Makar Sankranti marks the first day of the sun’s transition into the sun sign Capricorn or Makara in Sanskrit; devoting it in the form of a festival to Lord Surya. Also known as the ‘Festival of Kites’, the festival reveals the short upcoming spring, as it bids winter its farewell. The festival has different names all over the country, and hence speaks the roots of India’s diverse cultures. In UP and Gujarat, the festival is known as Uttarayan or Kicheri, and Bihar refers to this festival as Til Sakraat or Dahi Chura. Suggi in Karnataka, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra and Goa the festival is known as Haldi Kumkum or Maghi Sankrant. Based on references in Hindu mythology, this festival signifies the end of a bad phase and the beginning of a good one.
People go for a holy dip in sacred water bodies and perform charity by giving alms to the needy, fly kites, prepare sweets made of sesame and jaggery, and worship livestock while farmers across India pray for a good harvest. Sesame and jaggery laddoos or chikkis are distributed on this day where til-gud sweet signifies that people must stay together in peace and harmony despite their differences. “Til gul ghya, goad bola” which translates to “Take sweet, talk sweet” is chanted by people as they distribute these sweets.
Goa indulges in diverse festivities and there are various events planned specifically for these festivals. Makar Sankranti offered a platform for participation from citizens of various age groups, engaging them in kite-making, and kite-flying activities. Union High school, Chimbel organized a Kite Festival along with Jadeed Urdu High School, Chimbel, Grace Pre-Primary School, Chimbel, Bal Bharati Vidya Mandir, Ribandar and Government Primary High School, Chimbel, ensuring active participation from their students, and teachers in kite-making and kite-flying competitions, where the participation from students was approximately 90 and 40 respectively. The competition took place at the open space at Tokyer- Bypass road and children were categorized based on their classes.
Various kites ranging from paper kites to plastic kites with graphics of their favorite animated characters were made by students. A few of them were lightly decorated with newspapers to signify the minimalist use of paper, hence bringing the 4R’s- Refuse, Reuse, Recycle, and Reduce as a form of awareness since papers were used along with plastic for the kite-making competition. Teachers of their respective schools ensured the safety and culminated in kite-flying competitions. The winners were awarded by Sandesh Shiridkar, sarpanch of Chimbel village’s Panchayat, and other chief guests present for the same.
A centre for senior citizens also held a kite flying event at Miramar beach. The center aims to keep its seniors active in health, body, and mind reflecting on creating unique bonding of relationships and friendships. Children of various ages ranging from infants to teens, and citizens taking a casual stroll on the beach engaged in heartfelt conversations and laughter as they approached these senior citizens. They also warmly welcomed other citizens with Tilgul and Til ke laddoo over a hot cup of tea.
The elders were overjoyed as they spoke about this Makar Sankranti celebration as they described the past experiences which were unsuccessful as the pandemic interfered with the celebration of Makar Sankranti. Kalpana Deshpande, a senior citizen at the center initiated this idea, which led to active participation from other senior citizens, as well as children, hence, creating an environment filled with laughter, and memories allowing other citizens to include and interact with them. Geeta, another senior citizen added, “This is my first time flying a kite. I’ve always wanted to build my kite and enjoy watching it fly.” Additionally, Geeta stated her love for writing by putting her thoughts in form of small poems, which she also enthusiastically sent on to her family, friends, and group chats.
Respecting its senior citizens, and making their children gain new experiences while creating a bunch of core memories laying a platform for its renowned creativity, Goa once again celebrated another festival leaving behind happy memories for its viewers as well as its participants.
