Faith, food and kites mark festivities in state capital

Lucknow: People across the city celebrated Makar Sankranti on Thursday by preparing traditional delicacies, flying kites, and visiting temples to pray for health and prosperity. Makar Sankranti is a Hindu mid-winter harvest festival that marks the transition of the sun from the zodiac sign of Sagittarius to Capricorn. Many people prepared ‘khichdi', ‘gud ke chawal' and ‘til laddoos' in their homes to celebrate the festival. Nandini Mishra, who prepared traditional delicacies at her home, said, "In the morning, I visited a temple, prayed for my family, and cooked Makar Sankranti special dishes." Rateesha Mishra prepared ‘urad ki khichdi' and ‘gud ki kheer' for her family on the occasion.
People also visited temples and offered ‘bhog' to the deities. "I prayed for the health of my parents and siblings and also for my exams," said Neha Chandra, who visited the New Aliganj temple. Meanwhile, Rohit Verma said he prayed for the good health of his parents. The city's skyline was dotted with colourful kites, including those bearing cartoon images and various designs. Adults and children flew kites with enthusiasm and joy. Amit Narayan (31), who flew kites at his residence, said, "I bought seven to eight colourful kites, invited my friends, and flew kites with them." Seventeen-year-old Vedant Bajpai, who has a collection of about 300 kites, said, "I purchased many different types of kites, such as flower, sun, moon, and star kites, and flew them with my friends." Eleven-year-old Aman Srivastava said, "About a week ago, I purchased 10 to 11 kites, which I flew with my friends, and made reels to post on our social media accounts." Manav Adarsh Sewa Samiti organised a bhandara (feast) at Charbagh, where ‘khichdi' and ‘kheer' were served, and blankets were also distributed to underprivileged people. The founder of the organisation, Pallav Ghosh, said, "To promote compassion, brotherhood, and unity among people, this event was organised."