Shilpa Shetty enjoys Tilgul, wishes Happy Makar Sankranti and Pongal with adorable video: Watch

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Actor and fitness enthusiast Shilpa Shetty Kundra has a special wish for her fans today, on the occasion of Makar Sankranti and Pongal. The star took to Instagram on January 14 to post an adorable video of herself extending her warm wishes to her followers and asking them to speak sweetly like the sweet dishes of the festival.

Shilpa, who is married to Raj Kundra, posted the video with the caption, “May the harvest festival reap you all the love, blessings, and happiness that you deserve. Happy Makar Sankranti and Happy Pongal to everyone.” It shows the star with on-point make-up, wearing a hot pink ensemble featuring a front knot and cut-out details.

The video begins with Shilpa looking away from the camera. Then, she turns to excitedly wish everyone watching and offer them Tilgul - a sweet dish made from sesame seeds and jaggery during Makar Sankranti celebrations. The star can be seen holding a plateful of Tilgul in the video. She says, “Happy Makar Sankranti. Tilgul ghya god god bola.” Loosely translated, the line means have this sweet (Tilgul) and speak sweetly, leaving all grudges and bitterness of the past.

Watch the video:

ALSO READ | Makar Sankranti 2022: Date, puja time, history, significance, celebrations

Makar Sankranti is being celebrated today, January 14, all over the country. It is one of the most auspicious Hindu festivals, known by different names in different regions. However, the spirit of the festival remains the same.

Makar Sankranti is dedicated to Lord Surya (Sun God) and marks the sun’s transit into Makara (Capricorn) raashi (zodiac sign). It marks the beginning of the harvest season when people worship new crops and share them with delight.

On the other hand, Pongal is a four-day-long festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu and dedicate to the Sun God. It usually falls in January when crops like rice, turmeric, and sugarcane, are harvested. This year, Pongal will be celebrated from January 14 to January 17.

How are you celebrating Makar Sankranti today?

Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal and Bhogali Bihu: India’s winter harvest festival with many names

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The festival is celebrated to mark the beginning of the harvesting season in the country and is probably the only one that is celebrated in every region of India, on the same day, but in different manners and names

India is popularly known as the land of festivals and 14 January is especially festive as different parts of the country celebrate the harvest festival by different names.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday greeted people on the occasion of these festivals associated with the harvest and sun’s northward journey, being celebrated in different parts of the country.

We take a look at the various festivals that India is celebrating today and the significance of a harvest festival.

Harvest festivals

A Harvest festival is a celebration of the food grown on the land. Given the difference in climate and crops around the world, harvest festivals can be found at various times at different places.

In Britain, harvest festivals have been celebrated since pagan times. Harvest festivals are held in September or October depending on local tradition.

Harvest festivals in Asia include the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the most widely spread harvest festivals in the world.

In Iran, Mehrgan was celebrated in an extravagant style at Persepolis.

Jews celebrate the week-long harvest festival of Sukkot in the autumn.

In India, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Uttarayana, Lohri, and Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu are celebrated in January, while Vaisakhi is marked in April and Onam is celebrated in August–September.

Lohri celebrated in Punjab and northern parts of India

Observed by both Hindus and Sikhs in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Lohri traditionally marks the last of winter’s coldest days, and is therefore a festive welcome of longer ones.

It marks the onset of harvest season.

Places like Ludhiana, Amritsar, Delhi, Chandigarh also celebrate this vibrant occasion with much enthusiasm and vigour. To beat the chills of winter, families gather around a bonfire, sing together, and have fun in the evening.

Makhana, gajjak and rewri are offered to the fire and are also enjoyed by people as the main prasad of the festival.

Some believe the word Lohri derives from ’loh’ which is a large iron girdle where chapatis and rotis are made. Lohri, hence, honors the grain from which these breads are made.

Others believe Lohri is commemorated for Dulla Bhatti, who was known as a Robin Hood figure during the time of the Mughal empire, as he stole from the rich and gave to the poor.

Makar Sankranti

Referring to the Sanskrit term sankramana, which means “to begin to move,” Makar Sankranti is a solar holiday denoting the northward transition of the sun into Makar (Capricorn) on its celestial path.

It is the oldest and the most colourful harvest festival in India. It is also the most celebrated harvest festival of North India.

Observers customarily fly kites, as a metaphor of one soaring and leaping through life.

Pongal in Tamil Nadu

Pongal is another name for Makar Sankranti and is celebrated in Tamil Nadu.

In Tamil, pongal translates to “spilling over”, and so the festival derives its name from the tradition of boiling rice in a pot until it starts to overflow.

Pongal also happens to be the name of a dish consumed during this festive time, which is sweetened rice boiled with lentils. Celebrations, therefore, often include boiling the first rice of the season with milk and jaggery (a cane sugar).

Pongal is a four-day festival with the first day being devoted to Lord Indra for an abundance of rain. On the second day, newly harvested rice and milk are cooked outdoor and offered to Sun God.

The third day is for cattle worship and on the fourth day, Pongal or traditional coloured rice is offered with turmeric, betel leaf, and betel nuts.

Bhogali Bihu in Assam

The entire state of Assam showcases enthusiasm and delight in celebrating Bhogali Bihu.

The celebration starts one night before with Uruka — the community feast.

On the day of Bihu, the mejis or pavilion made of clay and hay are burnt. Local women wear stunning mekhlas and participate in group songs and dance.

Also known as Magh Bihu, this is a vibrant festival marked in the east.

