Thread by @ainvvy

Today, the sun transitions from Dhanur Rashi (sagittarius) to Makara (Capricorn). Hence Makara Sankranti. We have have a Sankranti ever month but this one is special.

Days get longer while nights shrink. Temperature starts to rise.

Winter is going!

It also marks the beginning of Uttarayana, the six months when the Gods are awake. Apparently the best time to die. Lot of people hold their breath until Uttarayana (ok ok).

One of them is Bheeshma. A boon allowed him to choose the time of his death and he waited patiently on his bed of arrows for Makara Sankranti.

In reality the sun made this transition on 21st December, and will exit Capricorn in a few days! How this difference of nearly a month came about is a long story.

While most festivals in India are lunar based (Rama Navami or Krishna Ashtami or Naraka Chaturdashi, etc) this is one of the few solar based festivals; based on the movement of the sun and not the moon.

In Karnataka, we make Ellu Bella (sesame seeds+jaggery) to distribute among visitors or people we visit on this day.

So let me gift you a virtual Ellu Bella and wish you all a Happy Sankranti/Pongal to all of you!