Sankranti means to move from one place to another. The Lord Sun makes 12 movements during the year, but this is one of the most important transitions.
Makar Sankranti is the day when the sun moves from Sagittarius into Capricorn during the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere (Uttarayana).
This is one of the most auspicious feast days in the Hindu culture, and is celebrated in almost all parts of the country, but the celebrations often have different names and traditions.
This is not a moveable feast determined by the lunar calendar. Makar Sankranti is always celebrated on January 14 on the solar calendar since it is a celebration of the Sun.
During the festival, many people ceremonially bathe in rivers and pray to the Lord Sun. The day is celebrated as Lohri or Maghi in Punjab. In Gujarati, celebrations feature thousands of colorful prayers offered to the Sun in the form of beautiful kites.
Makar Sankranti 2008 Spiritual Message
The past is history, so let it go. The future is a mystery, so let it come. The present is a gift - be truly in the present today and release all your fears (based on the past) and your worries (imagined futures) - this is the work of someone who truly wants to awaken, and break free from the anchors and burdens of dead yesterdays and speculative tomorrows. Be here now they say, easier said than done, I hear you say. But no one can stop us, except for ourselves. There is only now - everything else is avoidance.
~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.
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