With inputs from agencies

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pongal: President Kovind greets citizen on occasion of Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Uttarayan

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Greetings to all on Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Bhogali Bihu, Uttarayan & Paush Parva. Highlighting the unity i… https://t.co/70sUJjFmI8 — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) 1642043106000

NEW DELHI: President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday greeted citizens of the country on the occasion of Lohri Uttarayan and Paush Parva Highlighting the unity in diversity that defines our country, the President said that these festivals underline the organic relationship with nature.“Greetings to all on Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Bhogali Bihu, Uttarayan & Paush Parva. Highlighting the unity in diversity that defines our country, these festivals underline our organic relationship with nature. May the festivals bring prosperity and happiness to everyone,” the Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted today.The festivals of Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Bhogali Bihu, Uttarayan and Paush Parva, mark the harvesting season of crops as the winter season ends and ushers in the spring.

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Makar Sankranti 2022: Akshay Kumar prays for ’new hope and joy’ in everyone’s lives. (Photo: Akshay Kumar, Esha Deol/Instagram)

Makar Sankranti is being celebrated in India on January 14 and 15. The harvest festival is celebrated across India that marks the end of winter and the beginning of longer days as the sun moves northward. It is celebrated as Pongal, Uttaryan, Maghi, Lohri and Khichdi.

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Many celebs took to social media to share their best wishes on the festival. Superstar Rajinikanth wished all on New Year while Akshay Kumar shared a photo where he was flying a kite.

Rajinikanth took to Twitter to post in Tamil, “அனைவருக்கும் என்னுடைய இனிய புத்தாண்டு நல்வாழ்த்துகள் (Happy New Year to everyone.)

Sharing a picture of himself as he enjoys kite flying, Akshay Kumar posted, ““मीठे गुड़ में मिल गए तिल… उड़ी पतंग और खिल गए दिल” May #MakarSankranti bring new hope and joy in your lives. Bas vishwas ki dor pakad ke rakhna.”

Hema Malini shared a photo as she cooked pongal. “Celebrated Pongal with the family today. Here I am making the pongal at home,” she captioned her photos from the kitchen.

Sharing a video of herself cooking in the kitchen, Esha Deol posted, “As the country celebrates the harvest festivals of Sakranti, Pongal, Bihu and Uttarayan . I always make pongal at home for my family ( a tradition I learnt from my grandmother) sweet pongal is a favourite with my kids & we all love screaming together “ polgalo pongal “ as it’s being cooked . Sending warm wishes to you and your loved ones. ♥️🧿 stay blessed.#pongal #pongalopongal #happypongal #happymakarsankranti #happybihu #happyuttarayan.”

Jr NTR shasred via Twitter, “మీకు మీ కుటుంబ సభ్యులకు భోగి, సంక్రాంతి, కనుమ శుభాకాంక్షలు. Wishing you all a very Happy Sankranthi.

A recent post on film RRR’s official Twitter handle read, “Wishing everyone a very #HappyPongal, #Bhogi, #Lohri, #MakarSankranti See you soon in cinemas.”

Preity Zinta Twitter recently, “May everyone be blessed with happiness & lots of prosperity this harvest season. Wishing everyone a very Happy #MakarSankranti #Uttarayan #Lohri #Pongal #Bihu.”

Makar Sankranti 2022 | See all wishes by the stars on the festival:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Esha Deol Takhtani (@imeshadeol)

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shilpa Shetty Kundra (@theshilpashetty)

Happy Makar Sankranti!

India Gets Back 10th Century Idol Found In England On Makar Sankranti

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The Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Gaitri Issar Kumar, took formal charge of the sculpture.

An ancient Indian idol dating back to the 10th century, which was illegally removed from a village temple in Uttar Pradesh over 40 years ago and discovered in a garden in England, was restored to India on the occasion of Makar Sankranti on Friday.

The Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Gaitri Issar Kumar, took formal charge of the sculpture at the High Commission of India in London from Chris Marinello of Art Recovery International, the organisation which helped repatriate the idol.

The sculpture, which is part of a Yogini set from Lokhari Temple in Banda district of Bundelkhand, will now be dispatched to the Archaeological Survey of India in New Delhi.

“It is very auspicious to be receiving this Yogini on Makar Sankranti,” Kumar said, at a handover ceremony here at India House.

“The process of repatriation was completed in record time after the High Commission was made aware of its existence in October 2021. This will now be sent to the ASI and we assume they will hand it over to the National Museum,” she said.

Ms Kumar recalled the “happy coincidence” during her diplomatic tenure in Paris that another ancient sculpture of a buffalo-headed Vrishanana Yogini, apparently stolen from the same temple at Lokhari, had been recovered and repatriated to India.

In September 2013, it was installed at the National Museum in New Delhi, the likely destination of the goat-headed Yogini.

Yoginis are a group of powerful female divinities associated with the Tantric mode of worship.

They are worshipped as a group, often 64, and are believed to possess infinite powers.

The goat-headed Yogini went missing from Lokhari in the 1980s and had briefly surfaced in the art market in London in 1988.

Jaspreet Singh Sukhija, First Secretary - Trade and Economic at the Indian High Commission in London, has been working on the restitution of the sculpture, securing relevant paperwork and also ensuring anonymity for the elderly female owner of the private garden from where it was discovered.

“She was selling the home and the contents, which included some very valuable antiques. As part of the due diligence process, we were contacted to research and investigate this artwork found in her garden. She had purchased the house over 15 years ago and this was present in her garden,” said Mr Marinello.

Mr Marinello contacted Vijay Kumar, Co-Founder of the India Pride Project - an organisation that works on restoring India’s lost artefacts - and he identified the sculpture.

“I negotiated an unconditional release with the possessor, who was very cooperative. It was in my home office in London for a short period of time, and Vijay promised that she would watch over me during this process,” Mr Marinello recalled.

The lawyer, who has restored many such rare stolen or missing artefacts back to their original homes, is currently working on the restitution of a Buddha idol found in Italy.

He is following up with the Indian Consulate in Milan to organise the repatriation.