Uttarayanam 2024

The Solar Year or Varsha is divided into two halves. If we mark the position of the sunrise on the horizon every day, we will notice that from January 14th to July 16th it seems to be drifting slowly towards the North, and from July 16th to January 14th, it drifts towards the south along the same route.

Starting from Makara Sankranti on January 14th, the six months of the sun’s northward movement towards the Tropic of Cancer is called Uttarayanam (uttara- north; ayanam- path or movement). Similarly, starting from July 16th, the 6 months of the movement to the south towards Tropic of Capricorn is called Dakshinayanam (dakshina-south; ayanam- path or movement). The six months of Uttarayanam are considered auspicious because we appear to be traveling towards the sun.

The path taken by the earth to go round the sun is elliptical. Since it is tilted at 23.5 degrees on its axis, different places on the planet receive different amounts of sunlight during its journey round the sun. The day that it reaches the farthest point from the sun is referred to as a solstice. Due to the tilt, at one end of the elliptical path, the Tropic of Cancer is in line with the sun, and at the other end, the tropic of Capricorn. These mark the extreme north and south latitudes (+23.5° and -23.5°) where the sun appears to take a dramatic turn when observed from earth.

The change in the sun’s relationship with the earth plays a significant part in the lives of people, especially those who live in the northern hemisphere, because this is the part that gets the maximum impact. We are part and parcel of our galaxy and we can’t escape from the changes that take place on our planet. This planet earth is our abode. If anything happens to the house we live in, it will naturally affect the lives of those who live in it!

All through the sun’s peregrination towards the northeast for six months of the year and southeast for another six months, the strange fact is that it will never rise exactly in the east except on March 21st and September 23rd. Needless to say that the sun never travels. This is an illusion caused by the tilt of the earth on its axis and its movement around the sun. This is what makes it appear as if the sun is drifting towards the northeast and southeast.

The rishis who were the founders of the Sanatana Dharma were experts at camouflaging dry, scientific truths with imaginative stories. They knew that the only way to teach science to the masses was to put it in the form of stories. These stories were woven into the very structure of our culture so that even a small child could appreciate it. So, they said that one human year is the equivalent of one divine day of the gods. The six months of Uttarayanam is their daytime and the six months of Dakshinayanam is their night. So now that Dakshinayanam is coming to a close, the gods are just waking up after their sleep, so it’s very auspicious to awaken them with hymns and pujas and other spiritual practices. If people were told to do all these things because it was good for them, they might not have listened, but since a story was woven around it, people followed them blindly.

Thus Uttarayanam marks the daytime of the gods or devas. Harvest and spring festivals, marriages, and other auspicious occasions are celebrated during Uttarayanam since the gods are awake and presiding over the functions. This period starts with short days, but over the next six months, the days become longer and longer. Energy levels in our body rise, and things happen more easily. We are more receptive to spiritual grace and reap the harvest of our previous sadhana or spiritual practices.

Uttarayanam is also called the Kaivalya Pada, the time between the winter solstice and spring equinox. This is the period of receptivity, grace, and enlightenment. This is the reason that in the Mahabharata, Bhishma chose to wait for Uttarayanam before giving up his life. It is also believed that the Ganga descended from heaven and reached the earth on the auspicious day of Makara Sankranti which marks the start of Uttarayanam.

The six months of Uttarayanam are divided into three ritus or seasons, though actually it starts with the last bit of winter also. Phalguna (Vasanta), Spring, mid-January to mid-March, Greeshma (summer), mid-March to mid-May, Varsha, Monsoon, mid-May to mid-July. Each season is marked with a variety of rituals and festivals to allow us to sync our energies with that of the sun. All these benefit us both physically and spiritually. This is the period when the sun’s energies come into prominence and Dakshinayana is the time when the moon’s energies are more dominating.

Hence Uttarayanam, when the forces of the sun are supreme, can be compared to the “yang” or masculine aspect when the forces of spirituality come into prominence. Dakshinayanam is the time when the moon comes into play and this can be compared to the “yin” or feminine aspect which is the body/mind duality. When the earth turns her aura from masculine to feminine, significant changes take place in both the mind and body of the humans inhabiting the planet.

