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Festivals

This is a list of festival-related list articles. A festival is an event ordinarily staged by a community, centering on and celebrating some unique aspect of that community and its traditions, often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival is a special occasion of feasting or celebration, usually with a religious focus. Aside from religion, and sometimes folklore, another significant origin is agricultural. Food (and consequently agriculture) is so vital that many festivals are associated with harvest time. Religious commemoration and thanksgiving for good harvests are blended in events that take place in autumn such as Halloween in the northern hemisphere and Easter in the southern.

Watch Amazing dance steps.Do it in Festivals

Lists of festivals on Jan 20
         

Date		Name	Type
1 Jan	Wednesday	New Year's Day	Restricted Holiday
2 Jan	Thursday	Guru Govind Singh Jayanti	Restricted Holiday
14 Jan	Tuesday	Lohri	Restricted Holiday
15 Jan	Wednesday	Pongal	Restricted Holiday
15 Jan	Wednesday	Makar Sankranti	Restricted Holiday
25 Jan	Saturday	Chinese New Year	Observance
26 Jan	Sunday	Republic Day	Gazetted Holiday
29 Jan	Wednesday	Vasant Panchami	Restricted Holiday

15 Jan - Makar Sankranti

Makar Sankranti is one of the most propitious days for the Hindus, and is distinguished in almost all parts of India in countless cultural forms, with immense devotion, gaiety and fervour. It is the main festival of Hindus and is dedicated to Lord Sun. It also refers to a specific solar day in the Hindu calendar. On this auspicious day, the sun enters the zodiac sign of Capricorn or Makar which marks the end of winter month and start of longer days. This is the beginning of the month of Magh. To recompense for the distinction that happens due to the revolution around the sun, every 80 years the day of Sankranti is deferred by one day. Makar Sankranti generally falls on January 14th. From the day of Makar Sankranti, the sun begins its northward journey or Uttarayan journey. Therefore, this festival is also known as Uttarayan.

History of Makar Sankranti

Sankranti is deemed a Deity. As per the legend Sankranti killed a devil named Sankarasur. The day next to Makar Sankrant is called Karidin or Kinkrant. On this day, Devi slayed the devil Kinkarasur.The information of Makar Sankranti is available in Panchang. The Panchang is the Hindu Almanac that provides information on the age, form, clothing, direction and movement of Sankranti.

Importance of Makar Sankranti
Makar Sankranti is the date from which Northward movement of the sun begins. The period from Karka Sankranti to Makar Sankranti is known as the Dakshinayan.

In different regions of the country, Makar Sankranti is celebrated by different names:

- Lohri: One day before Makar Sankranti, on 13th January, Lohri is celebrated in Haryana and Punjab. At night, people gather around the bonfire and throw til, puffed rice & popcorns into the flames of the bonfire. Prayers are offered to the bonfire seeking abundance & prosperity.

- Festival of Donation "or" Khichdi ": In Uttar Pradesh it is mainly the festival of 'Donation'. The Magh fair, which continues for one month on the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati in Allahabad, starts from the day of Makar Sankranti only. On this auspicious day people do fast in Uttar Pradesh eat and offer khichdi. Also, Khichdi Mela is organized at Gorakhdham in Gorakhpur.

- In Bihar, Makar Sankranti festival is known as Khichdi. On this day, donating urad, rice, gold, woollen clothes, blankets etc. have their own importance.

- In Maharashtra, all married women donate cotton, oil and salt to other suhagin or married women on their first Sankrant.

- In Bengal, there is a tradition of donating til after taking bath in Makar Sankrant. Huge fair is also organised every year in Gangasagar.

- Pongal: On the occasion of Makar Sankranti in Tamil Nadu, this festival is celebrated as Pongal for four days.

- Kite Festival: In Gujarat, the kite festival is organized on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.
Therefore, in India, Makar Sankranti festival has its own importance. It is celebrated in various States by different names.  What is its history, why Makar Sankranti is celebrated every year, etc. is also discussed in the above article.