Makara Sankranti or Maghi or simply Sankranthi is a festival day in the Hindu calendar, dedicated to the deity Surya (sun). It marks the first day of the sun's transit into Makara Rashi (Capricorn), marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.
Sankranti संक्रान्ति means transmigration of the Sun from one Rāshi (constellation of the zodiac in Indian astronomy) to the next. Hence, there are 12 Sankrantis in a year.
Lohri is a popular wintertime Punjabi folk festival, celebrated primarily by Sikhs and Hindus from the Punjab region. Many people believe the festival commemorates the passing of the winter solstice. Lohri marks the end of the winter season and is a traditional welcome of longer days and sun's journey to the northern hemisphere or Uttarayan.
Pongal is a Tamil harvest festival. It is the same as Thanksgiving Day. In an agriculture-based civilization, harvest plays an important role. The farmer cultivating the land depends on his cattle, timely rain, and the Sun. The first day of this month is a festival day known as " Pongal Day ". Pongal means the "boiling over" of milk and rice during the month of Thai.
Q : Why foods like jaggery, gajak, til ki chikki are offered to the fire?
Ans. Well, it is a way of paying gratitude to nature.
On this Lohri festival, It is believed that these food ingredients help cleanse the body, bringing renewed energy for the New Year. Til and Gur both are winter food items, have a long shelf life, and sweets made using them last long.