Makar Sankranti - Goddess Sankranti Story

Makar Sankranti 

Makar Sankranti is a famous Indian festival celebrated across India in various forms with great dedication, fun and devotion. It is highly regarded by the Hindus all over India. This is the only Hindu festival in India that is celebrated on exactly the 14^th or 15th January every year.

The word Makar means Capricorn, and Sankranti indicates transition or movement. 

In astronomical terms, it is Uttarayan or the northward movement of the sun towards the tropic of Capricorn from the tropic of Cancer.

In the Devi Purana and some other scriptures, Goddess Sankranti is the divine personification of the Sun's transit (Sankranti) between zodiac signs. She is most famously worshipped during Makar Sankranti, which marks the Sun's entry into Capricorn.

Goddess Sankranti 

Goddess Sankranti

Goddess Sankranti is an avatar of Devi Parvati, who is celebrated for slaying two demons, Sankarasura and Kinkarasura, who tried to kill the Kritikas, the foster mothers of her son Kartikeya.

There was a demon Tarakasura, who became invincible by the boon granted by Lord Brahma that he could only be killed by a child of Lord Shiva.

After the self-immolation of Goddess Sati, Lord Shiva became an ascetic, but Devi Parvati’s true love and devotion transformed him, and both got married. But Goddess Parvati could not conceive a child due to Devi Rati’s curse, so both Lord Shiva and Parvati sought another way of having a son.

Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati combined their energies, and their subsequent union and combined energies produced an intensely hot, fiery seed.

The demon king Tarakasura was aware of this happening, so the devtas were afraid that he might try to harm the super seed produced by the combined power of Shiva-Shakti.

The gods asked Agni, the god of fire, to carry it, but even he found it unbearable.

Agni then handed the seed to the river goddess Ganga, who carried it to a lake in a forest of reeds (known as Saravana). But even the Goddess was unable to bear the heat of the super seed, and it slipped away from her hands into the lake, where it got dispersed into six parts, six babies on lotus flowers. Each part transformed into a baby boy and was found and adopted by the Kritikas, who are the six celestial nymphs - Pleiades star cluster. The six Kritikas - Śiva, Sambhūti, Prīti, Sannati, Anasūya and Kṣamā raised the babies as their sons.

The demon king Tarakasura sent two demons, Sankrasaur and Kinkrasaur, to kill the Kritikas.

Sankrasura and Kinkarasura had a boon from God Varuna (God of water) that nobody can kill them in or under water. And as per the instructions of Asur Mata Diti, both asuras decided to kill the six babies in water.

Goddess Sankranti killed demons Sankrasaur and Kinkrassaur

Watching this, Goddess Parvati got tensed and furious. To kill both the demons, Goddess Parvati manifested herself as Devi Sankranti riding a crocodile and with her divine powers, lifted Sankrasura and Kinkarasura from the water and killed both. 

Later, Goddess Parvati unified the six babies into one and named him Kartikeya, honouring the Kritikas and their love towards her son. 

Goddess Parvati with son kartikeya

Goddess Sankranti killed Sankrasaur on the day of Makar Sankranti and Kinkrasaur the next day, hence it is called   Kinkranti or Karidin.

This victory of the goddess over the demons is celebrated as the festival of Makar Sankranti, symbolising the triumph of good over evil and the end of negativity.

In some holy texts, Goddess Sankranti is described with specific physical attributes like "extended over sixty yojana with long lips and nose, with one head and nine hands has a manly figure" and her vehicle, age, and ornaments vary each year according to the specific astrological alignment. She arrives and departs from a certain direction. It is believed that Goddess Sankranti bestows prosperity from the direction she arrives and from where she departs; that direction experiences destruction.

Goddess Sankranti presents the active energy (Shakti) of the Sun's transition.

In Maharashtra, women worship the Goddess Sankranti in the form of a clay pot (Sugada).

How to celebrate Makar Sankranti

Goddess Sankranti Puja

Makara Sankranti is regarded as important for spiritual practices, and accordingly, people take a holy dip in rivers, especially Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri. The bathing is believed to result in merit or absolution of past sins.

Devotees worship Maa Durga or Lakshmi alongside the Sun God and Devi Sankranti to seek protection and prosperity.

The Devi Purana emphasises that bathing in holy rivers and performing charity (daana) during this window is spiritually transformative, as the goddess's energy is particularly potent for removing obstacles.

Traditional offerings include sesame (til) and jaggery, which are believed to symbolise the sweetness of speech and the merging of the individual soul with the divine.

Donations made during Sankranti are believed to be perpetually received in subsequent births.

 Makar Sankranti is highly conducive for Sadhana – the spiritual practice or meditation, as the environment is filled with ‘Chaitanya,’ meaning ‘cosmic intelligence.’

Makar Sankranti Mantra -

The Devi Purana and related Shakta texts like the Devi Mahatmyam (often read during this transition) prescribe powerful mantras to invoke protection and prosperity:

Sankranti Devi Mantra: 

This is recited while offering water to the rising sun, acknowledging the goddess's role in the solar transit:

“Ehi Surya Sahastransho Tejorashe Jagatpate | Anukampaya Maam Devi Grihanaarghyam Divakara ||”

Auspiciousness Mantra: 

To bring peace and prosperity during the transition:

“Sarva Mangala Mangalye Shive Sarvartha Sadhake | Sharanye Tryambake Gauri Narayani Namostute ||”

Removal of Obstacles mantra: 

“Om Sarva Badha Prashamanam Trailokya Syakhileshvari | Evameva Tvaya Karyam Asmad Vairi Vinashanam ||”

The significance of Makar Sankranti lies in the gratitude we should have for nature's bounty (harvest), and celebrating unity in diversity, kindness, renewal, and the importance of inner purity by understanding the sun's northward journey (Uttarayan) as a symbol of new beginnings, spiritual growth, and community harmony. This day also teaches us to give up negativity ("Tilgul ghya, god god bola" – eat sweets, speak sweetly) and embrace positivity, much like the sesame seeds that are white inside but black outside, reminding us to be pure internally.

 

FAQ Section

1. Is Sankranti a goddess?

Sankranti Devi is a powerful manifestation of Goddess Parvati, who killed demons Sankrasaur and Kinkrasaur to save the seven celestial mothers of her son Kartikeya.

2. What is the spiritual meaning of Sankranti?

It symbolises renewal, light overcoming darkness, and a shift toward spiritual growth.

3. Why is Makar Sankranti important?

It marks the Sun’s movement into Capricorn and the beginning of Uttarayan, considered highly auspicious.

4. How is Sankranti celebrated?

Through prayers, charity, harvest rituals, and offerings to the Sun God.