Makar Sankranti & Dahi Chura: What’s The Connection?
By Jasmine Kaur
Celebrated on January 14 every year, Biharis are known to make dahi chura on the occasion of Makar Sankranti but why?
The Festival’s Significance
It is said that Makar Sankranti marks the end of winter solstice and the Sun god moves to the zodiac Capricorn aka makara on this day.
Food Items For The Day
Commonly-eaten food items on this day include til or sesame seeds ladoos, gajak, jaggery etc. However, each culture has their own specific dishes too.
The Bihari Specialty
On this day, Biharis prepare a healthy mixture of dahi chura that is served as part of the Makar Sankranti breakfast spread.
What is Dahi Chura?
A simple and basic mix of curd, chura or chivda and jaggery is prepared and is considered auspicious for the occasion.
Significance
Eating dahi chura attracts good luck and keeps negative energy at bay. Moreover, it is also believed to be one of the things eaten by human civilization before cooking was introduced.
