A day dedicated to the Sun God

bangalore: makara sankranti, the harvest festival, is the time when hindus thank the elements for the bounty. also the festival of rangolis, it is celebrated throughout the country in mid-january, but under different names. the event (occurring this year on january 14) falls on the day when the sun begins its northward journey (uttarayana). the exact time when the sun moves from one rasi (zodiac sign) to another is known as sankramana.makara sankramana or sankranti represents the passage of the sun from dhanur rasi to makara rasi (sagittarius to capricorn). the sun traverses through 12 rasis in 12 months which forms the solar calendar. the position of the sun in makara is believed to bestow maximum benefits. hence the auspicious six-month period beginning this day is eagerly awaited. the day is dedicated to the worship of the sun, which symbolises light, unity, impartiality and true selflessness which this festival stands for. in karnataka, an interesting tradition is followed. after puja, white sesame (ellu) mixed with pieces of jaggery, peanuts, dry coconut and sugar blocks (shakkare achchu) are distributed among friends and relatives. it's a day of special pujas in temples. at gavi gangadhareshwara (siva) temple in bangalore's gavipuram, devotees witness a rare phenomenon in the evening. the sun's rays briefly pass through the horns of the nandi (the lord's mount) and fall on the lingam in the sanctum. it is an architectural marvel. in tamil nadu and andhra pradesh, sankranti is also celebrated as pongal for three days. the day before pongal is called bhogi. it's a day of thanksgiving for the rain god. on sankranti day, shakkare pongal is made of rice from the newly-harvested paddy. when the contents in the decorated pots boil over, women and children rejoice the auspicious moment. the pongal is then offered to the sun god. pujas are performed in an open spot, marked by a rangoli representing surya. sugarcane and plants of turmeric and ginger also form an important part of the puja. the next day is maattu pongal -- a day dedicated to cattle. cows and bullocks are bathed and decorated. the cow, considered lakshmi, is worshipped and pongal and other sweets are offered. kanu pongal is also celebrated on this day. feeding of crows marks the occasion. at the hill shrine of sabarimala in kerala, on makara sankranti evening, vast multitudes of pilgrims witness a star-like celestial light of incredible splendour appearing on the horizon. known as makara jyothi, this miracle occurs at the time of the evening deeparadhana. lord ayyappa is adorned special jewels, known as thiruvaabharanam, said to have been gifted to the lord by the erstwhile pandalam maharaja. he is considered the foster father of the lord. mahabharata has it that bhishma, the grandfather of the pandavas, who was critically wounded in the battle of kurukshetra, waited in his bed of arrows for the onset of the auspicious uttarayana before finally freeing his soul from mortal bondage.