Harvest Festivals in India

In recent years, the harvest holidays like Lohri, Makar Sankranti, and Pongal have been celebrated nationwide.

Various harvest festivals celebrated all over India:

Lohri:

• Sikhs and Hindus tend to celebrate Lohri the most.
• It signals the end of winter and is seen as the arrival of the sun in the northern hemisphere.
• This occasion is celebrated with a Puja Parikrama (revolve) around the bonfire and prasad the night before Makar Sankranti.
• It is referred to be the celebration of the farmers and harvest, during which the farmers express their gratitude to the Supreme Being.

Pongal:

• Pongal literally translates to "overflow" or "boiling over."
• The four-day celebration, also known as Thai Pongal, is commemorated in the Thai month when crops like rice are harvested and people express their thanks to God and the land's gift.
• Tamilians mark the occasion by creating kolams, or rice-powdered designs, in their homes.

Bihu:

• In Assam, festivities take place during the annual harvest. To celebrate the start of the Assamese new year, people participate in Rongali/Magh Bihu celebrations.
• It is thought that the event began when residents of the valley began cultivating the soil. The Brahmaputra River is thought to be as old as Bihu.

Makar Sankranti:

• On its celestial journey, the sun enters the sign of Makara (Capricorn) on this day, which is known as Makar Sankranti.
• The day signals the start of summer and the beginning of the Hindu festival of Uttarayan, which lasts six months and is named for the sun's northward motion.
• Since 1989, the Gujarat government has been hosting the International Kite Festival as a component of the recognised festival of "Uttarayan."
• Different ethnic groups in India refer to the celebrations associated with the day by different names: north Indian Hindus and Sikhs refer to them as Lohri, central Indian Hindus refer to them as Sukarat, Assamese Hindus refer to them as Bhogali Bihu, and Tamil and other South Indian Hindus refer to them as Pongal.

Makaravilakku festival in Sabarimala:

• Sabarimala's Makaravilakku celebration is held there in the revered grove of Lord Ayyappa.
• It is a yearly event that starts on Makar Sankranti, the day the sun reaches the summer solstice, and lasts for seven days.
• The Makarajyothi, a celestial star that emerges on top of Kantamala Hills on the day of Makar Sankranti, is the festival's main attraction.
• The rite known as "Guruthi," which is an offering intended to placate the gods and goddesses of the wilderness, concludes Makara Vilakku.

Harvest Festivals in India

Makar Sankranti:

• Makar Sankranti denotes the entry of the sun into the zodiac sign of Makara (Capricorn) as it travels on its celestial path.
• The day marks the onset of summer and the six months auspicious period for Hindus known as Uttarayan, the northward movement of the sun.
• As a part of the official celebration of 'Uttarayan', the Gujarat government has been hosting the International Kite Festival since 1989.

The festivities associated with the day are known by different names in different parts of the country - Lohri by north Indian Hindus and Sikhs, Sukarat in central India, Bhogali Bihu by Assamese Hindus, and Pongal by Tamil and other South Indian Hindus.

Lohri:

• Lohri is primarily celebrated by Sikhs and Hindus.
• It marks the end of the winter season and is traditionally believed to welcome the sun to the northern hemisphere.
• It is observed the night before Makar Sankranti, this occasion involves a Puja Parikrama (revolve) around the bonfire with prasad.
• It is essentially termed as the festival of the farmers and harvest, whereby, the farmers thank the Supreme Being.

Pongal

• The word Pongal means ‘overflow’ or ‘boiling over.
• Also known as Thai Pongal, the four-day occasion is observed in the month of Thai, when crops such as rice are harvested and people show their gratitude to the almighty and the generosity of the land.
• Tamilians celebrate the occasion by making traditional designs known as kolams in their homes with rice powder.

Bihu

• It is celebrated when the annual harvest takes place in Assam. People celebrate Rongali/Magh Bihu to mark the beginning of the Assamese new year.
• It is believed that the festival started from the time when people of the valley started tilling the land.
• Bihu is believed to be as old as the river Brahmaputra.

Makaravilakku festival in Sabarimala:

• It is celebrated at the sacred grove of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala.
• It is an annual seven-day festival, beginning on the day of Makar Sankranti when the sun is in the summer solstice.
• The highlight of the festival is the appearance of Makarajyothi- a celestial star which appears on the day of Makar Sankranti on top of Kantamala Hills.
• Makara Vilakku ends with the ritual called 'Guruthi', an offering made to appease the god and goddesses of the wilderness.