By HARIPADA GIRI | SECRETARY
Dear Donor/ supporter!
BARNAMALA EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL SOCIETY, our staff and our community wish you “ HAPPY MAKAR SANKRANTI ”. A festival of thanks giving in West Bengal.
About “MAKAR SANKRANTI”
According to tradition, the festival marks the end of winter season and the start of the sun's six-month-long journey northwards when the sun enters the zodiac Makara (Capricorn). The festival is named after the ceremonial "Makar Sankranti", which means "to boil, overflow" and refers to the traditional dish prepared from the new harvest of rice boiled in milk with jaggery (raw sugar). To mark the festival, the makar sweet dish is prepared, first offered to the gods and goddesses (goddess Ma Ganga), followed sometimes with an offering to cows, and then shared by the family. Festive celebrations include decorating cows and their horns, ritual bathing and processions. It is traditionally an occasion for decorating rice-powder based Kolam artworks, offering prayers in the home, temples, getting together with family and friends, and exchanging gifts to renew social bonds of solidarity.
Makar is one of the most important festivals celebrated by Bengali people in West Bengal, Odissa, Asam, Tripura and several state in India. The festival's most significant practice is the preparation of the traditional "makar" dish. It utilizes freshly harvested rice, and is prepared by boiling it in milk and raw cane sugar (jaggery). Sometimes additional ingredients are added to the sweet dish, such as: Cardamom, raisins, Green gram and cashew nuts. Other ingredients include coconut and ghee.
BARNAMALA EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL SOCIETY thanking all our donors. Such donations are our strength and it is pushing our projects to success.
We would love to hear your feedback, comments & Suggestion on our program. Please reach out to us at becsindia@gmail.com
Many thanks again for your support!!
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