Makara Sankranti Significance

• Sankranti means brilliance. Observing and contemplating that divine splendour on this day is Sankranti.
• Every month, the sun moves from one zodiac sign to other, that day is considered as Masa Sankranti. In a calender year, the first 6 months is regarded as Uttarayana and other 6 months is observed as Dakshinayana.
• Sankranti is being celebrated because the Sun leaves Dakshinayana, enters Uttarayana into Makara (The Capricorn) zodiac sign and stays there for a month and subsequently enters Kumba (the Aquarius) Meena (The Pisces), Mesha (The Aries), Vrishabha (The Tarus) and Mithuna (The Gemini) zodiac signs.
• After his moment in all these zodiac signs, he enters Karkatak (The cancer), which is regarded as Dakshinayana. He stays there for a month and subsequently enters Simha (The Leo), Kanya (The Virgo), Tula (The Libra) Vrishchika (The Scorpio), Dhanu (The Sagittarius) Zodiac signs.
• Legend as it, Dakshinayana is sleeping time for deities, and Uttarayana is waking up time.
• But the fact is, as per Vedas, all deities are rishis who always rejoice in eternal consciousness. All defeated the sleep (The Tamas). Both are preferred times for worship.
• Meditation happens in Dakshinayana. Buddha meditated during dakshinayana. People observe Chaturmasa diksha during Dakshinayana.
• Both Dakshinayana, during Kartika and Shravan Masams and Uttarayana (Shivaratri) glistens with the worship of Lord shiva, the lord of lords.