Interestingly, in our culture, even diet and yogic practices were adapted to these seasons. Each season dictates the type of food eaten in different parts of the country. Heavy, greasy food, and foods which create heat are eaten in winter. Watery vegetables to hydrate and pungent and salty foods which induce sweating are eaten to cool the body in summer. Periodic fasting also helps the body to adapt to the changes in the sun’s energies. So we have two Navaratris one during Uttarayanam and one during Dakshinayanam which gives us an opportunity to fast.

The first festival in Spring is Vasant Panchami. It signals the shift between seasons, helping us to shift our dietary pattern. During winter we are advised to eat jaggery and sesame seeds for warmth. These are kept aside after Vaisaki, when the weather starts to turn warm. Once we understand the connection between Hindu practices and science we will see that all our traditions are extremely logical and scientific.

The change in the sun’s relationship with our planet has a significant impact on the lives of all the people who live between eighteen degrees to forty-eight degrees north latitude since this is the part that gets the maximum impact during the shift. Human beings are made up of the five elements that compose the earth so we are really pieces of the planet earth. So, whatever happens to the planet will have a tremendous effect on the human system. We have to cultivate the sensitivity to make use of it. Actually, we are unconsciously affected by these forces. We behave and function better on some days and at certain times. We do not realize that this is because the dynamics of the whole planet are working on us. If our body is brought to a certain level of sensitivity, it will be able to keep in perfect tune with the

whole cosmos. The microcosm is only a mirror of the macrocosm and everything that happens in the external sphere manifests itself in subtle ways in our bodies. Both our bodies and minds will work at a superior level if we keep them aligned to the movement of the sun and moon during Uttarayanam and Dakshinayanam. We have been given a discriminating intellect by which we can become aware of the movement of the planets and stars and we can use this knowledge to create a healthy, holistic and consciously intuitive lifestyle. In modern times where our lives are cluttered with too many conveniences, most of us are not even aware of this connection and are totally oblivious to what is happening in the nature outside.

It is said that the months of Dakshinayanam should be used for purification and intense sadhana which will bring benefits and lead to enlightenment in Uttarayanam.

The esoteric reason is that during Uttarayanam, the energy of the sun travels from our lower chakras to the higher. It moves from the (Muladhara Chakra) which is the lowest, corresponding to Capricorn, through (Swadhistana Chakra), corresponding to Pisces, (Manipura Chakra) corresponding to Aries, (Anahata Chakra), corresponding to Taurus, (Vishuddha Chakra) corresponding to Gemini and finally reaches the (Ajna Chakra) commonly known as the Third Eye, which corresponds to Cancer/Leo. Each chakra is connected with a planet though we don’t know it. The three lower chakras — Muladhara, Swadishtana, and Manipuraka keep the body rooted to the earth element and are necessary for our basic survival. Fear and anger are the basic traits of people who are fixed in these three chakras. If our energies are concentrated on this, we will be more interested in things like food, sex, pleasure, and so on. The three chakras on the top- Vishuddhi, Ajna, and Sahasrara are always trying to pull us away from the obsession with the physical. During the period of Dakshinayanam, we will find that it is easier to cleanse the three lower chakras and during Uttarayanam, we will find that the three upper chakras will be able to guide us to higher realms of consciousness.

The Anahata chakra or the heart chakra is the one that acts as a balance between these two forces, one centrifugal and the other centripetal. Love is the only thing that can lure us away from our basic instinct for survival. For instance, a mother, whether it be animal, bird, or human will be prepared to sacrifice its life for the sake of its children. The sun will start its northward journey from Makara Sankranti about which we will write in our next blog.

The modern mind readily accepts scientific facts so the time is ripe to bring these scientific facts to the common people so they will begin to understand and appreciate the scientific reasons behind our rituals and traditions. If we want to make use of the energy of the planets to bring health to the body and rid ourselves of diseases, a proper understanding and appreciation of what is happening in Nature is essential. We should keep our internal mechanism in tune with the movements of the sun, moon, earth, and other planets; we should align our inner self with the movement of the sun during Uttarayanam.

Hari Aum Tat Sat