A boy is flying a kite to celebrate Makar Sankrati which is on 13 January this year. It is a major harvest festival celebrated in various parts of India.Reuters 
Makar Sankrati: India Decks Up for Festival of KitesCreative Commons 
Makar Sankrati: India Decks Up for Festival of KitesCreative Commons 
In Kerala, on Makar Sankranti evening, at the hill shrine of Sabarimala, lakhs of pilgrims witness a star-like celestial light of incredible splendor appearing on the horizon known as Makara JyothiCreative Commons 
Kite flying in PunjabReuters 
Makar Sankrati: India Decks Up for Festival of KitesReuters 
Multicolored sugar halwa surrounded by til-gul (sesame and jaggery) ladoos. These exchanged and eaten on Makara Sankranti in Maharashtra.Wikimedia Commons/Saloni Desai
Makar Sankrati, which is on 14 January this year, is basically a harvest festival celebrated across India. The traditional event is also believed to mark the arrival of spring in the country.
Few people know that on this day Goddess Durga (also known as Mahishasur-mardini) set foot on earth for the first time with a purpose to kill the demon-king Mahishasur.
Makar Sankranti is celebrated in differently in different states. In Punjab, the harvest festival is celebrated as Lohri while in Tamil Nadu it is Pongal and in Assam it is Bihu.
In Kerala, on Makar Sankranti evening, at the hill shrine of Sabarimala, a star-like celestial light appears on the horizon known as Makara Jyoti. Large number of pilgrims from different parts of the country visit the place to witness the event.
The festival also marks the start of grand melas (fairs) in the country, of which the most popular is Kumbha Mela.
Check out the above slideshow of 'Makar Sankranti' celebrated in various parts of the country.
