On Kumbha Sankranti the Sun is in a transitory phase and moves from Makar Rashi (Capricorn) to Kumbha Rashi(Aquarius). Out of the twelve Sankranti that occur during a year Kumbha Sankranti is the eleventh. Many communities across India celebrate Kumbha Sankranti with religious fervour.
The auspicious time of the day is quite limited and varies every year because of the position of the sun. People celebrate the festival with great joy. In the West Bengal it is the beginning of Falgun maas and as per the Malayalam calendar the festival is known as Masi Masam. The devotees visit Holy cities of Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nasik to take a sacred bath in the Ganges and pray to the God for happiness and good fortune.
Significance of Kumbh Sankranti:
This occasion is closely related with the Kumbh Mela and the devotees attach much importance to bathing in the Ganges. It is said that the holy dip purifies one’s soul, cures ailments and helps to obtain the divine blessings of Goddess Ganga. A person’s journey towards salvation gets easier by worshiping Goddess Ganga.
Many devotees visit Haridwar and Allahabad and offer prayers on the bank of Ganges. Several devotees take a holy dip in the waters of Godavari, Yamuna, Narmada and the Shipra, which are also considered holy rivers. Feeding cows are also considered an auspicious practice on this day.
Hindus follow two calendars one is based on moon and the other on the sun. Kumbh Sankranti is according to the Hindu solar calendar that marks the transit of sun from Capricorn to Aquarius. As Aquarius is also called ‘Kumbh’ this transition is called Kumbh Sankranti and according to this eleven month of Hindu solar calendar also begins.
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