Holy dips, community feasts and kites: India celebrates harvest festivals

PM Modi greeted the people on Makar Sankranti, and said the harvest festival reflects the richness of the country's cultural landscape and reminds citizens of the spirit of togetherness that binds everyone.

New Delhi: Mid-winter harvest festivals Makar Sankranti, Bihu and Pongal were celebrated on Wednesday with people taking holy dips in rivers and participating in community feasts while kite flying added a splash of colour to the skies in different parts of the country.

Makar Sankranti marks the movement of the sun northwards, towards the Tropic of Cancer.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the people on Makar Sankranti, and said the harvest festival reflects the richness of the country's cultural landscape and reminds citizens of the spirit of togetherness that binds everyone.

He also greeted the people of Assam on Magh Bihu and said it is an occasion of joy, warmth and brotherhood that embodies the best of Assamese culture.

In Delhi, Modi attended Pongal celebrations, hailing it as a global festival representing one of the oldest civilisations in the world. Modi's was present at the celebrations at the residence of Union minister L Murugan here, with leading lights of the Tamil society, including the cast of the recently-released film "Parasakthi".

The Bhogi festival, precursor to Pongal harvest festivities, was celebrated across Tamil Nadu. Pongal celebrations also began in Kerala and Puducherry.

In Assam, Magh Bihu festivities began Tuesday night with Uruka or community feasts where people cook and eat together to celebrate the harvest they have reaped.

A highlight of the festivities is the 'Bhelaghar', a structure made with hay and bamboo. It is in and around these structures that the most community feasts were held. On Wednesday, these were set ablaze along with 'Mejis', cylindrical structures also made of hay and bamboo, as a ritual for the fire god.

In Uttar Pradesh, more than nine lakh devotees took a dip in the Ganga and at the Sangam in Prayagraj in the morning as part of Makar Sankranti festivities. While many parts of the country are celebrating the harvest festival on Wednesday, Uttar Pradesh will celebrate Makar Sankranti on Thursday.

The second major bathing festival of the ongoing Magh Mela, Makar Sankranti, is scheduled for Thursday.

In Rajasthan, at the crack of dawn, people flocked to Pushkar Sarovar in Ajmer and Galta Tirth in Jaipur to take a holy dip. The festival is especially significant this year due to its coincidence with Ekadashi.

Govind Devji temple, Tadkeshwarji temple and other shrines in the state were decorated with flowers and kites.

Braving biting cold, lakhs of pilgrims took a holy dip at the confluence of the Hooghly river and the Bay of Bengal at the annual Gangasagar Mela in Sagar Island.

From well before sunrise, streams of devotees waded into the chilly waters at Sagar Island, chanting hymns and prayers.

People across Odisha took holy dips in different water bodies on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. Hundreds of people thronged the Jagannath temple in Puri on the occasion, with special rituals being held since the morning.

The sibling deities of Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath and Devi Subhadra were adorned in the 'Makar Chourashi Besha'. Garlands of colourful flowers and holy basil are part of the trinity's attire for the day.

The deities are offered a special sweet dish, 'Makar Chaula', prepared with newly-harvested rice, jaggery, grated coconut and bananas.

A large number of people also visited the Chandrabhaga beach and the centuries-old Sun Temple in Konark to witness the sunrise.

In south Odisha, which has a sizeable Telugu population, people decorated the entrances of their houses with 'rangoli' and organised community feasts.

Four people suffered burn injuries in a firecracker explosion in the state's Rayagada district in the early hours of Wednesday. The incident took place in Rayaga town's Yedusahi, a settlement of Telugu-speaking people who were celebrating 'Bhogi Podi' ahead of Makar Sankranti.

In Gujarat, the skies came alive with thousands of colourful kites as revellers crowded terraces celebrating Makar Sankranti, known locally as Uttarayan, and shouts of "Kai Po Che" rang out.

The three-day harvest festival began inAndhra Pradesh and Telangana with Bhogi. Bonfires were lit early in the morning as part of the festival across the states.

The three-day festival is celebrated as Bhogi, Makara Sankranti and Kanuma in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Lohri was celebrated across Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday.