By our correspondent
Agartala, January 15, 2019: Makar Sankranti was celebrated with much pomp and fanfare across the state today. Women cleaned their houses and beautified their courtyard with decorative alpanas in the morning. Rice cakes were made and sweets and vegetable items were offered to God as part of the ritual.
Devotees took a holy dip in Howrah and other rivers as it is considered to be auspicious. People across the State were found to be in celebratory mood. Bengali and Tribal women got up early today and cleaned the surrounding of their houses and drew bright and extremely beautiful ‘alpana’ with rice paste in their house yards and floors . Womenfolk prepared different kinds of dishes delicious pithe, puli and Payesh etc. and worshiped the Sun God.
In the afternoon, people came out in groups singing religious songs and visited every house and prayed for peace and prosperity.
According to the Hindu religion the last day of Pous month is celebrated as Makar Sankranti and on this day Bhisma died in the war of Kurukshetra between the Pandavas and Kauravs. Notably, the term Sankranti means overpowering of one sign over another. Sankranti is based on solar calendar unlike other festivals that are based on lunar calendar.