View allAll Photos Tagged sankranti
Photographed at Babughat,Gangasagar camp in Kolkata,India
Here thousands of people take Holy Dip during Makar Sankranti, usually falls on 14 or 15th January every year. Gangasagar pilgrimage and fair is the second largest congregation of mankind after the holy Kumbha Mela. The latter is observed once in four years at alternate locations in north, central and central-west parts of the country, Gangasagar fair and pilgrimage is held annually on the Sagar Island’s southern tip in the Ganges delta atop the Bay of Bengal.
Makar Sankranti
Sagardwip, 128kms away from Kolkata presents an ideal repose for a quiet weekend. A small island in the Sunderban, Sagardwip is bequeathed with a quiet charm amidst the completely unspoilt and silvery beach on the estuary of the mighty Ganga. It has a lighthouse that offers you a panaromic view of the surroundings. Quite a hot spot for Hindu pilgrimage
Happy Makar Sankranti to all my viewers. One of festival celebrated by all over India. As the festival is on the 14 January 2016. Its a harvest festival celebrated by the Indian People as well the Nepali
People Also. As this festival also know as the Pongal and Sankaranthi as it is seasonal...
www.happynewyearonline.in/2016/01/celebrating-makar-sankr...
It was a cold winter morning........at Gangasagar (Bay of Bengal) on the Makara Sankranti day
Gangasagar pilgrimage and fair, held annually, is the second largest congregation of mankind (more than 0.8 million this year) after the holy Kumbha Mela. Gangasagar finds mention in sacred texts and ancient scriptures of Hindu mythology including the two great Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
The river Ganga (Ganges) which originates in the Gangotri glacier in the snow clad high Himalayas, descends down the mountains, reaches the plains, flows through ancient pilgrimage sites, and drains into the Bay of Bengal. A dip in the ocean, where the Ganga meets the sea is considered to be of great religious significance particularly on the Makara Sankranti day (January 14/15), when the sun makes a transition to Capricorn from Sagittarius. Almost a million of Hindu devotees from all over India gather at Gangasagar for a holy dip and perform rituals and prayer (puja) with a belief that it will cleanse and purify their souls.
Images of Bengal, India
Poush Mela 2013, Santiniketan
Images of Bengal, India
See My Poush Mela Set: flic.kr/s/aHsjywUbRV
Tusu Dance
West Bengal is one of the important cultural states of India. Folk dances and music is a part of the life of people here. This state is a loving home of various tribal groups of people including Santhals. These communities perform their own cultural and traditional activities on various occasion and festivities.
'Makara Sankranti' is an important festival in all parts of Bengal. The Tusu Parab is held in Birbhum District on this occasion. Groups of young girls gather every evening throughout the month of Poush (December-January) and sing songs which have been termed by the generic term Tusu. On the day of Makar Sakranti (around 15th January), people gather around a pond or a river, mostly out of the village. After offering their prayers to Goddess Tusu, people sing and dance on the banks of the river or pond. The songs are accompanied by simple group movements: there is no other accompaniment.
Poush Mela / পৌষ মেলা
An annual fair and festival that takes place in Santiniketan, in Birbhum District in the Indian state of West Bengal, marking the harvest season. Commencing on the 7th day of the month of Poush (around 21/22 December), the fair officially lasts for three days, although vendors may stay up until the month-end. The key characteristic of this fair include live performances of Bengali folk music, notably baul and fakir songs.
Uttarayan, as Makara Sankranti is called in Gujarati, is a major festival in the state of Gujarat which lasts for two days.
14 January is Uttarayan
15 January is Vasi-Uttarayan (Stale Uttarayan) especially in Surat
Gujarati people keenly await this festival to fly kites, called 'patang'. Kites for Uttarayan are made of special light-weight paper and bamboo and are mostly rhombus shaped with central spine and a single bow. The string often contains abrasives to cut down other people's kites.
In Gujarat, from December through to Makara Sankranti, people start enjoying Uttarayan. Undhiyu (spicy, baked mix of winter vegetables) and chikkis (made from til (sesame seeds), peanuts and jaggery) are the special festival recipes savoured on this day.
In the major cities of Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, and Jamnagar the skies appear filled with thousands upon thousands of kites as people enjoy two full days of Uttarayan on their terraces.
When people cut any kites they used to yell with words like "kaypo j chhe", "e lapet", "phirki vet phirki" and "lapet lapet" in Gujarati.
