HOW B'LURU CELEBRATES MAKAR SANKRANTI

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: The state of Karnataka is geared up for Makar Sankranti, the first festival of the New Year. Basically, it is a festival of harvest on which day reaped crops are offered to God. It is also a feast for the eyes as markets are filled with sugarcane, ‘yellu’, ‘bella’, ‘kadalekai’ and ‘hurakadle’, which is distributed among people. Special dishes are prepared out of cowpea, roots and other vegetables grown underground.

In villages, cattle are given a bath, turmeric is applied all over their body, horns are painted colourfully and they are made to run through haystacks set on fire. This festival day is dedicated to the worship of the sun. Unlike most festivals that follow the lunar cycle, Makar Sankranti follows the solar cycle and thus, is celebrated almost on the same day every year.

Marking the sun’s transit into the Makara Rashi or Capricorn sign, Makar Sankranti 2023 is being celebrated on Jan 15. On the day, “Ellu bella thindu olle mathaadi”, the Kannada saying makes the rounds. It translates to “Eat a mixture of sesame seeds and jaggery and speak good words”. The saying follows a very important tradition called ‘Ellu Birodhu’.

Women and children go door to door exchanging plates containing sugarcane, a mixture of sesame seeds and jaggery and candy made out of caramelised sugar. This tradition symbolises the virtues of sharing and spreading happiness. People also clean their houses, tie mango leaves to the entrance, wear new clothes and pray to God. The prayers are not only offered at home but also in temples.

Other activities Social festivities associated with Sankranti are colourful decorations, singing and dancing, kite flying, bonfires, rangoli making and sometimes even kusti (wrestling). Another ageold ritual in Karnataka is that of people adorning their cattle in vibrant costumes and jewels and making them jump across a big pit of fire.

This cattle showcase is locally known as ‘Kicchu Haisodu’. These activities create an atmosphere of cheer and merry-making. Delicacies No Indian festival is complete without its special delicacies. So it is with Makar Sankranti. Pongal, a dish of rice mixed with boiled milk and sugar, is a treat prepared by all during this festival.

Other festive dishes include lemon and tamarind rice, ‘vadas’, vegetable gravies and ‘payasa’ (a rice sweet). ‘To be grateful to the land on which our food grows and to unite and rejoice’ is the essence of Sankranti. This festival brings forth generosity, harmony, gratitude and love among people.