Makar Sankranti 2019 harvest festivals across india Bihu Pongal Poush Parbon Uttarayan Maghi Bengal Assam Gujarat Tamil Nadu Punjab

The entire country has delved into a celebratory mood with the first harvest festival of the year. Observed as Makar Sankranti in the north, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Bihu in Assam, Poush Parbon in Bengal, Uttarayan in Gujarat and Maghi in Punjab, people celebrate the advent of the spring season and the new harvest. This also marks the end of the winter season. The harvest festivals commemorates the winter solstice and is marked in northern India by the lighting of bonfires and the flying and battling of kites. Here’s a look at how these festivals are celebrated across the nation:

Makar Sankranti refers both to a specific solar day in the Hindu calendar and a Hindu festival in reference to deity Surya that is observed in January every year.It marks the first day of sun's transit into the Makara (Capricorn), marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days. Makar Sankranti is observed with social festivities such as colourful decorations, rural children going house to house, singing and asking for treats, melas, dances, kite flying, bonfires and feasts. Traditionally, people were required to take a bath before sunrise and then commence their pooja. The food that is consumed consists primarily of sweet potatoes and various yams. Til-paati, gajak, kheer, and til-laddoo are the popular delicacies.

Bhogali Bihu or Magh Bihu is harvest festival of Assam, which is a three-day-long festival that witnesses an array of customs and practices. This year Bihu falls on January 15. Assamese worship the Fire God during the festival while in other cultures, people pray to the Sun God during Makar Sankranti. A grand feast including various delicious dishes is prepared on this day. Chira (dry rice), doi (curds), fish, meat and Maah korai are some of the popular dishes prepared on this day. Sweets consumed include coconut laru, Jolpan, Sandoh Guri, Gura laru, Til laru, Murir laru and Maah korai.

In Punjab, Makar Sankranti is celebrated as Maghi. Bathing in a river in the early hours on Maghi is important. A major mela is held at Sri Muktsar Sahib on Maghi which commemorates a historical event in Sikh history. Culturally, people dance their famous "bhangra". They then sit down and eat the sumptuous food that is specially prepared for the occasion. It is traditional to eat "kheer", rice cooked in milk and sugarcane juice. It is also traditional to consume khichdi and jaggery.

Poush Parbon also known as Poush Sankranti is celebrated in Bengal as the harvest festival. It is called Poush Sankranti as it is named after the Bengali month in which it falls (last date of "Poush" month). On this day, every Bengali household prepares a variety of traditional sweets using coconut, rice flour, milk and a special kind of date palm jaggery that is only available during that period (Khejur gur). This festival is also observed to welcome the season of harvest. Pule Pithe, Patishapta, Khichudi are among the most popular foods.

Pongal is a harvest festival dedicated to the Sun God. It is a four-day festival celebrated annually in accordance to the Tamil calendar. The first day is celebrated in the honour of Lord Indra, the God of rain. On the second day rice is cooked in milk in an earthen pot outside the house. The third day of pongal is Pongal for cows and on the fourth day women perform ritual before bathing and pray for their brothers to prosper.

Uttarayan, as Makara Sankranti is called in Gujarati, is a major festival in the state of Gujarat which lasts for two days. Gujarati people keenly await this festival to fly kites, called 'patang'. Kites for Uttarayan are made of special light-weight paper and bamboo and are mostly rhombus shaped with central spine and a single bow.