Makar Sankranti is Fast Approaching! 10 Elegant Gifts for This Joyous Day + What You Should Know About Makar Sankranti Celebrations (2020)

Makar Sankranti finds a lot of reference to Lord Surya (Sun). It is celebrated on 14th January of every year in the Hindu traditions and marks the first day of a transit of Sun into Makara. This day is seen as the official beginning of summer days and people can actually observe longer days afterwards.

Uttarayan is the word popular for Makar Sankranti in Gujarat in India. It signifies the transition of sun into North which is why we can see the winter days being passed and longer days arriving.

Many people see the Makar Sankranti celebration as the symbol of joy and happiness. This day has different traditions in different states of India but each of them belongs to peace and prosperity and laughter all over.

In the Northern parts of India, Makar Sankranti is seen as the great day of joy for the farmers as Rabi crop is harvested at this time around. People see it as the sign of having a financially sound year ahead.

You should know that all the Hindu festivals are celebrated according to the Hindu calendar and Months. So, according to this none of the festivals occur on the same date every year. However, Makar Sankranti celebration is the only festival which is celebrated on the fixed date of 14 January according to the Georgian Calendar. It is definitely something which sets the occasion apart from others.

Well, every other festival in India is celebrated by making tons of delicacies so it comes as no surprise here. But what makes Makar Sankranti different is the involvement of a lot of Til and Jaggery in the Sweets made on this occasion. Very unique delicacies and sweets are made for this occasion in the different parts of India to mark the festival of vibrancy and happiness.

India is the land of diversity and there is no doubt about it. This is why the festival of Makar Sankranti is celebrated differently in each state of India and it goes by different names too like Pongal in South, Maghi in Punjab, Uttarayan in Gujarat and so on. No matter what they call this festival but the apparent cause of celebrating it remains the same throughout the country.

If you will ever come across the detailed Makar Sankranti information then you will find the mention of kite flying in it for sure. It is a tradition mostly followed in Hadoti areas of Rajasthan and Gujarat state. You can see the sky full of just kites and nothing else on this day and people literally go crazy for the entire day. In fact, at the night you can spot people flying the eco-friendly lanterns too.

Makar Sankranti is all about devotion towards the Lord Surya and hence people consider it as a very holy occasion. So, in order to show their devotion towards him, they bath in the holy rivers. This bath is also related to the “Maha Kumbh Snan” as Makar Sankranti is the starting day of Kumbh Mela in India.

As mentioned above, the very popular Kumbha Mela in India starts on the day of Makar Sankranti once every 3 years. This Mela is seen as the amalgam of traditions and cultures from various parts of India. People take bath in holy river Ganga and express their gratitude towards the god for being kind and to bless them with prosperity.

It is very lesser known fact for Indians but Makar Sankranti is celebrated outside India too. It is celebrated in Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka with names Tirmoori, Maghe Sankranti, Shakrain and Thai Pongal respectively. The rituals in other countries are surely different than that of India but the reason remains the same.

As we talked about it earlier too, the Makar Sankranti celebration strikes the sword of summer on the winter and ends the cold days. This also symbolises the starting of joyous times which means longer days and shorter nights. The weather becomes pleasant and finally people start to come out of their houses to soak the sunlight.

Here are some tips about the Makar Sankranti celebration which you must know about owing to the rate of accidents happen on this day due to excessive kite flying on the roof. So, take a look at them right below here.

The first and the most obvious thing is to take care of yourself while flying kites on your rooftop. It can turn out to be quite dangerous mainly because of the Manjha used for flying the kites. It can cause severe cuts and you can also slip down from the roof. So, make sure that safety is your first priority here.

Jaggery is considered to be a great product for easing down the stomach and to maintain the digestive process. While Til is also considered to be great for eating in the winter times. So, make sure you eat plenty of Til laddoos and the Jaggery to keep yourself warm and healthy.

Makar Sankranti festival is all about joy but on the contrary, we read the news of birds and children being hurt because of the kite flying. So, rather than celebrating it in a stereotypical way, you can find an alternative to it. Celebrate it with the people who cannot afford things on their own and give them a reason to smile on this festival.

