Sankranti means to go from one place to another place (to change direction). It also means one meets another. The time when the sun changes direction from one constellation (of the zodiac) to another is known as Sankranti. This is the day, we presume that the sun begins its northward journey, and hence Uttarayana starts. Sankranti is also a Festival for harvest and is Bharateeya way of welcoming New Year. Sankranti is also called as Pongal in Tamilnadu, Khichidi in Uttar Bharat, Sakarat in Madhyapradesh and Bundelkhand, Lohri in Punjab and has host of many other names in various parts of Bharat.
To Hindus, the sun stands for knowledge, spiritual light and wisdom. Makara Shankranti signifies that we should turn away from the darkness of delusion in which we live, and begin to joyously let the light within us shine brighter and brighter. We should gradually begin to grow in purity, wisdom, and knowledge, even as the sun does from this day.
In fact, the sun itself stands for all the ideals of the Sankraanti festival. Its message is that of light, unity, equality and true selflessness. These are the ideals of Karma Yoga. Hence, the sun is the greatest Karma Yogi. If we learn this one lesson from the sun, our lives will shine with divine lustre like that of the sun. Sankraanti, signifying light, also gives the message of intellectual illumination. It is the capacity to discriminate between the right and the wrong, the just and the unjust, truth and falsehood, virtue and vice. It is this discriminative wisdom - Viveka - which leads the individual on the path of human evolution and human happiness. Mere dry reasoning power devoid of this insight will be like the charging of a wild horse without the stirrup and the rider. Light symbolizes the warmth, i.e., the love and affection, the quality of the heart.
In many areas of Bharat, this is symbolized by the distribution of til-gul - the til (sesome) seed and jaggery. The til brimming with fragrant and delicious oil, stands for friendship and comradeship and jaggery for the sweetness of speech and behavior. The "til-gud "shows how individual sesame seeds are held together by the sweet syrup. This is also symbolic of removing the harsh feelings, debts against each other, one might owe towards the neighbours, friends and family members, and thus reaffirming the faith or trust we have. These feelings are not specific to any religion or community. On the social plane, the Sankraanti carries a vital significance for national welfare. It is the warmth of love and fellow-feeling among the people of a country that ultimately makes them stand up in unison in adversity or in prosperity. It is the necessary lubricant to make the nation's machine work smoothly without friction. Even the great precepts of `liberty' and `equality'lose their meaning without the basic requisite of `fraternity' among the people. Fraternity alone will ensure a spirit of selfless service and sacrifice in the cause of fellow countrymen. Selfishness - the ultimate destructor of the social fabric - is cured and social consciousness generated where a spirit of fraternity is alive.
Let this Sankranti bring ALL that is revolutionary, in our lives. Let Nation awake to a new era of National integrity based on Hindutva by erasing every dividing factor. Let us reaffirm our vision and commitment, retain the eternal values for the changing society.
Tamaso maa jyotirgamaya
Mrityoormaa amritam gamaya
Lead me, O Lord, from untruth to Truth, from darkness to light and from death to Immortality.
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