Makar Sankranti... तिळगुळ घ्या गोड गोड बोला

    Makar Sankranti is one of the ancient festival in India. This festival is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm across all regions of India. It is a harvest festival in India because this festival is celebrated at the time of harvesting. This festival is celebrated in January every year. Most of the festivals in India are related to agriculture, Makar Sankranti is one of them. 

    In Maharashtra, On this day, People exchange til-gul laddoo (sweet made up of sesame seeds and jaggery) and multi coloured halwa (Sugar granules coated in sugar syrup). Married women invite friends/family members and celebrate Haldi-Kumkum. Guests are given til-gul and some small gift, as a part of the ritual. People draw beautiful rangolis at the house entrance. worship of 'Sugad' is important on this day. 'Sugad' is a clay pot filled with ripe grains. women in the family perform 'Sugad puja' on this day.

Sugad Puja vidhi:

Sugad Puja

• First of all perform regular 'Devpuja' which you do everyday.
• To perform Sugad Puja, Keep a wooden chowki adjacent to the temple and cover it with a red cloth. Draw a Swastik with red colored rangoli below chowki. Decorate chowki with toran (made up of mango tree leaves). 
• Take five Sugad (It is a clay pot available easily in market) and clean it properly. Wrap a white thread (five rounds) around the neck of the Sugad. 
• Apply Haldi kumkum to the Sugad from five sides.
• Put all the ingredients like wheat grains, carrot, sugarcane pieces, groundnut, sesame seeds or laddoo, halwa (sugar granules), haldi kumkum  in all the five  Sugad. In some places, two Sugad are worshipped. 
  
  
  
• Sprinkle some akshada (rice) on the chowky and place five sugad on the chowky.    
• Place a two betel leaves and one puja supari on it. put it beside Sugad. we call it as "Maanacha Veeda" or "Veeda Supari". Offer haldi kumkum to it.
• Place a diya (oil/ghee lamp) beside Sugad and lit it while performing puja.
  
• Now worship five sugad by offering haldi kumkum to the Sugad and cover all the sugad with a red colored cloth of any lid or diya. Offer flower to each Sugad. It is said that all the Sugad should be covered to maintain prosperity in the house throughout the year. 
• Show the offering of sesame laddoo and halwa after puja.

       In this way married women (Suvasini) perform this puja. This puja is performed in variations in Maharashtra. Married women can wear black Saree on this day. On this day, People draw beautiful rangoli in front of the house. 

    In the evening all married women invite each other at their house for haldi kumkum where they exchange small gifts (Vaan in Marathi) along with one flower and til-gul. This haldi kumkum program can be celebrated till Rath Saptami. But sugad is to be worshipped on the day of Makar Sankranti.  

    While exchanging til-gul as tokens of goodwill people greet each other with the words "तिळगुळ घ्या, आणि गोड-गोड बोला / til-gul ghyaa, aani goad-goad bolaa" meaning ‘Accept this til-gul (sweet) and utter sweet words’. The underlying thought in the exchange of til-gul is to forget the past ill-feelings and hostilities and resolve to speak sweetly and remain friends.

Sankranti Bornhan / Loot: 

   

    It is a fun filled Maharashtrian tradition to nurture child's immune system. This is a special ceremony organized for the kids in the age group of 1 to 5 years. 'Bor' means berries and 'Nhan' means bath.  It is celebrated for children's good health. It is believed that performing a Bornhan keeps  evil away from kids. 

• To perform Bornhan, Child is dressed up in any traditional attire preferably in black color dress. 
• Child have to wear jewelry made out of sugar candies which is named as "Halvyache Dagine" in Marathi. It is easily available in market during Sankranti season.  
• Invite small children for this ritual.
• The child is then sit on a Chowky or Paat (wooden rectangular stool). Five married women perform Aarti/Aukshan to the child.    
  
  
  
• After this, let all other children sit around child. The mother of the child then shower berries, murmura (puffed rice), groundnut, chocolates and candies over the child and other children are asked to collect the fallen items. 

    In this way, this fun filled ritual is celebrated. Now a days people do variety of home decorations for this festivals. Celebration haldi kumkum and Bornhan are carried out on the same day. HAPPY MAKAR SANKRANTI..!!