Makar Sankranti 2023: Why it’s known as 'Festival of Donation' and what you can give away

Dedicated to the sun god, Makar Sankranti is observed in January every year. Marking the transit of the sun into the Capricorn zodiac, the day marks the beginning of Uttarayana, which is a six-month auspicious period. As per the Vedas, Sankranti marks the movement of the Sun from one Rashi (constellation of the zodiac) to another. Apart from taking a dip in the Holy River Ganges, doing charity, and helping the needy and poor are one of the crucial aspects of this festival. Donating to the poor and needy holds great importance. On this day, Hindus donate various items to underprivileged people. For Hindus, donating is a crucial part of one’s religious duty (Dharma), and each person has the responsibility to perform dharma toward society. Despite the fact that we can donate at any time of the year, it is believed that doing charity on this day is considered to be much more fruitful.

Let’s take a look at some of the main items which are donated on Makar Sankranti and the reason behind the same:

Annadana or food donation

As per Hinduism, sharing food with others is considered to be part of one’s religious duty. Therefore, eating and sharing Khichdi—basically, a dish made out of rice and lentils is considered auspicious. But if you want to donate raw khichdi, then you can simply give urad dal, rice, turmeric, salt, and desi ghee. Urad is considered a symbol of Shani and hence, its donation is said to remove Shani dosha. Rice is believed to be a renewable grain and if you donate it, you will get a hundred times its worth.

Sesame seeds

Donation of sesame or til is of great importance. Sesame seeds are related to Shani Dev and therefore donating the same is believed to Shani Dosha. It is said that Shani Dev only used black sesame seeds to please the angry Sun god.

Metal Utensils

As per the Vastu Shastra, donating steel items is considered very auspicious on Makar Sankranti. Any steel utensil that is meant for donating is tied with a sacred thread called moli. In addition, vermilion and turmeric are applied on the utensil, which is filled with sesame seeds and jaggery. Before distributing them among the poor, some money is also placed inside the utensil.

Black things

Black things like black blankets, clothes, or any other black item should be donated to the needy. By doing this, people believe that their Shani dosha gets over. In addition, this act is said to make the effects of Rahu stay away from your life. But you must always keep in mind that old items should not be given away.

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