Kites i n the Sky Sankranti

It mesmerizes me to see the sky full of colorful Kites flying like birds and people hovering around their terrace flying their own kites or appreciating their favourite kite up in the sky. Well this picture is common in the days of an Indian festival known as "Sankranti".

Sankranti is generally celebrated during winters and is based on the solar calender.The reason behind celebrating Sankranti is to welcome the Suns Sovereignty as it enters the northern hemisphere.



Almost every state in India has a different style and reason to celebrate Makar Sankranti and this is due to the difference in culture and practices followed in general. Makar Sankranti apart from being a kite flying festival also has a special cuisine which is specifically based on the cold weather therefore pakwans are made of such ingredients which are warm in nature.

Haryana and Punjab celebrate Sankranti as Lodhri. These states have a dominance of farming and thus Lodhri is celebrated on the occasion of the harvesting of winter crops. The celebartion is done in the form of a Bonfire in which a percentage of harvest is burned as a sacrifice to god. In Bengal and Orissa Sankranti is Celebrated in order to get moksh and forgiveness from sins. This is done by taking a dip in the holy river of Ganga.