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Makar Sankranti is celebrated in the month of 'Magh' and is a harvest festival. It is a celebration of spring on the occasion of the incline of the sun to the north. In Karnataka Makar Sankranti is a day of goodwill and friendship.
In Karnataka, men, women and children get dressed up in colorful garments visit friends and relatives and exchange pieces of sugarcane, a mixture of fried til, molasses, pieces of dry coconut, peanuts and fried gram as a symbol of love and warmth. The meaning of this exchange is that sweetness should triumph in all the dealings. As part of the festival, cows and bulls are given a wash and the horns are decorated with bright colours and adorned with garland, and are taken in a procession in the village to the adjunct of pipes and drums. In the night a bonfire is lit and the animals are made to jump over the fire and play a game.
Makara Sankranti marks the beginning of the sun's journey to the Northern Hemisphere (Makara raasi), signifying the onset of Uttarayana Punyakalam, and is a day of celebration all over the State. The day begins with people taking holy dips in the waters and worshipping the Sun.
The dip is said to purify the self and bestow blessings. Special puja is offered as a thanksgiving for good harvest. According to folklore, girls who take the holy dip get handsome husbands and boys get beautiful brides.
Basically in Karnataka the festival is celebrated for three days. The day before the auspicious day is known as Bhogi.
On this day, early in the morning, old items in the house such old clothes, broken furniture are set on fire. On the day of the Sankranthi, people wear new clothes and visit temples to celebrate the harvest. The third day is known as Kanuma .
Southindiatourtravel.com offers the best information about Makar Sankranti and other information about Karnataka.
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