Maghe Sankranti
maghe sankranti nepali माघे सङ्क्रान्ति maithili माघि nepal bhasa घ्यःचाकु संल्हु nepali festival observed first magh vikram sambat b yele calendar bringing end winter solstice containing month poush tharu people celebrate particular day new year also regarded major government declared annual festival magar community maghe sankranti similar solstice festival religious tradition observant hindu take ritual bath festival include janakpurdham sankhamul bagmati near patan gandakinarayani river basin triveni devghat near chitwan valley ridi kaligandaki koshi river basin dolalghat sun koshi festive food like laddoo ghee sweet potato distributed niece nephew usually go mama ghar take tika blessingdakshina generally maghe sankranti fall january also called makar sankranti maghi indian subcontinent maghe sankranti major harvest festival celebrated nepal movement sun one zodiac sign another called sankranti sun move capricorn zodiacal sign known makara occasion named makara sankranti pahari context one nepalese festival madhesi magar tharu people celebrate fixed date ie january solar festival honor deity surya follows solar cycle bikrami calendar unlike festival follow lunar cycle maghe sankranti regarded marking beginning auspicious phase nepalese culture cited holy phase transition mark end inauspicious phase according hindu calendar begin around middecember believed auspicious sacred ritual sanctified nepali family day onwards scientifically day mark beginning warmer longer day compared night word sankranti mark termination winter season beginning new harvest spring season country maghe sankranti observed great fanfare however celebrated distinct name ritual different part country state northern western nepal festival celebrated makar sankranti day special zeal fervour importance day signified ancient epic like mahabharata apart sociogeographical importance maghe sankranti hold historical religious significance festival sun god regarded symbol divinity wisdom festival hold eternal meaning many nepalese conflate festival winter solstice believe sun end southward journey sanskrit dakshinayana tropic capricorn start moving northward sanskrit uttarayana towards tropic cancer month poush day midjanuary overt solar observance winter solstice nepali religion vaikuntha ekadashi festival calculated lunar calendar fall closest sun make northward journey day winter solstice day light increase therefore makar sankranti signifies celebration day following day winter solstice scientifically currently northern hemisphere winter solstice occurs december day light begin increase december day sun begin northward journey mark uttarayaan date winter solstice change gradually due axial precession earth coming earlier approximately day every year hence maghe sankranti point time mark day actual date winter solstice date midjanuary would correspond around ce heyday hellenic mathematics astronomy influential northern india vaikuntha chaturdashi makar sankranti information festival httpswebarchiveorgwebhttpwwwekantipurcomthekathmandupostmetromaghesankrantimarkedfeastingonfoodvarietieshtml maghe sankranti nepal maharjan january ghyahchāku salhu māgha sankrānti nepænglish httpsnepaenglishcomghyahchakusalhumaghasankranti ‌