surya ke rashi parivartan ka samay sankranti kahlata hai. surya lagabhag ek mah men rashi parivartan kar lete hai. is prakar ek varsh men mesh-vrishadi 12 sankranti hoti hai. surya ka makar rashi men pravesh karna makar sankranti kahlata hai. makar sankranti ko surya dakshinayan se uttarayan ho jate hai.
isi karan is sankranti ka puranon env shastron men bahut mahatva pratipadit kiya hai. ayan ka arth hota hai chalna. surya ke uttar gaman ko uttarayan kahte hai. uttarayan ke chah mahinon me surya makar se mithun tatha dakshinayan men surya kark se dhanu rashi men bhraman karte hai. ‘‘mahabhart’’ env ‘‘ bhagavat puran’’ ke anusar surya ke uttarayan ane par hi ‘‘bhishm pitamh’’ ne deh tyag kiya tha. bhagvan krishn ne bhi gita men kaha hai ki jo prani surya ke uttarayan hone par sharir tyag karta hai, vah janm mrityu ke bandhan se mukt ho jata hai. shastro men uttarayan ki avdhi ko devtaon ka din tatha dakshinayan ko devtaon ki ratri kaha gaya hai.
is prakar makar sankaranti ek prakar se devtaon ka pratahkal hai. ‘‘hemadri’’/‘‘bhvishya puran’’ men ghoshna ki gai hai ki uttarayan ke a jane par yani makar sankranti men ek prasth ghi se surya ko snan karave. piche use brahman ko de de, kutumbi brahman ke liye ghritdhenuk dan kare, vah sab papo se chutakar suryalok ko jakar bahut samay tak rahta hai vahan se akar praja ko anand dene vala raja hota hai. makar sankranti ke din snan, dan, jap, tap, shraddh tatha anushthan adi ka sau guna fal prapt hota hai. uttar pradesh men is parva ko ‘‘khichdi’’ kahte hai. iska vaigyanik mahatva yah hai ki bajre adi ki khichdi se karake ki sardi bhi beasar ho jati hai.
maharashtra men vivahit striyan pahli sankranti par tel, kapas, namak, adi vastuen saubhagyavti striyon ko dan karti hai. bangal men is din snan kar til ka dan karne ka prachalan hai. dakshin bharat men ise ‘‘pongl’’ kahte hai. asam men makar sankranti ko bihu ka tyohar manaya jata hai. rajasthan men is din saubhagyavti striyae suhag ki vastue , gajak ,til ke laddu, ghevar, ya motichur ke laddu adi par rupya rakhakar bayna ke rup men apni sas ke charan sparsh karke deti hai. kisi bhi vastu ka chaidah ki sakhnya men sankalp kar brahmanon ya anya parichito ko dan karti hai.
is din nav varsh ka panchang brahmanon ko dan karne ki bhi parampara hai. is din til hi se snan kare, til hi ka ubatan lagave, til hi ka havan, til ka jal, til ka hi bhojan tatha dan ye chah karm til hi se karne se sabhi pap nasht ho jate hain. ‘‘vishnu dharma’’ ke anusar sankranti ke din til, shvet vastra, svarn, chandi, ann, gay bachde, pashu, ahar adi dan karne se ek hajar guna fal prapt hota hai. is din beti-javani ko ghar bulakar unka adar satkar karne se bhi vishesh fal prapt hota hai. makar sankranti ke din yadi gangasagar athva pavitra sarovar men snan kiya jaye to varsh bhar men kiye gaye jane-anjane sabhi pap nasht ho jate hain. vahan ke log yah mante hain ki jab surya makar rashi me pravesh karte hain, us samay vahae ke mandir ke as-pas jo parvat hain un par ag ki lapte drashtigochar hoti hai
jo agni svarup bhagvan surya evan ishvar ka sakshat darshan hai. keral men is din ayappa bhagvan ki puja-archana ki jati hai. shastron men gaudhat par is din snan karne se godan ke barabar fal bataya gaya hai. ‘‘brihmand puran’’ men is din dadhi-manthan ka dan karne se putra prapti hone tatha janma-janmantar ke daridray nasht ho jane ki bat likhi hai. tamilnadu men makar sakranti dipavli ki tarah unmag v ullas se manai jati hai. panjab v jammu-kashmir, jo sikh bahul kshetra hai vahan makar sankranti ki purva sanghya ko lohdi ke rup men gaje-baje umang v ras-rang ke sath manaya jata hai. nav vivahit evan shishuo ke upalakshya me is tyauhar ko dhum dham se manate hain, prarthana karte hain -
.. de ma lohri - teri jive jori dakshin bihar men makar sankranti par vishal mela bhi lagta hai jo ek paksh tak chalta hai. yahan mandar parvat ke niche sarovar men snan kiya jata hai. manyata hai ki madhu kairabh namak asuron ka bhagvan vishnu ne yahin par vagh kar isi sarovar men snan kiya tha. yah jal papnashak kahlata hai. is din kurukshetra ke pavitra sarovar men bhi lakhon vyakti snan kar punya kamate hain. ‘dharm singhu’ granth ke anusar makar sankranti ke din safed til se devtaane ka tatha kale til se pittarane ka tarpan karna chahiye. shivling par shuddh jal ka abhishek karne se mahafal ki kripa prapti hoti hai. sh ‘‘shiv rahasya’’ ghoshna karta hai ki ’’makar sakranti env magh mas men jo ghrit env kambal ka dan karta hai vah anek bhogane ko bhogakar ant men moksh pata hai.
ghrit v kanbal dene se kai manushya raja ho gaye. ’ vayu puran ke anusar brahm muhurt me snan kar durva, daghi, makkhan, gobar, chandan, lal ful jal sahit, gau, mritika, dhanya ko pipal ko sparsh karakar dono hathane se surya ko pranam karna chahiye. isse surya dev ati prasann rahte hain. ‘vishnu gharm sutra’ ke anusar pitro ki shanti ke liye evan svasthyavarddhan evan kalyan ke liye til ke yah prayog snan, dan, bhojan, jal,arpan, til ,ahuti tatha ubatan mardan karne se pap nasht hokar punya ki prapti hoti hai . hariyana evan panjab me is din sanghya hote hi ag jalakar agni puja karte hain tatha til, gur, chaval, bhune hue makke ki ahuti di jati hai .
is samagri ko tilchaili kaha jata hai . sabhi log in vastuon ko apas me bantakar khushiyan manate hain . uttar pradesh me yah parva bahut pavitra mana jata hai. 14 janvri se ilahabad me har varsh vishal magh mele ki shuruat hoti hai. bangal me prativarsh ganga sagar ka vishal mela lagta hai. shastro men iska bada mahatva hai. kahte bhi hai ki sare tirth bar bar ganga sagar ek bar . rajasthan ke jaypur shahar me is din is rajya men patangen udai jati hai. jaypur mul ke nivasiyo ke ghar se ek sadasya avashya hi patang urata dikhai dega. is din is gulabi nagri ko asman me patangane ka rangin shahar kaha jaye to atishyokti nahi hogi.
yahan patangon ke dangal bhi hote hain. adhik patang katne vale ko puruskrit kiya jata hai . tulsi das ji ne ram charit manas se is avasar ko dohe me is prakar rekhanakit kiya hai. madh makaragat ravi jab rhoi. tirath patihi av sab hoi .. arthat magh ke mahine men aur jab surya makar rashi me pravesh karte hain tab tirtharaj prayag me sampurn brahmand ki daivi shaktiyan akar ekatrit ho jati hain.