Unlike most festivals, which follow the moon, Makara Saṅkrānti follows the Sun: it is the day the Sun enters the sidereal sign of Makara (Capricorn). For this reason its date hardly moves, falling on 14 or 15 January. It traditionally marks the start of uttarāyaṇa, the Sun's northward course, considered the bright and auspicious half of the year; in the Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma waits on his bed of arrows for uttarāyaṇa before leaving his body.
It is above all a harvest festival, a thanksgiving to the Sun, the earth and the cattle, with sesame and jaggery shared to keep relationships sweet.
