KATHMANDU, January 14: The Maghe Sankranti festival is being celebrated across the country today by several communities, including the Tharus and Magars. The day is called Maghe or Makar Sankranti as the sun transitions from the Sagittarius zodiac sign to Capricorn.
The day marks the beginning of Uttarayan, during which nights become shorter and days longer. Bathing, meditation, charity, and other spiritual activities on this day are believed to be highly meritorious. Devotees flock to sacred sites like Devghat, Trishuli, Kali Gandaki, Bagmati, Indrawati, Triveni, and Ridi for the holy Maghe Sankranti bath. These locations also host special fairs today.
For people in the Terai region, Maghe Sankranti is celebrated as a festival of bathing. It is considered mandatory to take a ritual bath on this day.Visiting sacred sites early in the morning for a holy dip and offering sesame seeds as charity is believed to bestow the same merit as donating gold. According to religious scholar Prof. Dr. Devmani Bhattarai, the scriptures mention that those who do not consume traditional delicacies like ghee, chaku (molasses), sesame seed preparations, or khichadi (rice and lentil dish) or fail to perform charitable acts or meditation on this day may face health issues throughout life.
After Uttarayan begins, it is considered an auspicious time for good deeds. Bathing, charity, fasting, and meditation on this day are believed to bring blessings and fulfill wishes. Traditional dishes such as ghee chaku, sesame seeds, yam, spinach, and khichadi are consumed as they provide warmth during winter. Ayurvedic experts claim these foods balance the three bodily humors (tridosha). There is also a practice of cooking yam on the last day of Poush (mid-January) and consuming it in Magh, as encapsulated in the saying, "Cooked in Poush, eaten in Magh."
Applying sesame oil to the body is believed to remove toxins, said Prof Dr Bhattarai. Ayurvedic principles suggest that sesame oil massage strengthens nerves, joints, and bones, promoting overall health.
Kumal community to mark Maghe Sankranti festival in Golaghat
The death of a person after the sun enters Uttarayan is considered auspicious. Bhishma, a character in the Mahabharata who had the boon of voluntary death, chose to relinquish his life after Uttarayan began.
Today, a fair is also held at Til Madhav Narayansthan in Bhaktapur.
The month of Magh is also significant for its connection to the Magh Mahatmya from the Skanda Purana. The recitation of the Swasthani Brata Katha, based on a conversation between Kumar and Agastya, begins on the full moon day of Poush and continues until the full moon of Magh. This year, the Swasthani Brata Katha commenced on Poush 29, as announced by the Nepal Panchang Nirnayak Vikas Samiti.
During the month of Magh, those observing the Swasthani vow bathe daily and perform midday worship of Lord Shiva, also referred to as Magh Snan.
On the occasion of Maghe Sankranti, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has announced the celebration of National Agricultural Biodiversity Day. The day highlights the consumption of root vegetables like yam, sweet potato, taro, and forest yams, which are culturally significant.
Tharu community celebrates New Year as Maghi Festival
The Tharu community celebrates Maghi as their New Year with great enthusiasm today. The festivities include ritual baths, charity, feasting, and merrymaking.
Maghi marks the Sun’s transition into Capricorn and is celebrated as the New Year by the Tharu community. The festival lasts for five days and is observed in various parts of the Terai region. Tharu people in the capital and other locations also celebrate the festival with special activities.
Early in the morning, they visit water bodies for ritual baths, perform prayers, and seek blessings from elders. In the evening, large logs are set ablaze as a bonfire, and families and guests gather around to share food and stories.
The community uses sesame in six different ways—bathing, applying sesame oil, offering water mixed with sesame to ancestors, using sesame in fire offerings, giving sesame as charity, and eating sesame preparations. This is believed to bring blessings and help ward off the cold.
On this day, the Tharu community also selects village chiefs democratically. Positions like Mahato (chief), Guruba (teacher), Pujari (priest), Dhami (shaman), Jhakri (healer), Chaukiyar (watchman), Kamaiya (bonded laborer), Hali (plowman), Gothalo (cowherd), and others are chosen for a year. If there is no consensus, elections are held. This agreement, known as Maghi Dewani, is binding for a year.
Unlike other occasions, the Tharu community does not consult auspicious timings for marriages, journeys, or relocations during Maghi, as the festival itself is deemed auspicious.
