Garhwali Makar Shankaranti

Continuing with the festive theme, we at A Journalist Reveals got in touch with project manager, Anurag Bhatt, whose mother tongue is Hindi, regarding the way they celebrated Makar Shankaranti.

Here is what he had to say:
What community do you belong to?

I am a Garhwali Brahmin (Bhardwaj Gotra) from Uttarkhand.

What is the significance of Shankaranti to your community?

As the sun is moving the trajectory, i.e. Uttarayan, it holds a lot of significance. It marks the beginning of an auspicious six months and marks the change in weather too. The weather changes with the festivals involving fire, Deepawali and Sankranti.

How do you celebrate the festival?

We take dip in any holy river nearby our present stay and recite mantras of Lord Surya.
What special dishes are made during this festival in your home?

We prepare urad dal khichdi on the auspicious day.