A Sadhu (Hindu Ascetic) at sunset on the Makara Sankranti day at Gangasagar
Gangasagar pilgrimage and fair, held annually, is the second largest congregation of mankind (more than 1.5 million this year) after the holy Kumbha Mela. Gangasagar finds mention in sacred texts and ancient scriptures of Hindu mythology including the two great Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
The river Ganga (Ganges) which originates in the Gangotri glacier in the snow clad high Himalayas, descends down the mountains, reaches the plains, flows through ancient pilgrimage sites, and drains into the Bay of Bengal. A dip in the ocean, where the Ganga meets the sea is considered to be of great religious significance particularly on the Makara Sankranti day (January 14/15), when the sun makes a transition to Capricorn from Sagittarius. Almost a million of Hindu devotees from all over India gather at Gangasagar for a holy dip and perform rituals and prayer (puja) with a belief that it will cleanse and purify their souls.
Images of Bengal, India
villagers observe gajan rituals on the eve of charak sankranti festival with fire and pirced iron rods in body.
charak sankranti is a traditional bengali festival celebrated mainly in the rural areas. a festival dedicated strictly to penance, charak stands unique in the scenario of bengali festivals.
#1 in this series: click here
#2 in this series: click here
Makar Sankranti is one of the few ancient Indian festivals that has been observed according to solar cycles, marks the first day of sun's transit into the Makara (Capricorn) from Sagittarius (January 14/15), marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.
Thousands of Hindu devotees from all over India gather at the holy city, Varanasi, take a holy dip in the most sacred river, Ganges with thanksgiving to the sun for their successes and prosperity. The bathing is believed to result in merit or absolution of past sins.
They also perform rituals and prayer (puja and prasada offerings) at the river bank in remembrance of their departed family members and they also seek blessings for their departed souls!
Varanasi is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and probably the oldest in India. The culture of Varanasi is closely associated with the River Ganges and the river's religious importance. The city has been a cultural and religious centre in North India for several thousand years.
Images of India
a devotee washes her sari on the holy water at gangasagar, west bengal. six hundred thousand people visited gangasagar this year (2011) to take holy dip in the confluence of sacred river ganges and bay of bengal on the eve of makar sankranti festival.
Makar Sankranti is one of the few ancient Indian festivals that has been observed according to solar cycles, marks the first day of sun's transit into the Makara (Capricorn) from Sagittarius (January 14/15), marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.
Thousands of Hindu devotees from all over India gather at the holy city, Varanasi, take a holy dip in the most sacred river, Ganges with thanksgiving to the sun for their successes and prosperity. The bathing is believed to result in merit or absolution of past sins.
They also perform rituals and prayer (puja and prasada offerings) at the river bank in remembrance of their departed family members and they also seek blessings for their departed souls!
Varanasi is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and probably the oldest in India. The culture of Varanasi is closely associated with the River Ganges and the river's religious importance. The city has been a cultural and religious centre in North India for several thousand years.
Images of India
Makar Sankranti, also referred to as Uttarayana, Makar, or simply Sankranti, is a Hindu observance and a festival. Usually falling on the date of January 15 annually, this occasion marks the transition of the Sun from the zodiac of Sagittarius to Capricorn.
Gangasagar or Sagardwip, is a place of Hindu pilgrimage. Every year on the day of Makar Sankranti, hundreds of thousands of Hindus gather to take a holy dip at the confluence of river Ganges and Bay of Bengal and offer prayers (puja) in the Kapil Muni Temple.
Sagardwip is an island in the Ganges delta, lying on the continental shelf of Bay of Bengal about 100 km south of Kolkata, India.
at the gangasagar mela transit camp, kolkata
on their to the big religious fest
The Gangasagar pilgrimage and fair is the second largest congregation of mankind after the triennial ritual bathing of Kumbha Mela, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagar_Island#Pilgrimage
pilgrims gather here from all parts of india, to proceed to the gangasagar mela which is another 110 kms - the final stretch
the big day is makar sankranti, which was on the 15th of jan this year
This was my first visit to the camp which was teeming with activity. My subsequent visit was on the 17th - post the big event & the camp was almost deserted - most pilgrims were already on their return leg of their journey
i would love to be there for the 2 to 3 days of the fest, but alas i cannot summon up enough courage
the journey is not the bigger issue, it's around a 4 hour journey during the mela (festival) and maybe 3 hours otherwise
so what is this bigger issue
there is one single hotel with around 10 to 20 rooms & a youth hostel and other religious organizations have maybe another 50 rooms. now during the festival period plus some days prior and post - meaning the whole of january all these rooms are taken over by the state administration for managing the entire show
all these pilgrims cart along their bed and bedding on their heads. i do not think you can quite maneuver with a backpack. the tented accommodation is utter rudimentary, maybe a few thousand people in one tent. you will be lucky to sleep on a plastic sheeting or maybe even if the ground is dry enough
January 14th in Ahmedabad; just a few kites from an estimated 10million flown that day...just in Ahmedabad.
