Lucknow celebrates harvest festivals with unique traditions
Festivities united diverse communities in the city for Makar Sankranti, celebrating with rituals, food, and kite flying, showcasing cultural richness.
It was a day of festivities for people from different communities in the city on Tuesday. Their rituals and ways of celebration were diverse, but they were united by the spirit of celebrating the new harvest.
While city residents relished khichdi, made donations, and enjoyed kite flying throughout the day, ISKCON distributed khichdi as prasad to over 1 lakh devotees, and a kavi sammelan was organised by the Lete Hue Hanumanji Temple to mark the occasion.
The Odia community celebrated Makar Sankranti by offering khichdi to Lord Jagannath. “Several delicacies like kheer and pitha (steamed suji or rice balls stuffed with coconut and jaggery) are also prepared at home. We also fly kites to mark the festival,” said DR Sahu, president of the Odia Samaj.
Makar Sankranti holds special significance for married Maharashtrian women, who dressed in green sarees and performed the ritual of Haldi Kumkum, exchanging black sesame seeds, gulal, and haldi-kumkum. “We also exchange til-gud ladoos while saying, ‘Til Gud ghya ani god god bola’ (Have sesame and jaggery and spread sweetness among all), and puran poli is prepared as part of the celebration,” said Shobha Patil.
Members of the Malayali community gathered at the Lord Ayyappa Temple to participate in the ‘Makara Jyothi Puja Mahotsavam,’ which lasted from dawn to dusk. “People performed rituals, sang bhajans, and later took part in a yatra from Mukteshwar to the Lord Ayyappa Temple, as Lord Ayyappa is considered the son of Shiva,” informed Omana Kuttan, general secretary of the Ayyappa Temple.
{{/usCountry}}Members of the Malayali community gathered at the Lord Ayyappa Temple to participate in the ‘Makara Jyothi Puja Mahotsavam,’ which lasted from dawn to dusk. “People performed rituals, sang bhajans, and later took part in a yatra from Mukteshwar to the Lord Ayyappa Temple, as Lord Ayyappa is considered the son of Shiva,” informed Omana Kuttan, general secretary of the Ayyappa Temple.
{{/usCountry}}Bengalis in the city celebrated ‘Paush Parbo’ by preparing delicacies featuring dates, such as khajur ka gud, khajur rasgulla, pithe puli (a sweet dish made of sweet potato), and khajur payesh (kheer made of dates and rice), shared Arun Banerjee, president of the Bengali Club.
{{/usCountry}}Bengalis in the city celebrated ‘Paush Parbo’ by preparing delicacies featuring dates, such as khajur ka gud, khajur rasgulla, pithe puli (a sweet dish made of sweet potato), and khajur payesh (kheer made of dates and rice), shared Arun Banerjee, president of the Bengali Club.
{{/usCountry}}The people of Uttarakhand celebrated the Kaag or Ghughutiya festival, saying, “Kaale Kawwe kha ja, Ghughutiya mala kha ja” (Crows, eat this garland). It is believed that crows bless people with good health and wealth on this day, explained RS Kanwal. The Parvatiya Mahaparishad organised a yatra from Mahanagar Ramlila Ground to the Gomti Riverbanks, where a ten-day Uttarayani Kauthig festival also began.
{{/usCountry}}The people of Uttarakhand celebrated the Kaag or Ghughutiya festival, saying, “Kaale Kawwe kha ja, Ghughutiya mala kha ja” (Crows, eat this garland). It is believed that crows bless people with good health and wealth on this day, explained RS Kanwal. The Parvatiya Mahaparishad organised a yatra from Mahanagar Ramlila Ground to the Gomti Riverbanks, where a ten-day Uttarayani Kauthig festival also began.
{{/usCountry}}The Assamese community celebrated Bihu with a traditional feast that included bamboo shoots cooked with rice, fermented bamboo, black gram, and bhoot jholokia pickle. Sticky rice, prepared from the new harvest, was an essential part of the meal.
The Sikh community celebrated Lohri by placing grains such as corn and gram into the bonfire, along with peanuts, gud, til, and revdi, while singing Dulha Bhatti songs on Monday.
