Ghee Sankranti 2023: Ghee Sankranti, also known as the Olgia festival is one of the major festivals of Uttarakhand. It is celebrated on the first day of the Hindi calendar month Bhado. The day manifests good yields in the harvest season and the astronomical transition of the Sun from Cancer to Leo. This year it falls on August 17.
When is Ghee Sankranti celebrated?
Ghee Sankranti or Olgia festival is celebrated on the first day of Bhado in Uttarakhand. According to the Gregorian calendar, it falls in the month of August or September, around the harvesting season. It is a local or regional festival centred on the agricultural calendar. This year people of Uttarakhand will celebrate this festival with unique customs and traditions on August 17.
What is the cultural significance of Ghee Sankranti?
Ghee Sankranti is one of the most ancient festivals celebrated in Uttarakhand with joy and enthusiasm. As the name suggests, the festival revolves around agriculture, cattle and farm produce. It is usually celebrated to show gratitude towards mother nature during the season when harvesting season for better crops and the health of cattle. The showering from the sky elevates the fun and celebration of the festival symbolising growth, devotion and prosperity.
Over the years, the rituals and customs to celebrate ancient festivals have evolved. Earlier, on the auspicious occasion of Sankranti, son-in-law and nephews used to give presents to their father-in-law and maternal uncles out of respect. And now it's mostly celebrated by offering tools, equipment and monetary funds to farmers, labourers and artisans. Some of the most common exchanges between land owners and labourers are axes, ghee, vegetable, Binai (Oral harp), metal calliper, datkhocha (metallic toothpick) and firewood.
And giving meaning to the name of the festival in the truest sense, pouring ghee on the foreheads, and eating ghee along with chapatis stuffed with urad dal are the most common practices of the Ghee Sankranti celebrations.
In conclusion, Ghee Sankranti like any other harvest festival celebrated in India shows gratitude towards nature, farmers and cattle. It is celebrated to boost the energy of people involved in agriculture and applaud their hard work.
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