More photos and text in my photobook:
www.bobbooks.co.uk/bookshop/users/chapmanpa/uttarayan-an-...
Gangasagar or Sagardwip, is a place of Hindu pilgrimage. Every year on the day of Makar Sankranti, hundreds of thousands of Hindus gather to take a holy dip at the confluence of river Ganges and Bay of Bengal and offer prayers (puja) in the Kapil Muni Temple.
Sagardwip is an island in the Ganges delta, lying on the continental shelf of Bay of Bengal about 100 km south of Kolkata, India.
A naga sadhu (naked ascetic) at Gangasagar on the Makara Sankranti day
Gangasagar pilgrimage and fair, held annually, is the second largest congregation of mankind (more than 0.8 million this year) after the holy Kumbha Mela. Almost a million of Hindu devotees from all over India gather at Gangasagar for a holy dip and perform rituals and prayer (puja) with a belief that it will cleanse and purify their souls.
Besides the devotees, hundreds of sadhus, some smeared with ash and some with vermillion and sandalwood paste, priests and alms-seekers come to Gangasagar every year for a unique spiritual experience!
The river Ganga (Ganges) which originates in the Gangotri glacier in the snow clad high Himalayas, descends down the mountains, reaches the plains, flows through ancient pilgrimage sites, and drains into the Bay of Bengal. A dip in the ocean, where the Ganga meets the sea is considered to be of great religious significance particularly on the Makara Sankranti day (January 14/15), when the sun makes a transition to Capricorn from Sagittarius.
Images of Bengal, India
Devotee at sunset on the Makara Sankranti day at Gangasagar
Gangasagar pilgrimage and fair, held annually, is the second largest congregation of mankind (more than 1.5 million this year) after the holy Kumbha Mela. Gangasagar finds mention in sacred texts and ancient scriptures of Hindu mythology including the two great Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
The river Ganga (Ganges) which originates in the Gangotri glacier in the snow clad high Himalayas, descends down the mountains, reaches the plains, flows through ancient pilgrimage sites, and drains into the Bay of Bengal. A dip in the ocean, where the Ganga meets the sea is considered to be of great religious significance particularly on the Makara Sankranti day (January 14/15), when the sun makes a transition to Capricorn from Sagittarius. Almost a million of Hindu devotees from all over India gather at Gangasagar for a holy dip and perform rituals and prayer (puja) with a belief that it will cleanse and purify their souls.
Images of Bengal, India
HAPPY "MAKAR SANKRANTI", "PONGAL", "UTTARAYAN", "MAGHI", "LOHRI", "BHOGALI BIHU", "KHICHDI" WISHES TO ALL...! . [ En route to Bangalore. Asian Highway 43 (AH43) ]
The river Ganga (Ganges) which originates in the Gangotri glacier in the snow clad high Himalayas, descends down the mountains, reaches the plains, flows through ancient pilgrimage sites, and drains into the Bay of Bengal. A dip in the ocean, where the Ganga meets the sea is considered to be of great religious significance particularly on the Makara Sankranti day (January 14/15), when the sun makes a transition to Capricorn from Sagittarius. Almost a million of Hindu devotees from all over India gather at Gangasagar for a holy dip and perform rituals and prayer (puja) with a belief that it will cleanse and purify their souls.
Images of Bengal, India
Gangasagar is a charming tourist destination, which attracts both pilgrims and adventure lovers. Located on an island in the Sunderbans, Gangasagar offers the charms of an un-spoilt beach on the estuary of the river Ganges. Gangasagar offers acres of silver sand and clear blue sky, and the calm sea for visitors who would like to spend their weekend in tranquillity.
