Sankranti
Sankranti (Sanskrit: संक्रान्ति, romanized: Saṁkrānti) refers to the Sun's transition from one zodiac sign to another in Indian astronomy and the Hindu calendar.[1] There are twelve such Sankrantis annually, but Makar Sankranti, marking the entry into Capricorn around January 14, is the most widely celebrated instance.[2][3] This astronomical event signifies the end of the winter solstice and the onset of longer, warmer days, while serving as a harvest festival dedicated to the Sun God, Surya, to express gratitude for agricultural abundance and life's vitality.[4][5] The festival holds deep cultural and religious significance, symbolizing renewal, the triumph of light over darkness, and humanity's connection to nature, with traditions emphasizing positivity, family bonds, and respect for ancestors.[6][5] It fosters themes of rejuvenation and unity, encouraging participants to discard negativity and embrace communal harmony through shared rituals and feasts.[5] Celebrations vary regionally but commonly include kite-flying competitions, especially vibrant in Gujarat as Uttarayan, where the skies fill with colorful patangs to symbolize freedom and joy.[5] In Maharashtra, families exchange tilgul—sweet balls made of sesame seeds and jaggery—while women perform haldi-kumkum ceremonies, applying turmeric and vermilion for prosperity, followed by feasts featuring harvest-based dishes like puran poli.[3] Across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, it is observed as a three-day Pongal-like event with bonfires, cattle decorations, and offerings of freshly harvested rice to the sun.[2] In Punjab and Haryana, it aligns with Lohri, involving bonfires and folk dances to honor the winter harvest, while in Tamil Nadu, the four-day Pongal festival highlights cooking the Pongal dish in earthen pots as an offering to the sun and rain gods.[5] Assam celebrates it as Magh Bihu with energetic dances and feasts, and in Bihar, it is known as the Khichdi festival, focusing on simple rice-lentil preparations symbolizing humility and sustenance.[5] These diverse observances underscore Sankranti's role in preserving India's agrarian heritage and promoting environmental awareness through reverence for the sun and seasons.[6]Etymology and Definition
Linguistic Origins
The term Sankranti originates from the Sanskrit noun saṃkrānti (संक्रान्ति), derived from the verbal root sam + krām (सम् + क्राम्), meaning "to go across," "to pass into," or "to transmigrate," specifically denoting the sun's ingress or transition from one zodiacal sign (rāśi) to the next in Hindu astronomy.[7] This etymological sense underscores the astronomical event of solar movement, as articulated in classical Sanskrit lexicography where saṃkrānti signifies the commencement of motion or passage into a new phase.[8] In ancient Hindu texts, the concept of Sankranti denotes these solar transits as markers of seasonal shifts, with references appearing in the Puranas to describe the sun's entry into zodiacal constellations. For instance, the Narada Purana dedicates sections to Saṅkrānti as the precise moment of the sun's passage, linking it to cosmic and calendrical rhythms that influence earthly seasons.[9] While the Rigveda does not use the term Sankranti explicitly, its hymns extensively invoke the sun's (Sūrya) annual path and solstitial transitions—such as the northward journey (Uttarāyaṇa)—which form the conceptual precursor to later formalized notions of Sankranti in post-Vedic literature.[10] The term Sankranti serves as a general descriptor for any of the twelve annual solar transits, whereas specific designations incorporate the zodiacal sign involved, such as Makar Sankranti for the sun's entry into Capricorn (Makar rāśi), highlighting the terminological precision in distinguishing universal from particular events.[1] Over centuries, Sankranti has undergone phonetic evolution in regional languages of India, adapting to Dravidian phonology while preserving its semantic core; in Telugu, it appears as Sankranthi, and in Kannada as Sankramana or Sankaranti, reflecting localized pronunciations tied to solar calendar observances.[11]Astronomical Meaning
Sankranti denotes the precise astronomical moment when the Sun transits from one rashi, or zodiac sign, to the next in the sidereal zodiac system employed in Indian astronomy. This transition marks the Sun's apparent movement along the ecliptic through the fixed stellar backdrop, dividing the celestial sphere into twelve equal segments of approximately 30 degrees each. There are twelve such Sankrantis annually, occurring roughly every 30 days as the Earth orbits the Sun, aligning with the sidereal solar year of about 365.256 days.[12][13] The sidereal zodiac, known as the nirayana system in Indian tradition, is anchored to the actual positions of constellations relative to distant stars, contrasting with the tropical zodiac used in Western astronomy, which is tied to seasonal equinoxes and solstices. This distinction arises due to the precession of the equinoxes—a slow wobble in Earth's axis that shifts the vernal equinox point westward by about 1 degree every 72 years—causing a gradual divergence between the two systems, currently by around 24 degrees. As a result, Sankranti dates in the sidereal framework do not align fixedly with Gregorian calendar dates and vary slightly year to year, reflecting the true stellar progression rather than seasonal markers.[13] These Sankrantis are classified into four categories based on their celestial significance: Ayan Sankranti, encompassing the solstices at Makara (winter) and Karka (summer); Vishuva Sankranti, corresponding to the equinoxes at Mesha (vernal) and Tula (autumnal); Vishnupadi Sankranti, covering the remaining eight routine transits; and Shadshitimukhi Sankranti, a rare event occurring every 60th Sankranti to account for long-term precessional adjustments.[14] In ancient India, astronomers determined the exact timing of Sankrantis through direct observations using simple yet precise instruments, such as the gnomon—a vertical rod or stake whose shadow length and direction on a calibrated horizontal plane revealed the Sun's altitude, declination, and position along the ecliptic. By measuring shadow patterns at noon or tracking diurnal arcs against stellar references, observers could pinpoint solar ingress into a new rashi with accuracy sufficient for calendar-making, as detailed in classical texts like the Surya Siddhanta.[15][16]Astronomical and Calendar Context
The Twelve Sankrantis
Sankranti denotes the Sun's annual transits through the twelve zodiac signs in the sidereal Hindu calendar, marking twelve distinct events known collectively as the twelve Sankrantis. These transits occur approximately every thirty days, aligning with the solar year's progression and influencing seasonal and astrological cycles in Hindu tradition.[14] The following table lists the twelve Sankrantis, their corresponding zodiac signs (rashi), and approximate Gregorian calendar months based on typical occurrences:| Sankranti | Zodiac Sign (Rashi) | Approximate Month |
|---|---|---|
| Mesha Sankranti | Aries (Mesha) | April |
| Vrishabha Sankranti | Taurus (Vrishabha) | May |
| Mithuna Sankranti | Gemini (Mithuna) | June |
| Karka Sankranti | Cancer (Karka) | July |
| Simha Sankranti | Leo (Simha) | August |
| Kanya Sankranti | Virgo (Kanya) | September |
| Tula Sankranti | Libra (Tula) | October |
| Vrishchika Sankranti | Scorpio (Vrishchika) | November |
| Dhanu Sankranti | Sagittarius (Dhanu) | December |
| Makar Sankranti | Capricorn (Makar) | January |
| Kumbha Sankranti | Aquarius (Kumbha) | February |
| Meena Sankranti | Pisces (Meena) | March |