Makar Sankranti 2024: Here's what India eats during this Harvest Festival

Makar Sankranti, a significant festival celebrated across India, marks the start of the harvest season. It's a day cherished by farmers and communities, each state boasting its unique customs and rituals. Falling on January 15 this year, this solstice celebration holds various names and festivities across the nation. 

Celebrating with Delicacies

Sankranti is a celebration of sweet delicacies made from sesame seeds and jaggery, symbolizing warmth and humility shared with all.

Tamil Nadu

The people of Tamil Nadu celebrate the Surya Pongal tradition on Makar Sankranti. Celebrating alongside Makar Sankranti, a dish made of rice, milk, and jaggery is prepared and offered to deities. 

Rajasthan

In Rajasthan, Sankranti means kite-flying and an array of delightful treats such as Pheeni, gajak, ghevar, pakodi, til-paati, til-ladoo, and Samosas. Married women exchange household items too.

Gujarat

Uttarayan Festival: Known as Uttarayan, this festival in Gujarat embraces vibrant kite markets and enthusiastic kite-flying. The Sabarmati Riverfront hosts the international kite festival. The culinary delight is the traditional 'Undhiyu' and Chikkis.

West Bengal

Poush Sankranti in Bengal: Bengal's Poush Sankranti celebrates with delectable traditional sweets made of rice flour, coconut, and jaggery. Pitha, a popular dish, is offered to deities, while the Gangasagar fair at Sagar Island attracts many.

Odisha

Makara Chaula Delicacy: Odisha's Makar Sankranti includes the traditional 'Makara Chaula' made with rice, jaggery, sugarcane juice, chhena, banana, and coconut—an essential offering to deities.

Assam

Assam's Magh Bihu: Celebrated as Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu, Assam's festivity involves praying to ancestral gods, burning bonfires in fields, and donning traditional attire, reflecting the state's deep-rooted agricultural significance. Pitha is a type of famous sweet dish that is made on this occasion. It is made up of sticky rice flour, jaggery, and cardamom powder. 
 

Celebratory Unity

The festival of Sankranti is a union of delectable cuisine and cultural festivities, weaving traditions and flavors into a tapestry of celebration across diverse regions of India.

Each state’s celebration is a unique tapestry of traditions and rituals, embracing the onset of harvest with fervor and unity, making Makar Sankranti a vibrant and cherished festival nationwide.