Also known as Sagardwip, Gangasagar is still unexplored and therefore unexploited. The island of Gangasagar is one of the most famous Hindu pilgrimage centres in India. Every year on Makar Sankranti (mid-January), pilgrims from all over India, gather at Gangasagar for a holy dip at the confluence of the river Ganga and the Bay of Bengal. After the holy dip, the pilgrims offer ‘Puja' at the Kapil Muni Temple or Ashram. On the occasion of Makar Sankranti, Gangasagar Mela is organized in this island, which is one of the biggest fairs in West Bengal. Gangasagar finds mention in many tales of Hindu mythology and in ancient Indian literature like the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, a novel of Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay and a poem of Rabindranath Tagore.
The lighthouse at Gangasagar offers a panoramic view of this spectacular beach, from where you can enjoy sunrise and sunset. During sunset, the sky turns golden with a patch of red on the horizon and the silver sand reflects the last rays of the sun. Photography is not restricted on this island.
Had a chance to visit Delhi while going to Ladakh...one didn't dare to visit most of common places due to the weather conditions,coming from South India,facing Delhi 's climate was lil challenging .
India Gate looked terrificwith the evening skies .
HAPPY SANKRANTHI !!!!
Happy Pongal !!!!
Khotachi wadi is an old neighborhood in Bombay that still has portuguese style houses. My parents grew up very close to this neighborhood. I was here on the last day of the kite flying festival of Sankranti. In India kite flying is highly competitive. The aim of flying a kite is not just to get one high up in the sky, but to be able to cut down another kite in the sky. The tail of these kites , called the manja, is made of a string coated in rice glue and fine powdered glass. Two kites will fight it out in the sky, and one will be cut down.
On the balcony of this house is a man flying a kite. He wasn't too successful. Every time he got a kite up ( 2 while I was there), it got cut.
Everyone says my dad was a good kite flyer when he was a kid. My mum's sister was his official 'manja holder' : she held the roll of string dipped in glass and released it slowly as his kite rose up in the sky.
.. young couple, in the night before 'makar sankranti' kite festival of 14th january.
see my other HOMETOWN images here
for a holy dip at Gangasagar
Gangasagar pilgrimage and fair, held annually, is the second largest congregation of mankind after the holy Kumbha Mela. Gangasagar finds mention in sacred texts and ancient scriptures of Hindu mythology including the two great Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
The river Ganga (Ganges) which originates in the Gangotri glacier in the snow clad high Himalayas, descends down the mountains, reaches the plains, flows through ancient pilgrimage sites, and drains into the Bay of Bengal. A dip in the ocean, where the Ganga meets the sea is considered to be of great religious significance particularly on the Makara Sankranti day (January 14/15), when the sun makes a transition to Capricorn from Sagittarius. Almost a million of Hindu devotees from all over India gather at Gangasagar for a holy dip and perform rituals and prayer (puja) with a belief that it will cleanse and purify their souls.
Images of Bengal, India
Makar Sankranti is one of the few ancient Indian festivals that has been observed according to solar cycles, marks the first day of sun's transit into the Makara (Capricorn) from Sagittarius (January 14/15), marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.
Thousands of Hindu devotees from all over Bengal gather at Jaydev Kenduli, take a holy dip in the Ajay river with thanksgiving to the sun for their successes and prosperity. The bathing is believed to result in merit or absolution of past sins. The devotees also perform rituals and prayer (puja and prasada offerings) at the river bank in remembrance of their departed family members and they also seek blessings for their departed souls!
Kenduli Mela
On the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti, one of biggest and 800 years old religious fair of West Bengal is coordinated to remember poet Jayadeva. Several thousand bauls, a community of wandering minstrels who sing devotional songs, assemble for the fair and as such it is also referred to as Baul Mela (Fair). The bauls stay in 160 temporary hermitages at Jaydev Kenduli for around a month. However, in recent years, the greatest baul fair in the state is gradually losing its character, as the bauls have been outnumbered by kirtanias, who perform kirtan (devotional singing) in the mela to gain popularity. Around 2,000 kirtanias come to attend the mela annually.
Jaydev Kenduli is a village at the bank of the Ajay river in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is believed by many to be the birthplace of poet Jayadeva Goswami (born c. 1170 AD), who had composed Gita Govinda in Sanskrit. Maharani Brajakishori of Bardhaman had set up the Radhabinod temple at Jaydev Kenduli in 1683, where the house of the poet Jayadeva, was believed locally to have stood. Subsequently, many ashramas (hermitages) were set up and Jaydev Kenduli developed as a religious centre.
