Maghe sankranti
Encyclopedia
Maghe sankranti is a Nepal
ese festival observed on the first of Magh
in the Bikram Samwat
Nepali calendar
(about January 14) bringing an end to the ill-omened month of Poush
when all religious ceremonies are forbidden. Maghe Sakranti is the Nepalese version of the Indian Makar Sankranti. On this day, the sun is believed to leave its southernmost position and begin its northward journey. Maghe Sankranti is similar to solstice
festivals in other religious traditions.
Observant Hindu
s take ritual baths during this festival, notably at auspicious river locations. These include Sankhamul on the Bagmati near Patan; In the Gandaki/Narayani river basin at Triveni near the Indian border, Devghat
near Chitwan Valley
and Ridi on the Kaligandaki; and in the Koshi River
basin at Dolalghat on the Sun Koshi. Festive foods like laddoo, ghee
and sweet potato
es are distributed. The mother of each household wishes good health to all family members.
The legend states that a successful businessman was curious as to why his supply of sesame seed seemed to be never ending. When he inspected the bag he found an idol of Lord Vishnu, the preserver .
According to Mahabharata
, king Bhisma, who had the power to control his own death, happened to choose to die on the day of Maghe Sakranti. Therefore it is believed that one to die on this day might achieve Moksha
, a release from rebirth cycle.
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
ese festival observed on the first of Magh
Magh
Magh may refer to:* Magi* Magh people, the Arakanese nationalities known in Bengal as Maghs* Maagha, a month in Hindu calendar* Magh * Magh * Magh * Magha , author of Shishupala Vadha...
in the Bikram Samwat
Bikram Samwat
Vikram Samvat is the calendar established by Indian emperor Vikramaditya...
Nepali calendar
Nepali calendar
The Nepali Calendar is a traditional solar calendar used in Nepal for both civil and religious purposes. The year begins in the month Baishakh; usually around 14 April....
(about January 14) bringing an end to the ill-omened month of Poush
Poush
Poush is the 9th month of both the Bangla calendar and the Nepali Calendar. It overlaps December and January of the Gregorian calendar. It is the first month of the winter season....
when all religious ceremonies are forbidden. Maghe Sakranti is the Nepalese version of the Indian Makar Sankranti. On this day, the sun is believed to leave its southernmost position and begin its northward journey. Maghe Sankranti is similar to solstice
Solstice
A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year when the Sun's apparent position in the sky, as viewed from Earth, reaches its northernmost or southernmost extremes...
festivals in other religious traditions.
Observant Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s take ritual baths during this festival, notably at auspicious river locations. These include Sankhamul on the Bagmati near Patan; In the Gandaki/Narayani river basin at Triveni near the Indian border, Devghat
Devghat
Devghat is a town located at the junction of the Sapta Gandaki and Krishna Gandaki rivers in Central Nepal, and is one of the holiest places in Hindu mythology as well as a holy place for Hindu gods...
near Chitwan Valley
Chitwan Valley
Chitwan Valley is an Inner Terai valley in the south of Nepal, encompassing the districts of Makwanpur, Chitwan and Nawalparasi. The valley is part of the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion of about 150 km length and 30–48 km width....
and Ridi on the Kaligandaki; and in the Koshi River
Koshi River
The Kosi River or Koshi —also Saptakoshi for its seven Himalayan tributaries—is a trans-boundary river flowing through Nepal and India. Some of the rivers of the Koshi system, such as the Arun, the Sun Kosi and the Bhote Koshi, originate in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China...
basin at Dolalghat on the Sun Koshi. Festive foods like laddoo, ghee
Ghee
Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in South Asia and is commonly used in South Asian cuisine....
and sweet potato
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
es are distributed. The mother of each household wishes good health to all family members.
The legend states that a successful businessman was curious as to why his supply of sesame seed seemed to be never ending. When he inspected the bag he found an idol of Lord Vishnu, the preserver .
According to Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, king Bhisma, who had the power to control his own death, happened to choose to die on the day of Maghe Sakranti. Therefore it is believed that one to die on this day might achieve Moksha
Moksha
Within Indian religions, moksha or mukti , literally "release" , is the liberation from samsara and the concomitant suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and reincarnation or rebirth.-Origins:It is highly probable that the concept of moksha was first developed in...
, a release from rebirth cycle.