The ‘Makar Sankranti’ festival at Tirthamukh and other parts of the state celebrated on Tuesday with gaiety and farvour .

Thousands of devotees from both tribal and non-tribal communities assembled every year on auspicious day of ‘Makar Sankranti’ for a holy dip in river Gomati, near Dumboor hydel power project and such fair has also organized in different parts of the state, where devotees after performing religious rituals take holy dip in different rivers and tributaries. On the auspicious eve of ‘Makar Sanskranti’, devotees gather in the festival spot for holy oblation and bathing on the river Gomati and for traditional sacrifice of animals to mark the day. During the festival days night-long cultural programmes would also be held on Saturday night.

Reports said that the traditional ‘Makar Sankranti’ fair and festival at the bank of Gomati River in Thirthamukh was going on peacefully on Tuesday evening also.

The drawing ‘alponas’ (floor arts) mark the day is considered as one of the major art draws by women during the celebration of Makar Sankranti. Poush Sankranti, the last day of the Bengali month Poush, is also known as Makar Sankranti and marks the day for the harvest festival in Bengal.

On this day mother, grandmothers spend all day making some special homemade sweets which is popularly known as “Pitha”.

However, the Bengalis here in Tripura also sit for a picnic and get together at their houses with the children at the rural villages making small huts, popularly known as “Burir Ghor”, on the eve of Makar Sankranti.

The Makar Sankranti festival celebrated across the state, especially in banks of major rivers of the state with religious fervour and the day is considered as one of the auspicious times of the year, and as it is celebrated during the harvest festival, the Bengalis make all sweets with rice and palm jiggery, available in winter months.

The traditional ‘Makar Sankranti’ fair and festival at Thirthamukh was inaugurated on Monday evening by Tribal Welfare Minister Bikash debbarma along with a host of dignitaries.

The traditional ‘Makar Sankranti’ fair and festival at bank of Gomati River in Battli area of Sonamura, in the foothills of Unakoti in Kailasahar and at river Khowai in Chakmaghat area of Teliamura has been started on Monday along with other parts of the state.

Thousands of devotees from both tribal and non-tribal communities assemble every year on the auspicious day of ‘Makar Sankranti’ for a holy dip in “Sita Kunda” of Unakoti and for traditional sacrifice of animals to mark the day.