KATHMANDU: Nepal is observing the first day of the Nepali month of Magh today, popularly known as Maghe Sankranti.

The festival is being celebrated nationwide with traditional delicacies such as ghee, chaku, tarul (yam), sesame laddus, sel roti, dhikri, and khichadi.

Maghe Sankranti is also called Makar Sankranti as the sun transitions from the Sagittarius (Dhanu) zodiac sign into Capricorn (Makar).

With this transition, the sun begins its northward journey, known as Uttarayan, marking the gradual lengthening of days and shortening of nights.

The festival is celebrated in diverse ways by different ethnic communities across Nepal.

For the Tharu community, Maghi is regarded as the New Year and is observed with special cultural rituals, family gatherings, and feasts.

According to Ayurvedic beliefs, the traditional foods consumed on this day help generate warmth in the body during winter and balance the three doshas — vata, pitta, and kapha.

Religious scholar Professor Toyaraj Nepal, citing the Hindu scripture Dharmasindhu, said that failing to consume ghee, chaku, sesame-based foods, or perform charity, meditation, and holy baths on Magh 1 is believed to invite illness throughout life.

It is also customary to massage the body with sesame oil on this day, which is believed to remove toxins and strengthen nerves, muscles, and bones, as per Ayurvedic principles.

In the Terai region, Magh 1 is celebrated as Nahan Parva, or the bathing festival.

Devotees wake up early to take holy dips in rivers and pilgrimage sites.

There is a belief that donating sesame seeds after bathing on this day brings merit equivalent to donating gold.

As Uttarayan begins today, religious practices such as bathing, meditation, charity, and penance are considered especially virtuous.

Major pilgrimage sites like Devghat, Trishuli, Kaligandaki, Bagmati, Indrawati, Triveni, and Ridi have witnessed a large influx of devotees. Special fairs are also being organized in these areas.

Hindu mythology holds that death during Uttarayan is auspicious.

It is believed that Bhishma, a key figure in the Mahabharata, waited for the sun’s northward journey before giving up his mortal body.