Maghe Sankranti today, public holiday

The Magh 1 (Jan 15) is called Makar (Maghe) Sankranti as the Sun enters Capricorn Zodiac from Sagittarius Zodiac. As Uttarayana starts from Magh 1, day and night become shorter. Bathing, chanting, penance, meditation, charity, etc. on the day Uttarayana begins are considered virtuous.

That’s why on this day Devghat, Trishuli, Kali Gandaki, Bagmati, Indrawati, Triveni, Ridi and other places are crowded with devotees who take Magh bath. A special fair is also held in these places today.

Likewise, the people in the Tarai districts mark this day as the festival of bath known as Nahan. Even the people of Terai, who do not have a bathing environment all year round, believe that bathing is mandatory today.

There is a religious belief that if you go to a shrine in the morning and take a bath and doffer sesame seeds, you will get the same virtue as donating gold. Prof. Dr. Devmani Bhattarai, a theologian, said that on Magh 1st in Dharmasindhu, people who do not eat ghee, chaku, sesame dishes, khichadi, don’t offer, don’t bathe in reservoirs, and don’t meditate will be ill for the rest of their lives.

It is considered best to do good deeds after Uttarayana. It is believed that a person who bathes, donates, fasts and meditates today will get merit and fulfill his wishes. On the day of Maghe Sankranti, it is customary to eat ghee, chaku, sesame dishes, yam, spinach, khichdi etc. As these dishes provide warmth in winter, hot dishes are eaten during festivals that fall during the cold season. Doctors of Ayurveda say that Tridosh will be destroyed by these foods.

There is also a tradition of cooking yams on the last day of Poush and eating them in Magh. It is also used as a proverb that says ‘Pushma Pake, Maghma Jake’. Nowadays, it is believed that by massaging the body with sesame oil, the contaminants will come out. Ayurveda classically believes that the pulse, nervous system and bones of the body can be kept strong and healthy by massaging sesame oil.

Death after Surya Uttarayana is considered best. Bhishma, who was on his deathbed in the Mahabharata war, had given up his body after Surya Uttarayana, as he had received the boon of willing death. These days, a fair is also held at Tilmadhav Narayansthan in Bhaktapur. Magha Mahatmya also has great importance in the month of Magh. According to the Magh Mahatmya of Skanda Purana, the dialogue between Kumar and Agastya of Kedarkhand, i.e. listening to and reciting the sequence of listening and reciting, starts from Paush Shukla Purnima. This sequence continues till Magh Shukla Purnima.

This year, Sri Swasthani Vrat Katha has started from Paush Shukla Purnima i.e. Poush 22 (Jan 6), according to the Nepal Panchang Adjudicatory Development Committee. Those who observe this fast take baths throughout the month of Magh according to the lunar month and worship Lord Mahadev daily at midday. That is why it is also called Maghsnan.

On the occasion of Maghe Sankranti, the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal and Poultry Development will also celebrate the National Agricultural Biodiversity Day from this year. It is said that on the Magh 1st, tubers such as yams, sakharkhanda (sweet potato), pidalu (corms), and yams are consumed, so this day is to be celebrated. On the occasion of Maghe Sankranti, the government has given a public holiday today.