Sankranti Celebrations: Embracing the Divine with Surya and Narayana

On Makar Sankranti, the Sun god is worshipped along with Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi throughout India.The northward movement of Surya Bhagavan marks the commencement of Uttarayana, a period regarded in the shastras as auspicious and stabilizing. This transition is understood not merely as an astronomical shift, but as a reaffirmation of cosmic order.

Uttarayana and the Rhythm of Life - In traditional understanding, Uttarayana represents forward movement aligned with restraint and balance. Makar Sankranti is the day when the glorious Sun-God begins his ascendancy and entry into the Northern Hemisphere. Sun for the Hindus stands for Pratyaksha-Brahman, the manifest God, who symbolizes, the one, non-dual, self-effulgent, glorious divinity blessing one & all tirelessly.

Sri Surya Dev

Surya Dev transcends time and rotates the proverbial Wheel of Time.

In the Rig Veda (1.50.1), Surya is praised as the revealer of order and truth:

|| Ud u tyaṁ jāta-vedasaṁ devaṁ vahanti ketavaḥdṛśe viśvāya sūryam. ||

Translation:The rays of the divine Sun, knower of all, rise upward, making Him visible to the entire world.

This verse affirms Surya Bhagavan as the illuminator of both the physical and moral worlds. Makar Sankranti, therefore, stands as a reminder of the Sun’s role in sustaining life, revealing order, and guiding all beings along the path of dharma.

Observance at Saligrama Devasthanam:

At Saligrama Devasthanam, this sacred turning of time is received in the presence of Sri Narayana, whose form as devotees embodies continuity, order, and divine sustenance.

At Saligrama Devasthanam, this sacred turning of time is received in the presence of Sri Narayana, whose form as devotees embodies continuity, order, and divine sustenance. The temple stands as a space of quiet alignment, where the northward course of Surya is acknowledged through remembrance of Sri Narayana who governs all rhythm and order.

On this day, prayer is offered as recognition of Narayana as the source of stability, nourishment, and grace. The sanctity of the Devasthanam allows the significance of the day to settle inwardly. The mind is drawn toward stillness, and attention rests on the enduring presence of Sri Narayana, whose grace sustains both the movement of the cosmos and the discipline of human life. The temple becomes a point of return, affirming that all auspicious movement ultimately finds its meaning at the feet of Sri Narayana.

The temple becomes a point of return, affirming that all auspicious movement ultimately finds its meaning at the feet of Sri Narayana.

May this auspicious Sankranti be observed with reverence during the Punya Kāla, bringing clarity, discipline, and alignment with dharma.

Staying Informed

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Link for Saligrama Devasthanam Temple's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/saligrama_devasthanam/