Karkat Sakranti

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

Karkat Sakranti falls on the first day of Shrawan month of Nepalese calendar which is mid July month according to English calendar. Karkat is known as the horoscope Cancer and Sakranti is known as the 1^st day of the month. People who had been working throughout the month of Ashad, 3^rd month of Nepalese calendar which is also known as the month of rice plantation, would take rest on this day.

It is believed that people who were busy throughout the month of Ashad would be tired and they would take rest on the first day of this month taking delicious meal according to their culture. Mostly, Hilly Hindu people of Nepal have invited their relatives to their home and serve them with delicious meal and offer tika with dakshina (money).

This festival is also known as Karkat Sakranti as it has followed the 12 horoscopes of Nepalese Calendar. This is the fourth month and the Sun travels on the Karkat line of its orbit. It is also believed that the Sun resumes the Northern way from its Southern side. Thus from this month it is believed that the sun wouldn’t be hotter like in other previous months. Or it is also the beginning of winter season. The religious and astrological belief is that the Sun which travels towards Southern side from Magh month, the spring month or mid January of English calendar, would return back to the same direction.

According to Hindu belief, people would celebrate it as the day of Luto Phalne (removing scabies) from their body. The belief is that the people would have been working in working with mud throughout the month of Ashad. It makes their skin dirty and they would be affected form scabies. They would prepare fire sticks and do some rituals of worshipping and throw it towards all the directions from their home. The belief is also that the demon which carries scabies would be feared with the fire and couldn’t to their home.

This month is also known as the month of Lord Shiva. He was the supreme God according to Hindu mythology. It is also believed that the Lord Shiva would come to the earth throughout the month from his heavenly throne. Mostly the married women would go to worship Lord Shiva in temples on Mondays. If there are five Mondays in this month it would be considered as Shuva (goodness).

It is also the fact that the Hindu festivals would start after this month so people would mark this Sakranti as the beginning of festivals. The first festival is the Naag Panchami (Snake Day) after then other festivals would come serially. Mostly, people would celebrate four Sakranti i. e. 1^st, 4^th, 7th and 10^th. After the seventh Sakranti, it is believed as the end of festivals.

Finally, it reflects one of the religious traditions of Hindu culture. Hindu people thus feel themselves blessed with all these religions, cultures, festivals, and days. They have their own style of celebration. According to the availability of the food items and the relevancy of the seasons, the festivals would have been celebrated. It has also established a kind of system in their life which much valuable for Hindus.