A Very Happy Lohri and Makar Sankrant to all our...please read it

Sumiti Gupta Vjm 8:30am Jan 12 A Very Happy Lohri and Makar Sankrant to all our friends! These auspicious days are very significant....Here is some detailed info. we all would learn more from especially for the young generation All about Lohri/Makar Sankranti/ Uttarayan - Religious Significance: (from a Blog) 1. The Puranas say that on this day Lord Sun visits the house of his son Shani, who is the swami of Makar Rashi. The father and son do not ordinarily get along nicely, but Lord Sun makes it a point to meet on this day. The father himself comes to his son's house, for a month. This day symbolized the importance of special relationship of father and son. It is the son who has the responsibility to carry forward his fathers dream and the continuity of the family. 2. From Uttarayana starts the `day' of Devatas, while dakshinayana is said to be the `night' of devatas, so most of the auspicious things are done during this time. Uttarayana is also called Devayana, and the next half is called Pitrayana. 3. It was on this day when Lord Vishnu ended the ever increasing terrorism of the Asuras by finishing them off and burying their heads under the Mandar Parvat. So this occasion also represents the end of negativities and beginning of an era of righteous living. 4. The great savior of his ancestors, Maharaj Bhagirath, did great Tapasya to bring Gangaji down on the earth for the redemption of 60,000 sons of Maharaj Sagar, who were burnt to ashes at the Kapil Muni Ashram, near the present day Ganga Sagar. It was on this day that Bhagirath finally did tarpan with the Ganges water for his unfortunate ancestors and thereby liberated them from the curse. After visiting the Paataal (below earth) for the redemption of the curse of Bhagirath's ancestors Gangaji finally merged in the Saagar (ocean). Even today a very big Ganga Saagar Mela is organized every year on this day at the confluence of River Ganges and the Bay of Bengal. Lakhs take a dip in the water and do tarpan for their ancestors. There is another spiritually symbolic aspect of this story. The 60,000 cursed son of Maharaj Sagar represent our thoughts, who become dull & dead-like because of uncultured & blind ambition. Redemption of such people is only by the waters of Gangaji, brought down from the Himalayas with great tapasya. This represents dedicated hard work to get the redeeming Brahma-Vidya, which alone enlightens, enthuses & enlivens the life of anyone. 5. Another well-known reference of this day came when the great grandsire of Mahabharata fame, Bhishma, declared his intent to leave his mortal coil on this day. He had the boon of Ichha-Mrityu (die when you choose to die) from his father, so he kept lying on the bed of arrows till this day and then left his mortal coil on Makar Sankranti day. It is believed that the person, who dies during the period of Uttarayana, becomes free from transmigration. So this day was seen as a sure-shot Good Luck day to start your journey or endeavors to the higher realms beyond. How to Celebrate in General: 1. Get up early in the morning, before sunrise, have bath and be ready with water and flowers. Worship the rising Sun, by offering water, flowers with both the hands & then pray with folded hands by chanting the Gayatri Mantra and pray for knowledge, wisdom and enlightenment to rise in the similar way to greater & greater heights. Pray for blessings to live a dynamic, inspired & righteous life. 2. Do tarpan for your ancestors. Offer water to the ancestors while praying for their blessings. Resolve to redeem the pledges and pride of your forefathers. Live life in such a way that wherever your forefathers may be their head is held high by the life and deeds of their children. 3. Have a special session of Meditation, wherein you bring about the awareness of the self-effulgent subjective divinity. Affirm the greatest importance of your spiritual goal very clearly, and pray to God to bless you with the capacity to constantly revel in your true self. May the graph of your rise like the Uttarayana Sun. May there be greater 'Love & Light' in your life & the world. 4. Prepare laddus or other sweets of Til & Gur and offer them to your friends & relatives. See to it that your `Well-being Prayer for all' gets manifested in action & deeds. 5. Have the lunch of Khichiri. This stands for inculcating simplicity in your life & habits. 6. Give some Daan on this day to someone who truly deserves. 7. Visit your son at his place and give presents to the son and the daughter-in-law. If it is not possible to visit, then organize to send presents to them to express your love & affection to them. Work to properly cultivate the generation, which has to carry forward all the best you cherish & value. .