Images of Bengal, India
Poush Sankranti, the last day of the Bengali month Poush, is also known as Makar Sankranti and marks the day for harvest festival in Bengal. On that day all Bengalee ladies were busy with The Alpona .
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© Sanhita Bhattacharjee
Kalyanpur,Tripura (India) .
Most Hindu devotees took holy dip in the river Ganga and others enjoyed kite flying to celebrate Makar Sankranti at Varanasi.
Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together – Mark Twain.
Varanasi or Banaras is one of the oldest cities in the world, which have been constantly inhabited. If we look at the archaeological evidences, remains from the year 1200 BC have been found here. While there are also indications that this city could be living since 3000 BC, or even older. (goseefeel.com/varanasi/brief-history-varanasi-banaras/)
Ganga Sagar Mela, also known as Ganga Sagar Yatra or Ganga Snan, is the annual gathering of Hindu pilgrims to take holy dip in River Ganga before She merges in the Bay of Bengal Sea during Makar Sankranti at Sagar Island or Sagardwip in West Bengal, India. Ganga Sagar Mela 2015 date is January 15.
The Gangasagar fair begins a couple of day early and ends on the day after Sankranti. Hindu pilgrims from India and around the world arrive at Sagar Island to take a holy dip in sacred waters of Ganga River before She merges in the Bay of Bengal.
Thousands of Hindus take holy dip at the auspicious time on Makar Sankranti day morning and offer prayers to Lord Surya (sun god). The holy dip is believed to wash the sins away and lead to the attainment of Moksha.
After performing Ganga Snan, pilgrims visit the Kapilmuni Temple situated nearby. This is an ancient temple and is one of its kind in India.
Devotees start to arrive in the first week of January and the venue attracts maximum pilgrims on the Makar Sankranti day.
Accommodation for pilgrims is provided on the transit camps set up on Sagar Island.
villagers observe gajan rituals on the eve of charak sankranti festival with fire and pirced iron rods in body.
charak sankranti is a traditional bengali festival celebrated mainly in the rural areas. a festival dedicated strictly to penance, charak stands unique in the scenario of bengali festivals.
Bibikhana Pitha. From Bikrampur in Bangladesh. A divine pudding of rice, milk and jaggery. Smells of the earth, redolent of the new harvest. Bliss !!!
Seen in Joydev-Kenduli, a small village on the river Ajoy, West Bengal, on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.
Makar Sankranti is one of the few ancient Indian festivals that has been observed according to solar cycles, marks the first day of sun's transit into the Makara (Capricorn) from Sagittarius (January 14/15), marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.
Thousands of Hindu devotees from all over India gather at the holy city, Varanasi, take a holy dip in the most sacred river, Ganges with thanksgiving to the sun for their successes and prosperity. The bathing is believed to result in merit or absolution of past sins.
They also perform rituals and prayer (puja and prasada offerings) at the river bank in remembrance of their departed family members and they also seek blessings for their departed souls!
Varanasi is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and probably the oldest in India. The culture of Varanasi is closely associated with the River Ganges and the river's religious importance. The city has been a cultural and religious centre in North India for several thousand years.
Images of India
Makar Sankranti is one of the few ancient Indian festivals that has been observed according to solar cycles, marks the first day of sun's transit into the Makara (Capricorn) from Sagittarius (January 14/15), marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.
Thousands of Hindu devotees from all over India gather at the holy city, Varanasi, take a holy dip in the most sacred river, Ganges with thanksgiving to the sun for their successes and prosperity. The bathing is believed to result in merit or absolution of past sins.
They also perform rituals and prayer (puja and prasada offerings) at the river bank in remembrance of their departed family members and they also seek blessings for their departed souls!
Varanasi is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and probably the oldest in India. The culture of Varanasi is closely associated with the River Ganges and the river's religious importance. The city has been a cultural and religious centre in North India for several thousand years.
Images of India
I couldn't miss their moods......
