NEWS

Ministry of AYUSH hosted the first-ever global Surya Namaskar demonstration programme where about 10 million people participated

ABOUT MAKARA SANKRANTI

• Hindu feast day named after the Hindu god Surya (sun).
• Observed in accordance with the solar cycles.
• Usually held on January 14th, or a day before or after. In certain areas, celebrations might last up to four days and include a wide range of customs.
• It is the first day of the sun’s transit into Makara (Capricorn), signaling the end of the month with the winter solstice and the beginning of longer days.
• Paush, the unlucky period of the previous month, comes to an end.
• This is an opportunity to recognize the dedication of millions of our farmers and citizens across the country (it is celebrated as a harvest Festival)
• In Odisha, Maharashtra-Goa, Andhra-Telengana, Kerala, and most of north India, it is known as ‘Makar Sankranti.’ Paush Parbon is another name for it in Bengal.

SURYA NAMASKAR

• Practice in yoga as exercise
• Incorporates a series of a twelve gracefully linked asanas.
• Set of 12 asanas is dedicated to the solar deity Surya.
• In some Indian traditions, each position is linked with a different mantra.
• Made popular by Bhawanrao Shriniwasrao Pant Pratinidhi, in the early 20th century
• Adopted into yoga by Krishnamacharya in the Mysore Palace.
• Significance – Develop immunity and improve vitality, which are significant amid the covid-19 pandemic. Exposure to the Sun provides Vitamin D to the human body, which is widely recommended in all medical branches worldwide.