Question

Write a diary entry on sankranthi day what you did

Answer 1

Makar Sankranti, is celebrated across Indian States as Pongal, Uttarayan, Lohri, Bihu etc as a harvest season as the revered Sun moves from Southern Hemisphere to Northern Hemisphere. As the Indian society has moved from joint family systems to nuclear families, celebration of festivals too has become more and more solitary. Namma Devasthana, a people's initiative, gave me a chance to experience a festival in a community setting organised by the community itself.

Usually auspicious days, are in high demand in India - this time it was the naming ceremony of our cousin's new-born child. So after completing our prayers and offerings to the Sun we had the prasad as breakfast and hurried to the ceremonial lunch. The rock music loving duo who just got another baby boy, looked excited for long sleepless nights ahead. It was wonderful to see the newly titled great-grand-mothers and grand-parents bless the newly titled parents. I could get a few of those moments captured. After a heartening Kerala lunch, we rushed back home to prepare for our community festival together.

As it was the festival of the Sun - Surya Namaskar was planned - so I kept my Yoga mat.

There were quite a few people expected from the neighbourhood - so I kept some water bottles and ellu-bella (the sesame and jaggery mixture which I had offered in prayers earlier) for sharing with them.

Other thoughtful people brought mosquito repellents and mats for all.

A rangoli participation was on the cards, so I brought out some colours bought ages ago.

On arrival at the Balamuri Ganesha temple, we saw several ladies already draw the rangoli using the white alpana powder. Well I tried my hands at an already in progress mutli-layered multi-petal imaginary flower with dots in every petal and leaves around it. I drew a few leaves before I left to admire others who were proficient and novices like me. There were couples who were doing it together and at a distance were little girls. Freedom to express what they liked - sugarcane, a pot full of harvest, flowers etc - gave an immense sense of satisfaction who got their hands "clean"  in the white powder. For me it was extremely therapeutic and brought an immense sense of attachment to the leaves that I had drawn.