Actor Bhagyashree discusses her personal customs and early recollections related to the harvest celebration on Makar Sankranti, the festival of kites and new beginnings. The actress talks candidly about customs, health, and the significance of fresh starts. She goes on to say that although things have changed, the festival is still unique. “As kids, we practiced kite flying, learning how to use the manja to move and maneuver the kite and make it soar into the sky. Even while it’s lovely to see kites in the sky, we now actively avoid them as we become older and realize the harm they may do to birds while they are in flight. Making tilgul at home and eating it with everyone while exclaiming, ‘Tilgul ghya ani god god bola.’ is the essence of Makar Sankranti. I believe that we can all hit the reset button, let the past go, and start again in these days when everyone seems to have such a short attention span toward one another and we occasionally say things we don’t mean and end up snapping at each other. Let’s be kind to each other and let that sweetness fill our houses.”
“Tilgul ladoos are, of course, everyone’s favorite, but there is a Rajasthani sweet called til siri, which is similar to til papdi but much finer and thinner, crispy like paper,” she says when discussing her favorite treats. I truly like that, as well as til ka gajak, of course. “From a nutritional point of view, til and gud are both warming agents,” she explains, explaining what “tilgul ghya ani god god bola” implies. Since Makar Sankranti occurs in the winter, eating them gives the body internal warmth and supplies iron and calcium for the blood and bones. According to science, now is the ideal moment to incorporate til and gud into your diet. When you say “til gud ghya ani god god bola,” it is said that the til, which is a tiny seed, represents the issues we face in life. The answers to various issues are represented by the jaggery, or Gud, which denotes sweetness. The tying of til and gud demonstrates what life is like; without challenges, we would never be able to appreciate the beauty of our other possessions. One of the main components of feeling fortunate in life is gratitude. We may genuinely celebrate our journey when we encounter setbacks and challenges and have the will to overcome them.”
