Wearing trendy attires, children, alongwith their families, enjoyed kite-flying on Saturday.
Makar Sankranti was celebrated with fervour across the city with colourful kites dotting the skyline. Wearing trendy attires, children, alongwith their families, enjoyed kite-flying on Saturday.
The festival is celebrated mainly to mark the transition of Sun into Makara rashi (Capricorn). People traditionally observe it as a thanks giving day to the God and creatures for a wonderful harvest.
“The day starts early. We make til-gud and meet people. Til-gud ghya god god bola is the general line we have, when we offer this to people. It is basically to tell them that they be sweet to all,” said MC Bhide, a consultant whose family religiously prepares that for Makar Sankranti. Kichdi is other item.
“Earlier, we used to have a holiday on Makar Sankranti, so we would go and meet people after doing pooja and having khichdi. But that is not the case now,” he said. Another preparation that is made is “gudachi podi” (pooris made of jaggery and coconut).
While the Bhides are high on sweet preparations, the Kapadias prefer to be high on kite. In Deepak Kapadia’s family of 22 members, all were seen flying kites. When it comes to food, the Kapadias settle for idli, sambar and chutney and flying kites all day. “It is something I have been noticing for the past 40 years in my home. We do not prepare sweets,” said Deepak, an automobile consultant.
Sweet dishes, otherwise, is a character inherent to the festival. Across regions, sweet preparations are made all through the day. Lohri, celebrated by Punjabis on Firday (by some) saw people preparing similar jaggery-based ladoos. For Tamilians, who call the festival as Pongal, milk is prepared with jaggery and for Keralites, nai payasum is the dish to be relished on the day. “Milk is boiled to the brim and when it reaches there, we shout Pongalo Pongal. The family is around to see the milk spill. It is basically symbolic to the good harvest and that the crop was been more than sufficient,” said Meenakshi Jayaram, a lecturer.
Offering prayers during the festival is a must for Keralites. “It also happens to be the last day of fast for devotees of Ayappa. We offer prayers to him and prepare sweet dishes,” said Premrajan Nambiar, joint secretary of the the Mumbai Keraleeya Samaj. In his house, nei payasum (ghee payasum), which is made of ghee, jaggery and rice is prepared and distributed among people.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}