FARMERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY CELEBRATING HARVEST FESTIVAL ON EVE OF MAKAR SANKRANTI

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Context :

Farmers from across the country begin celebrating the harvest festival on the eve of Makar Sankranti. The festival is seen as a celebration of the end of the winter and also marks the end of the winter harvest.

Different Names :

  • The festival is known with different names in different parts of the country with celebrations continuing for a couple of days. It is celebrated as
    • Pongal in Tamil Nadu,
    • Uttarayan in Gujarat,
    • Bhogali Bihu in Assam and
    • Poush Sankranti in West Bengal
  • In Gujarat, the festival is being celebrated as the festival of kites. It is popularly known as Uttarayan throughout the state. The four-day celebrations of the Makar Sankranti also began in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
  • On the first day, that is BhogiPanduga, people burn all old articles.
    In Tamil Nadu, the Pongal festival begin with the celebration of Bhogi. In Karnataka, the harvest festival is being celebrated as Sankranti when the agriculture produces are cooked and offered to the Gods.
  • In West Bengal, nearly 16 lakh devotees from across the country have reached Ganga Sagar to take a holy dip at the confluence of the River Ganga and the Bay of Bengal on the occasion.
  • In Assam, Uruka is being celebrated today on the eve of Magh or Bhogali Bihu, the post-harvest festival. The festival of Lohri is being celebrated in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and parts of Himachal Pradesh. The festival marks the end of the winter season and beginning of longer days and shorter nights. It is observed the night before Makar Sankranti.
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