Kalighat ‘Sang’- my experience:
On the last day of Bengali month of Choitro (Choitro Sankranti) the followers of Lord Shiva set their age old procession from the Kali Temple. They make-up and mimic the different mythological characters related to Lord Shiva like- Parvati (his wife), and his sons, Kartika and Ganesha, and daughters Lakhsmi and Saraswati. People also make-up of other characters and saints, very famous in the history of Bengal. Since morning, with great enthusiasm, they start to dress-up and then start their procession through the major streets of south Kolkata on foot and sometimes in well decorated horse carriages. They are called ‘Sangs’.
Being a resident of south Kolkata, I had the opportunity this year to go to the make-up room in Kali temple premises and have some photographs, and also to see their processions. Here I would like to share a glimpse of my experiences. Hope you will like them and appreciate the colors and vibrations of Kolkata, the reason why its called the ‘City of Joy’.
Narada :
Narada is a Vedic sage, famous in Hindu traditions as a traveling musician and storyteller, who carries news and enlightening wisdom. He appears in a number of Hindu texts, notably the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, as well as in the mythologies of the Puranas.
Kalighat and Kali Temple:
Kalighat is a locality of south Kolkata, India. Being one of the oldest neighbourhoods in South Kolkata, Kalighat is also densely populated and vibrant—with a rich history of cultural intermingling with the various foreign incursions into the area over time. A famous temple, the Kalighat Kali Temple dedicated to the goddess Kali, is situated in Kalighat. It is believed by some scholars that the name Calcutta was derived from Kalighata. In the early days traders halted at Kalighat to pay patronage to the goddess. The temple was initially on the banks of Hooghly. The river over a period of time has moved away from the temple. The temple is now on the banks of a small canal called Adi Ganga, connecting to Hooghly.
Lord Shiva and Gajan:
Lord Shiva's temple is situated in the north-east to the sanctum sanctorum in the temple area. Gajan is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is associated with such deities as Shiva. Gajan spans around a week, starting at the last week of the last Bengali month of Choitro, and continuing till the end of the bengali year. It ends with Charak Puja. Participants of this festival is known as Gajan Sannyasi or Bhokta. Persons of any gender can be a participant. The central theme of this festival is deriving satisfaction through pain, devotion and sacrifice.The word gajan is considered a combination of parts of two words - ga is from the word gram meaning village and jan is from the word janasadharan meaning folk. In this sense gajan is a village folk though it is also celebrated in the cities. Kolkata is no exception.
Makar Sankranti is one of the few ancient Indian festivals that has been observed according to solar cycles, marks the first day of sun's transit into the Makara (Capricorn) from Sagittarius (January 14/15), marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.
Thousands of Hindu devotees from all over Bengal gather at Jaydev Kenduli, take a holy dip in the Ajay river with thanksgiving to the sun for their successes and prosperity. The bathing is believed to result in merit or absolution of past sins. The devotees also perform rituals and prayer (puja and prasada offerings) at the river bank in remembrance of their departed family members and they also seek blessings for their departed souls!
Kenduli Mela
On the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti, one of biggest and 800 years old religious fair of West Bengal is coordinated to remember poet Jayadeva. Several thousand bauls, a community of wandering minstrels who sing devotional songs, assemble for the fair and as such it is also referred to as Baul Mela (Fair). The bauls stay in 160 temporary hermitages at Jaydev Kenduli for around a month. However, in recent years, the greatest baul fair in the state is gradually losing its character, as the bauls have been outnumbered by kirtanias, who perform kirtan (devotional singing) in the mela to gain popularity. Around 2,000 kirtanias come to attend the mela annually.
Jaydev Kenduli is a village at the bank of the Ajay river in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is believed by many to be the birthplace of poet Jayadeva Goswami (born c. 1170 AD), who had composed Gita Govinda in Sanskrit. Maharani Brajakishori of Bardhaman had set up the Radhabinod temple at Jaydev Kenduli in 1683, where the house of the poet Jayadeva, was believed locally to have stood. Subsequently, many ashramas (hermitages) were set up and Jaydev Kenduli developed as a religious centre.
Images of Bengal, India
The flower seller girl at the ghat
Makar Sankranti is one of the few ancient Indian festivals that has been observed according to solar cycles, marks the first day of sun's transit into the Makara (Capricorn) from Sagittarius (January 14/15), marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.
Thousands of Hindu devotees from all over India gather at the holy city, Varanasi, take a holy dip in the most sacred river, Ganges with thanksgiving to the sun for their successes and prosperity. The bathing is believed to result in merit or absolution of past sins.
They also perform rituals and prayer (puja and prasada offerings) at the river bank in remembrance of their departed family members and they also seek blessings for their departed souls!
