Bonfires
The North Indian states of Punjab and Haryana celebrate Lohri along with Makar Sakranti. Huge bonfires are lit and people can be seen performing energetic dance forms like bhangra around them. It is indeed a heart-warming experience to sit around fire on the chilly night and savour the undying enthusiasm of the people.
Kite Flying
An inseparable part of the harvest festival is kite flying, a practice that draws international attention especially in the state of Gujarat. International Kite Festival called Uttarayan invited participants from all over the world. Markets in the states like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana buzz with kites in all shades, sizes and shapes.
Sacred Bathing
Fairs (locally called magh melas) at small and big scales are held at many holy cities along the banks of sacred rivers like Ganga and Yamuna. Haridwar in Uttarakhand and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh are two popular hosts of such huge carnivals. An important practice is to take bath in the holy waters which is believed to wash all sorrows and sins.
Delicacies
Like any other festival in India, Makar Sakranti too promises lip-smacking delicacies. In the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, where the festival is known as Pongal, rice cooked in milk and jaggery result in a scrumptious cuisine. A similar preparation called kheer can be enjoyed in the North. Sweets like gajjak, tilkut and bhugha prepared from sesame seeds are completely awesome in taste.
Bihu in Assam, Shishur Saenkraat in Kashmir and Makara Sankramana in Karnataka are some other names of the festival. Be in any part of India, the perpetual spirit of the festival will not fail to engage you completely.