Well, of course, the most common gift you can give to someone on the wonderful occasion of Makar Sankranti is sweets. While everyone would be passing the boxes of Gajak and Til Laddoos, you can make a difference by choosing the Kaju Rolls. Here for the recommendation, we have chosen a box of Kaju Rolls of 500gms. These are basically the rolls made up of Cashew Nuts and sugar. They are then topped with the edible silver layers to make them look rich and presentable.

These amazing Kaju Rolls are so soft to eat and just melts in the mouth in no time. Suiting well for the occasion, these sweet rolls send out the message of adding sweetness to your loved ones’ life too. It might be a cliché option but you can go a bit traditional for occasions like these. Purchase them from myflowertree.com for Rs. 1,295.

Another interesting gift that you can choose for the Makar Sankranti celebration is a dry fruit basket. The one that we picked here is a hexagon shaped dry fruit basket made up of bamboo sticks. It contains 100gms of Cashew Nuts and Almonds in it in the equal amount. An item perfect for the occasion like this when there is a perfect balance of winter and warmth. Dry fruits are indeed best eaten in such kind of whether to maintain the warmth inside.

A very fine quality of Cashew nuts and almonds are used here and the presentation is not going to disappoint you at all. After the dry fruits are finished, this basket can be utilized for another purpose too. A multipurpose gift and specially made for the gifting purpose, this hexagon dry fruit box can be bought from infibeam.com for Rs. 349.

Bamboo plants are seen as the symbol of luck and prosperity when placed in someone’s home. So, on the occasion of Makar Sankranti let’s pray for the luck of your loved ones through this very special gift.
Instead of picking the seeds for this plant, we have chosen the entire plant which is in fact double layered. You can see the saplings of bamboos joined together in a thread and placed in a glass which looks really adorable.

It is perfect from the point of view of Feng-Shui and seen as the representation of health, wealth, prosperity and abundance. Not only this plant will add good luck into your home but will also add a nice touch of greenery too. The plant does not require excessive care as it grows fast and quite flexible too. However, make sure that the plant must represent all the five elements of water, earth, wood, metal and fire together. This plant is available for purchase on myflowertree.com for Rs. 499.

What else can be a better gift on the occasion of Makar Sankranti 2019 than the Til laddoos itself? It is always good to stick to the traditions and following the same we have picked a package of til laddoos of 300gms as the gift recommendation. Apart from the laddoos itself, the packaging is also quite impressive too. Adding to the traditions and occasion, this package is accompanied by two small kits representing the true rituals of Makar Sankranti really well.

No other gift can symbolise the meaning of holy occasion of Makar Sankranti better than this. In fact, it also represents the sweet and healthy relations too. Til Laddoos have a very unique and crisp taste while the kites are just the decorative pieces. This hamper is available for purchase on giftacrossindia.com for Rs. 435.

If you have some friends or relatives who are just crazy about kite flying then you must pick this gift for them. This one is a pack of 30 kites together which are apparently enough to last for the whole day on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. This is something everyone would love to receive as a gift on the occasion of Makar Sankranti for sure. Very much belonging to the traditions, these kites are available in the colours of yellow, blue, green and maroon. They are made up from the best quality material and very easy to fly too. The wood used for making the kite is also of nice quality too.

However, this package is not accompanied by the Manjha. It is advisable to pick the manjha carefully as it can cause severe injuries when not handled with care. You can buy this set of kites from amazon.in for Rs. 399.

Trying to find a gift which perfectly matches the theme of Makar Sankranti celebration? In that case, you should take a look at this stunning Sun Burst round wall clock. It is in chrome colour and has dimensions of 31X4cm. This one is just perfect for the drawing room and looks extremely beautiful. The clock is made up of plastic but does not look like one at all, thanks to its chrome colour. It has red colour in the dial and beautiful Madhubani painting of Surya in the middle of it.

It matches the theme of Makar Sankranti like no other gift as it revolves around Lord Sun. The highlight of this wall clock is strikingly sun themed colouring. These colours accentuate the look of this clock to great extent. It will turn out to be a great gift for your close relatives and family members. You can order it online from giftcart.com for Rs. 949

If you are interested in something different then consder gifting a beautiful diya on this auspicious day. Diyas have an important place in all Hindu housholds and this elegant piece is sure to be welcomed. Made of brass in shape of a lotus and decorated with crystals this features a holder in the center where you can place a tea light. This wonderful diya holder can bought from amazon.in for Rs. 245.