MAKAR SANKRANTI - A FESTIVAL MARKED BY ASTRONOMY

Today is 15th January 2011…A festival of Makar Sankranti will be celebrated across the
country. Why we celebrate this festival and we know that it arrives on 14th January every
year… then why on 15th January this year? What has happened to our almanac suddenly?
Let us discuss this interesting question by understanding the magic and logic behind Makar
Sankranti.

We now know that Earth moves around its axis every day from west to east. Due to this
movement it appears that the Sun, stars and planets are moving in the sky from east to
west...one of the greatest illusions of nature. If you observe bit carefully then you will
notice another interesting movement in the sky…the movement of the Sun. Sun does not
rise at east and sets at west everyday…but shifts towards north-east and south-east in an
orderly manner. We will talk about this interesting phenomenon today.

Do a small experiment. Wake up early every day

before sunrise and mark with a chalk on the window
pane the rising sun’s position. Do it daily for a month.
Then go on doing it continuously for next six months.
What will you see? Those students having more
perseverance can do this activity for a whole
year...little more hard work, right? But you will be
awarded by the result. You will notice that near 21st
March and 22nd September the Sun rises at exact east
and sets at exact west. But for other days this does
not happen. Sun drifts more and more towards north
and reaches maximum north by 21nd June. It stops
there a while and turns back to move towards south.
This day is called as Summer Solstice where we have
longest day and shortest night. Then slowly the Sun
starts moving southwards and reaches maximum
south by 22nd December. This time we have longest
night and shortest day. The day is marked as Winter
Solstice. Again the Sun starts moving towards the
north and the day becomes longer and longer. This is
the beginning of the Uttarayana.

Apart from the solstice days, zodiac was introduced to Indian civilization somewhere
around the same time. You know that the zodiac signs are twelve and as follows a
sequence: Aries, the Ram, Taurus, the bull, Gemini, the twins, Cancer, the crab, Leo, the
lion, Virgo, the virgin, Libra, the balance, Scorpio, the scorpion, Sagittarius, the archer,
Aquarius, the water bearer, Capricornus the goat and Pisces, the fish.

In ancient times, Sun used enter the zodiacal

sign Capricornus, the goat on 22nd
December. The winter solstice had a special
significance in ancient Indian
tradition because it was a mark a beginning
of a longer day. Many rituals based on the altar
were performed on this day. The Vedas

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gave high importance to this day as a beginning of Uttarayana. So the entrance of the Sun
in Capricornus was considered very auspicious. The day to worship lord Surya, the Sun.
This is considered as a herald of spring season. Indians celebrate this day and termed it
Makar Sankranti.

The same day is celebrated with little variations in all over our country. In Bengal it is called
as Ganga Sagar Mela and Pithey Parban. In Assam it is called as Bhogali Bihu. People in
Orissa observe it as Makar Mela. Norht Indians celebrate it as Lohri. In Maharashtra it is
Makar Sankranti. In Kerala, the famous Sabarimala pilgrimage ends with the sighting of the
Makaravilakku.

Today we celebrate Makar Sankranti on 15th January instead of 22nd December. Why? Let us
discuss.

In 280 AD, Sun used to enter in Capricorn in 22nd

December. But now it enters in that zodiacal sign on 15th
January. This happens due to the change in the direction
of the north pole of Earth. Earth rotates around its axis
once a day. The axis is pointed towards a star called
Polaris. This axis of Earth is not fixed but traces a circle in
26,000 years. We call it Precession. Due to this all the
stars shift westward by 1 degree in 72 years. The solstice
point is no exception and today has shifted
approximately 24 degrees westward. So on 22nd
December the Sun will be in Sagittarius, some 24
degrees westward of the Capricornus ! So we do not
celebrate Makar Sankranti on 22nd December today but
on 15th January when the Sun will enter in Capricornus.

In 2100 AD the solstice point will shift one

degree further and we will celebrate Makar
Sankranti on 16th January.
In 3100 AD the point will shift some 14
degrees westward and Makar Sankranti will be
celebrated on 31st January.

All the festivals of our tradition are based on

Astronomy. Makar Sankranti is no exception.
This is the logic behind Makar Sankranti.

2 © Parag Mahajani; MILKYWAY CITIZENS;

Rohini I-301, DSK Vishwa, Off Sinhagad Road, Pune 411 041, India
www.paragmahajani.com
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3 © Parag Mahajani; MILKYWAY CITIZENS;

Rohini I-301, DSK Vishwa, Off Sinhagad Road, Pune 411 041, India
www.paragmahajani.com