If we add up all the lights from all the stars that exist in the universe, it would be a promethean flame compared to the abyss of darkness that is our universe. The existence of living beings on this earth was possible because of the energy emitted from the sun and the timing of that light by divisions into day and night due the earth’s rotation on its axis. This was responsible for establishing the Holocene that made life possible on earth.

Since the beginning of the Anthropocene, the Holocene’s regularity through day and night cycles and seasons sustained the human species and is responsible for man’s advancement. Humans’ pondering about the Holocene and the role of celestial orbs of light in the sky in it led to understanding of the existence of a higher power that was a personification of the dynamisms and reason for why things were the way they were. This personification continued to the extent of understanding of natural phenomena as manifestations of this higher power, be it the moon, the sun, the rain, storms, the ocean, the land, the day and night, and ultimately the sky and the radiance of the celestials that shone in the day and night. The latter was quite important as these celestials were important to man’s existence in a universe enveloped in darkness. So much so that it became a metaphor in systematized religion for knowledge being the light and responsible for human progress against the darkness of ignorance. In major religions, these celestials were ultimately personified to gods like the sun god, Jupiter, Venus and so on.

The invention of fire was a big leap in human existence as it provided light and warmth in the darkness and cold of night and also influenced humans’ diet as available food could now be cooked for easier digestion. Thus, it makes sense for example in the Hindu tradition to equate fire to the mouth of the Divine or Higher Power, the element that is active in our stomach for digestions and the messenger that carries human oblations to that Divine as in a sacrificial fire or havan. The ease with which the light of a flame was carried especially in the night was increased with the oil lamp. This is the diya in the Hindu tradition. Anything from which light emanated, even the flame, was seen to be a manifest of the Divine or derived from it. Thus, in Hindu tradition, the traditional deya became the center of worship to that Divine know as goddess Lakshmi to ever keep its radiance shining to light the path for man to continue to advance. This tradition is not unique to Hinduism as we see it in all other civilizations, more influential in today’s world from the Zoroastrian fire temples that was adopted by the Abrahamic religions in their Temple of Zion. We see this in modern-day Christianity, a religion that dominates our present-day world.

Within the Indo-Caribbean tradition, those who practice Hinduism ensure that at the Sandhya or twilight hour they say their prayers while lighting of a deya daily. In an age of electricity, where an older tradition of lighting an oil lamp is virtually obsolete, it is quite interesting to see how Indo-Caribbean Hindus hold on to this tradition. Not necessarily for its original pragmatic usage for having a source of light to protect us and make us functional at the night, but more so by revering it as a manifest of the Divine that continues to light our way to progress as a human species. This belief is so strong that, the religious narrative of having the place cleaned before we welcome the goddess in the from of light is the reality for the Caribbean Hindi. This despite the fact that, in a time without electricity, it was necessary to clean before 6pm when there was light and before lighting the lamp or else you could put yourself in danger of being bitten by snakes, scorpions, centipedes and other insects or vermin that may hide in dark corners of the old mud hut Hindus used to live in. This respect for the light is still so great that, many Hindus bow before the electric light when put on in the evening while reciting this famous Sanskrit mantra in praise of the light:

शुभं कुरुत्वम कल्याणमारोग्यं धनसंपदः।
Shubham Karoti Kalyaannam-Aarogyam Dhana-Sampadaa |
(Salutations to the light that brings auspiciousness, health and prosperity)
शत्रुबुद्धिविनाशाय दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तुते॥
Shatru-Buddhi-Vinaashaaya Diipa-Jyotir-Namostute ||
(Which destroys inimical feelings, salutations to the light of the lamp)
दीपज्योतिः परब्रह्म दीपज्योतिर्जनार्दनः।
Diipa-Jyotih Para-Brahma Diipa-Jyotir-Janaardanah |
(The light of the lamp is supreme being, the light of the lamp represents the protector of the devotee or Lord Vishnu)
दीपो हरतु मे पापं संध्यादीपनमोस्तुते॥
Diipo Haratu Me Paapam Diipa-Jyotir-Namostute ||
(Let the light of the lamp wipe away my sins, salutations to the light of the lamp)

After the winter solstice on December 21^st, from the northern hemisphere, the sun is viewed at the Tropic of Capricorn. This is its furthest declination south during its ecliptic. During this period, it is the height of winter in the temperate zone north of the equator and the days are very short. This is usually around the Yuletide season. Yule is a Germanic winter solstice festival, akin to the Roman festival Saturnalia. This now been adopted as Christmas in the Gregorian calendar. The premise of celebration, however, the same in all other winter solstice traditions. It is a tradition centered around the sun as a form of the Divine with wishes of longer warmer days at the end of winter.

After the winter solstice, the sun’s declination starts moving to the north pole and the days being noticeably longer again. Around January 14^th, the sun. as a celestial body, transits through the zodiac sign of Capricorn on its northward trek. In Sanskrit “Makar”, literally meaning crocodile, is the zodiac term for Capricorn and “Sankranti” means transit. This is a significant point for many civilizations as it also signals the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

In T&T the current period marks the harvest season. This would be familiar to many of us who remember the days of the sugarcane fields. The recent drop in our temperature, to below 25 degrees Celsius, is a tell-tale sign of this. For Hindu Indo-Trinidadians, this change in atmosphere was a classic sign that Makar Sankranti. Hindus worship the sun thanking his influence on the harvest bounty. For Roman Catholics, in T&T this date closely coincides with the Epiphanytide or the Epiphany season that begins on January 6^th, the day after the 12 days of Yuletide or Christmastide has ended. Epiphany day Western Christianity is a feast that celebrates the visit to the Christ child by the Three Wise Men or Three Kings. Our French and Spanish traditions celebrate this as Three Kings Day. This day precedes Ash Wednesday or the start of the Lent (Spring) fast, 40 days before Easter or the height of spring.

India and its diaspora are one of the only civilizations that continue to practice this ancient tradition. It is an observation based on the solar cycles while most religious festivals are based on the lunar cycle. Thus, this festival is carded on the same date on the Gregorian calendar every year, January 14^th/15^th.

Today in the Indo-Caribbean world this festival is still celebrated by the various sects of Hinduism that came with the Indian indentured laborers. The major sect of Santana Dharma celebrates its as Makar Sankranti. However, we go to the French Antilles, we see the South Indian or Tamil festival of Pongal, known as Thai Pongal in India. It is observed at the start of the month of Thai according to the Tamil Hindu solar calendar. Again, this is also a harvest festival thanking the sun for his blessings on the bounty of the harvest.

In Bollywood films, we see this festival as Lohri in the Sikh and Hindu Punjabi tradition. Many local Hindus often take a pilgrimage to the Kumbh Mela in India at the time of Makar Sankranti. These may be the few festivities of Makar Sankranti that we are exposed to here in T&T based on the media. However, Makar Sankranti is celebrated in a myriad of ways over the subcontinent of India as social festivities such as colorful decorations, rural children going house to house, singing and asking for treats in some areas, melas (fairs), dances, kite flying, bonfires, and feasts.

The more we look into the roots of the celebrations of spring, the more and more we realize how these geographic and climate-specific traditions have added to our unique identity here in T&T.

By Dr. Visham Bhimull
Founder of Caribbean Hindustani