogi:
First day of the festival is called Bogi when all the
unwanted things in a household are destroyed. You can see raging fire in the
early morning of the day in almost all the houses in Tamil Nadu where they dump
all those unwanted things that occupy the house and they are burnt. This day
signifies that when the new period starts you have to destroy all the old and
unwanted things not only in your household but also in your minds.
Pongal:
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| Tasty Pongal is ready |
The second day of the festival is Pongal and the day is
dedicated to the Sun. I the early mornings pongal, a tasty dish is prepared in
front of the houses in mud pots. As we are all used to food cooked in metal
utensils you will have to once taste food that is prepared in mud pot. Believe
me, it would be the tastiest food you have ever had and there are scientific reasons
for that.
Mattu Pongal:
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| Manju Virattu on Mattu Pongal Day |
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| Youths trying to tame a Bull |
The third day of the festival is dedicated to Bulls and cows. Both
of them, even now play a major role in an average farmer's day to day. Cows
provide milk and bullocks are used for ploughing and transportation. You may not
believe this. but it is still way agriculture is done by majority of Indians.
On this day a special event is conducted when young males try to
tame furious bulls. This event is popularly known as Manju Virattu. There are
some legal restrictions for this event but still it is a must see event where
the young man who tames a bullock is awarded with whatever that is tied in the
neck of the bull.
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| Are you Brave Enough? |
Kanum Pongal:
The fourth day of the festival is called Kanum Pongal and as the
name indicates the day is for seeing friends, relatives and new things.
People start early in the morning with their families on the day and visit
friends or relative's houses and also visit recreation centers and malls,
Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu is know for its second largest beach in
the world where more than 10 lakh people gather on the day.
Makar Sankranti is celebrated as a kite festival in many parts of
India when from early morning to evening kids and adults fly kites in the broad
daylight and get the warmth and energy of the sun during its transition phase.
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| Rush in Marina Beach on Kanum Pongal Day |
To read more from the author, Click here - Get closer to your Dreams - Warm and Intimate Monalisa
