Kichchu haisuvudu, Laksha Deepotsava mark Makara Sankranti

Mysuru: Makara Sankranti was celebrated in various parts of the Indian subcontinent yesterday which marked the shift of the Sun into ever-lengthening days. The festival is a seasonal observance as well as a religious celebration.

It is a solar event making it one of the few Hindu festivals which fall on the same date in local calendars every year: Jan. 14, with some exceptions when the festival is celebrated on Jan. 15 like it was celebrated yesterday.

Makara Sankranti is believed to be a time for peace and prosperity and the day is regarded as important for spiritual practices and accordingly people take a holy dip in rivers, especially Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery. The bathing is believed to wash away sins.

The festival is one of bonding where every member of society is asked to bury the hatchet with enemies and foes and live in peace. The festival marked the beginning of the Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh while in South India, in Kerala, one of the most austere and difficult pilgrimages of Sabarimala ended on this auspicious day. 

In Mysuru region, the festival was marked by people rushing to Shiva, Male Mahadeshwara and Ganesha temples in the morning and distribution of “Yellu-Bella” by women and children. At Siddalingapura, the festival was celebrated through the age-old tradition of ‘kichchu haisuvudu’ (jumping over the fire) carried out near Eshwara Temple on the Highway. As part of the ritual, caparisoned cattle and sheep are made to jump over the fire set to hay stacks. 

According to the people, the cows and oxen are made to leap through the fire as they believe the heat of fire will kill all the germs on their body. The belief is also that it will prevent the animals from falling prey to foot and mouth disease. 

The age-old tradition was started as there was no proper medicine to kill the germs on the body of cows and oxen. More than 75 pairs of cows, oxen and goats participated in the rituals yesterday. Such events were also held at Chamundipuram Circle, Bhoothaale Pitch, Paduvarahalli, Kurubarahalli, T.K. Layout and Kumbarakoppal. 

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangapatna, the Adhi Ranga of Tri-Ranga Darshanam, which has a great significance among Vaishnavas in South India, glowed with lakhs of earthen lamps lit to mark the Makara Sankranti Laksha Deepotsava last night. 

Two days before the festival, the temple authorities had erected barricades where space was provided for devotees to place earthen lamps on them to fulfil their vows (harake). Thousands of devotees had come to the temple to light the lamps and making hay when the sun shines were roadside vendors who sold clay lamps, oil and the wick. 

Festive atmosphere prevailed at Ayyappa Swamy Temple at the foot of Chamundi Hill where Laksha Deepotsava was held. The main attraction here was pedestal lamps of various sizes lit by the temple authorities and also lamps brought by hundreds of devotees.