There is no definite record of when Sankranti was first celebrated. However, two events associated with Makar Sankranti help us estimate the time of its first celebration.
Makra Sankrati marks the transition of the sun into Makar rashi. It is also considered the day when the Sun begins its northward movement (Uttarayan). However, at present Uttarayana falls on December 21/22 and not on January 14/15 when Sankranti is celebrated. But at some point in time, the days would have coincided. After that the two days would have drifted slowly apart due to a phenomenon called Precession, which describes the slow rotation of earth’s axis forming a circle, once in about 26,000 years. (please see white circle in the picture).
P.V. Kane ji observes, citing Brahmana and Upanishads, that udagayana had been regarded for many centuries before christian era as an auspicious period. Later on Makarasankaranti became a sacred day when Rashi system was introduced. He concludes that Makarasankaranti’s origins could not have been much older than the beginning of the the Christian era.
Prof Raj Vedam estimates, based on the duration of precession that Uttarayan and Makar Sankranti coincided between 400 BCE and early Christian era.
Such an antiquity is not unlikely since evidence of Surya worship is present from the Vedic times itself.
Source: Prof P.V. Kane, History of Dharmasastra
Prof Raj Vedam, https://swarajyamag.com/science/when-did-we-first-celebrate-makar-sankranti
Picture Credit: NASA, Mysid
There is no definite record of when Sankranti was first celebrated. However, two events associated with Makar Sankranti help us estimate the time of its first celebration.
Makra Sankrati marks the transition of the sun into Makar rashi. It is also considered the day when the Sun begins its northward movement (Uttarayan). However, at present Uttarayana falls on December 21/22 and not on January 14/15 when Sankranti is celebrated. But at some point in time, the days would have coincided. After that the two days would have drifted slowly apart due to a phenomenon called Precession, which describes the slow rotation of earth’s axis forming a circle, once in about 26,000 years. (please see white circle in the picture).
P.V. Kane ji observes, citing Brahmana and Upanishads, that udagayana had been regarded for many centuries before christian era as an auspicious period. Later on Makarasankaranti became a sacred day when Rashi system was introduced. He concludes that Makarasankaranti’s origins could not have been much older than the beginning of the the Christian era.
Prof Raj Vedam estimates, based on the duration of precession that Uttarayan and Makar Sankranti coincided between 400 BCE and early Christian era.
Such an antiquity is not unlikely since evidence of Surya worship is present from the Vedic times itself.
Source: Prof P.V. Kane, History of Dharmasastra
Prof Raj Vedam, https://swarajyamag.com/science/when-did-we-first-celebrate-makar-sankranti
Picture Credit: NASA, Mysid