Dakshinayana
Shankranti India is a vast land, a land where people from different
casts and religion come together and attain a harmony beyond comparison to any other culture in the
world. One thing which brings people together in the country is festival. Festivals, with their
bright colours and delicious smells possess the ability to capture all hearts and entwine all minds.
Festivals have the power to bring joy in all sorts of lives they touch. India being a country of
festivals provides the perfect platform where people come together and
celebrate.
The Dakshinayana
festival Over the years some festivals have faded from the Hindu
calendar, some have become less important than the others. Dakshinayana Shankranti is one of those festivals which have
become less important for most Hindus, over the years. It is the night time of the Gods and lasts
for six months or till Makar Shankranti whichever is earlier.
Occurrence and significance of the Dakshinayana
Shankranti In the state of Tamil Nadu, India the month of Aadi marks
the beginning of Dakshinayana or Pitrayana. The people believe that Lord Krishna goes to sleep
during this period and the Ekadashi just before this Dakshinayana Shankranti is known as Deva Sayani
Ekadashi among the local people. The festival has very important scientific grounds as well.
The movement of the Sun is described by the name Dakshinayana when the Sun rays are more
concentrated over the Dakshin or Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. The Dakshinayana phase of the sun
will last for six months till the month of January after which Makar Shankranti will lead to the
Uttarayana phase. There are traditional two methods which can be considered while calculating
the movement of the Sun in ancient Hindu shastras. The first one being the DrikaSiddhanta method
according to which Dakshinayana starts when the sayana sun enters cancer. However the more popular
Nirayana system preaches that the commencement of the festival will be when nirayanasurya enters
cancer. The Dakshinayana is celebrated among Hindus during the month of July. In this year it
will be celebrated on 16th of July 2013, a Tuesday. Hindu mythology states that one day in the
Devlok, is equivalent to a year in the human world. So Dakshinayana translates to being the daytime
in for the Devas and Uttarayana being the night time. Ancient Hindu sages, it can be derived from
such calculations were very much and well aware of the celestial movements of galaxies bodies.
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