hamare desh men makar sankranti ka tyauhar vibhinn hisson men alg-alag nam se manaya jata hai. kahin ise makar sankranti kahte hain to kahin pongal lekin tamam manyataon ke bad is tyauhar ko manane ke piche ka tark ek hi rahta hai aur vah hai surya ki upasna aur dan. surya ka makar rashi men pravesh karna makr-sankranti kahlata hai. sankranti ke lagte hi surya uttarayan ho jata hai. manyata hai ki makr-sankranti se surya ke uttarayan hone par devtaon ka suryoday hota hai aur daityon ka suryast hone par unki ratri praranbh ho jati hai. uttarayan men din bare aur raten choti hoti hain. makar sankranti ko manane ka prachalan kab se shuru hua iske bare men kisi ko sahi jankari nahin hai, lekin iske piche bahut si pauranik kathaen juri hui hain jo is parva ko manane ke mahatva ko satyapit karti hain. makar sankranti se juri hui pauranik kathaen - kaha jata hai ki is din bhagvan surya apne putra shani se milne svayan uske ghar jaya karte hain. shanidev chunki makar rashi ke svami hain, atah is din ko makar sankranti ke nam se jana jata hai.
- yashoda ji ne jab krishn janm ke lie vrat kiya tha tab surya devta uttarayan kal men padarpan kar rahe the aur us din makar sankranti thi. kaha jata hai tabhi se makar sankranti vrat ka prachalan hua.
- makar sankranti ke din hi gangaji bhagirath ke piche-piche chalakar kapil muni ke ashram se hokar sagar men ja unse mili thin. yah bhi kaha jata hai ki ganga ko dharti par lane vale maharaj bhagirath ne apne purvajon ke lie is din tarpan kiya tha. unka tarpan svikar karne ke bad is din ganga samudra men jakar mil gai thin. islie makar sankranti par ganga sagar men mela lagta hai.
- mahabharat kal ke mahan yoddha bhishm pitamah ne bhi apni deh tyagne ke lie makar sankranti ka hi chayan kiya tha.
- is din bhagvan vishnu ne asuron ka ant kar yuddh samapti ki ghoshna ki thi v sabhi asuron ke siron ko mandar parvat men daba diya tha. is prakar yah din buraiyon aur nakaratmakata ko khatm karne ka din bhi mana jata hai. mahaparva mahasankranti sanpurn bharat men makar sankranti vibhinn rupon men manaya jata hai. vibhinn pranton men is tyauhar ko manane ke jitne adhik rup prachlit hain utne kisi anya parva men nahin. hariyana aur panjab men ise lohri ke rup men ek din purva 13 janvri ko hi manaya jata hai. is din andhera hote hi ag jalakar agnidev ki puja karte hue til, gur, chaval aur bhune hue makke ki ahuti di jati hai.
is samagri ko tilchaili kaha jata hai. is avasar par log mungfli, til ki bani hui gajak aur revriyan apas men bantakar khushiyan manate hain. bahuen ghar-ghar jakar lokgit gakar lohri mangti hain. nai bahu aur navjat bachche ke liye lohri ka vishesh mahatva hota hai. iske sath paramparik makke ki roti aur sarson ke sag ka anand bhi uthaya jata hai uttar pradesh men yah mukhya rup se ‘dan ka parva’ hai. ilahabad men ganga, yamuna v sarasvati ke sangam par pratyek varsh ek mah tak magh mela lagta hai jise magh mele ke nam se jana jata hai. magh mele ka pahla snan makar sankranti se shuru hota hai. makar sankranti ke din snan karne ke bad til ke mishtann adi ko brahmanon v pujya vyaktiyon ko dan diya jata hai. samuche uttar pradesh men is vrat ko khichri ke nam se jana jata hai tatha is din khichri khane evan khichri dan dene ka atyadhik mahatva hota hai.
bihar men makar sankranti ko khichri nam se jana jata hai. is din urad, chaval, til, chura, gau, svarn, uni vastra, kambal adi dan karne ka mahattva hai. maharashtra men is din sabhi vivahit mahilaen apni pahli sankranti par kapas, tel v namak adi chijen anya suhagin mahilaon ko dan karti hain. til-gul namak halve ke bantne ki pratha bhi hai. bangal men is parva par snan ke pashchat til dan karne ki pratha hai. tamilnadu men is tyohar ko pongal ke rup men char din tak manate hain. pongal manane ke liye snan karke khule angan men mitti ke bartan men khir banayi jati hai, jise pongal kahte hain. iske bad surya dev ko naivaidya charhaya jata hai. uske bad khir ko prasad ke rup men sabhi grahan karte hain. is din beti aur jamai raja ka vishesh rup se svagat kiya jata hai. asam men makar sankranti ko magh-bihu athva bhogali-bihu ke nam se manate hain.
rajasthan men is parva par suhagan mahilaen apni sas ko vayna dekar ashirvad prapt karti hain. is prakar makar sankranti ke madhyam se bhartiya sabhyata evan sanskriti ki jhalak vividh rupon men dikhti hai. ganga snan ka mahatva makar sankranti ke din ganga snan ka kafi mahatva hai. ganga snan ke bare men manyata hai ki is din ganga, yamuna aur sarasvati ke sangam prayag men sabhi devi-devta apna svarup badalakar snan ke lie ate hain. islie is din dan, tap, jap ka vishesh mahatva hai. is din ganga snan karne se sabhi kashton ka nivaran ho jata hai. makar sankranti men chaval, gur, urad, til adi chijon ko khane men shamil kiya jata hai, kyonki yah paushtik hone ke sath hi sharir ko garm rakhne vale hote hain. is din brahmanon ko anaj, vastra, uni kapre, fal adi dan karne se sharirik kashton se mukti milti hai. dirghayu evan nirogi rahne ke lie rogi ko is din aushdhi, tel, ahar dan karna chahie.