Varanasi is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and probably the oldest in India. The culture of Varanasi is closely associated with the River Ganges and the river's religious importance. The city has been a cultural and religious centre in North India for several thousand years.
Images of India
"surya pranam" means pray to Sun-God.. a man praying to lord Surya during the Holy bath in "makar sankranti"
Ganga sagar mela, West Bengal
Shot it at Gangasagar fair,Gangasagar Mela is the largest fair celebrated in West Bengal. This fair is held where the Ganga and the Bay of Bengal form a nexus. Hence the name Gangasagar Mela. The river Ganga which originates in the Gangotri glacier in the snow clad Himalayas, descends down the mountains, reaches the plains at Haridwar, flows through ancient pilgrimage sites such as Benares and Prayag, and drains into the Bay of Bengal. Sagar Island, at the mouth of the river Hooghly in Bengal where the Ganga breaks up into hundreds of streams, and drains into the sea, is honored as a pilgrimage site.
A dip in the ocean, where the Ganga drains into the sea is considered to be of great religious significance particularly on the Makara Sankranti day when the sun makes a transition to Capricorn from Sagittarius and this town becomes home to vast fairs, drawing visitors and recluses from all over the state. There is a common belief among the locals that the girls who take the holy dip get handsome grooms and the boys get beautiful brides. When they are done with the ritual obligations, they head towards the Kapilmuni Temple situated nearby, to worship the deity as a mark of respect.
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Gangasagar Fair is a pilgrim where thousands of people take Holy Dip during Makar Sankranti, usually falls on 14 or 15th January every year. Gangasagar pilgrimage and fair is the second largest congregation of mankind after the holy Kumbha Mela. Gangasagar fair and pilgrimage is held annually on the Sagar Island’s southern tip in the Ganges delta atop the Bay of Bengal.
Sagar Island is an island in the Ganges delta, lying on the continental shelf of Bay of Bengal about 100 km (54 nautical miles) south of Kolkata. It belongs to the Republic of India and is governed by the State government of West Bengal. The island is large — with an area of 224.3 km.
A holy man, Kardam Muni, made a pact with Vishnu that he would undergo the rigours of marital life, on the condition that Vishnu would incarnate as his son. In due time Kapil Muni was born as an incarnation of Vishnu and became a great saint. Kapil Muni’s ashram was located on the island. One day King Sagar's sacrificial horse disappeared; it had been stolen by Indra.
The king sent his 60,000 sons to find it, and they found it next to Kapil Muni's ashram, where Indra had hidden it. Mistaking Kapil Muni for the thief, the sons accused Kapil Muni, who in his wrath at the false accusation burned the sons to ash and sent their souls to Hell. Later having compassion for the King Sagar's sons, Kapil Muni acceded to the prayers of King Sagar's descendants, agreeing to the restoration of the sons, if Parvati in the form of the river goddess Ganga would descend to Earth to perform the burial ritual of mixing the ashes with holy water (niravapanjali).
Through deep meditation, King Bhagiratha induced Shiva to order Ganga down from heaven and the 60,000 sons were freed (moksha) and ascended to Heaven, but the river Ganges stayed on the Earth. The date of the descent of Ganga was 14 January which coincides with Makar Sankranti.
Bathing on the early morning of Makar Sankranti is considered a sacret act which brings good fortune, good health to the person and also dispels his sins.
Gangasagar mela, West Bengal
It was a cold winter morning........at Gangasagar (Bay of Bengal) on the Makara Sankranti day
Gangasagar pilgrimage and fair, held annually, is the second largest congregation of mankind (more than 0.8 million this year) after the holy Kumbha Mela. Gangasagar finds mention in sacred texts and ancient scriptures of Hindu mythology including the two great Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
The river Ganga (Ganges) which originates in the Gangotri glacier in the snow clad high Himalayas, descends down the mountains, reaches the plains, flows through ancient pilgrimage sites, and drains into the Bay of Bengal. A dip in the ocean, where the Ganga meets the sea is considered to be of great religious significance particularly on the Makara Sankranti day (January 14/15), when the sun makes a transition to Capricorn from Sagittarius. Almost a million of Hindu devotees from all over India gather at Gangasagar for a holy dip and perform rituals and prayer (puja) with a belief that it will cleanse and purify their souls.
Images of Bengal, India