Pana Sankranti, also known as Maha Bishuba Sankranti or Odia New Year, is celebrated by the people of Odisha every year with great pomp and fanfare. The special day marks the traditional new year's Day festival of the Odia people. The festival occurs in the solar Odia calendar (the lunisolar Hindu calendar followed in Odisha) on the first day of the traditional solar month of Meṣa, hence the equivalent lunar month Baisakha. In 2023, Pana Sankranti 2023, or Odia New Year, will be celebrated on Friday, April 14, 2023. Pana Sankranti or Maha Vishuba Sankranti, or Odia New Year, falls on the Purnimanta system of the Indian Hindu calendar and therefore falls on April 13 or 14 every year on the Gregorian calendar. Pohela Boishakh 2023 Date: When Is Bengali New Year? Know Tithi, Significance, History and Celebrations Related to Noboborsho.

Pana Sankranti 2023 Date

Pana Sankranti 2023, or Odia New Year, will be celebrated on Friday, April 14

All About Pana Sankranti

In the Odia Hindu tradition, Pana Sankranti is believed to be the birthday of Lord Hanuman, an ardent devotee of Lord Rama, the seventh incarnation of Vishnu in Ramayana. Hindus also visit Devi (goddess) temples on Pana Sankranti. On the new year, thousands of devotees gather at the Hanuman temples, Shiva and Surya (sun god) temples to seek blessings of the Lord. They take baths in rivers or major pilgrimage centers, participate in fairs, and engage in traditional dance. Feasts and special drinks, such as a chilled sweet mango-milk-yoghurt-coconut drink called pana is shared. A ritual observed during Pana Sankranti is Basundhara theki, a water-filled earthen pot with a small hole at the end is placed at the top of the holy basil plant so that water keeps dripping on the plant. April 2023 Holidays Calendar With Major Festivals & Events: Get Full List of Important Dates in the Fourth Month.

Pana Sankranti Significance

Pana Sankranti is a perfect opportunity for families to come together and have a joyous time during the New Year celebrations. Pana Sankranti festival also marks the end of the 13-day Danda, and Jhamu Yatra observed in Southern Odisha. The significance of the day is that the new Odia calendar, or Panjika is also introduced, which is an almanac of Hindu festivals and contains the dates of festivals, auspicious days, and timings. The festival is related to new year festivals such as Vaisakhi (north and central India, Nepal), Bohag Bihu (Assam), Pohela Boishakh (Bengal) and Puthandu (Tamil Nadu).

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 11, 2023 07:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).