Press Release
HOUSTON, TEXAS, February 15, 2007: About 1,500 revelers from the local community gathered at the George Bush Park this past Sunday to celebrate Makar Sankranti with the annual flying of kites. The event was hosted by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHP-A) Houston Chapter, with the cooperation of area organizations such as the Gujarati Samaj of Houston (GSH). Bundled up in sweaters and jackets, participants inundated the grey skies with more than 150 colorful soaring kites. The much-anticipated ritual introduced 28 years ago by VHP-A has in past years drawn an avid following. Last year saw a record-breaking 5,000 in attendance.
“This festival is primarily about bringing the various organizations and the community together,” said VHP-A National Office Administrator and Houston Chapter Treasurer Sharad Patel, who has twice in the past coordinated the Makar Sankranti event. He along with other volunteers were at the park very early in the morning preparing the site for the day’s event. While many attendees brought picnic lunches, others did not go hungry as volunteers from the GSH generously served out copious amounts of hot food. The hot tea served and prepared by volunteers of Ekal Vidyalaya was greatly appreciated by everyone. With limited parking being the usual inconvenience, shuttle service to and from nearby parking lots was facilitated seamlessly by GSH. The organization was also a major sponsor for the event. President of GSH Gopal Patel said the focus was on bringing Indian youth together in a fun environment.
Makar Sankranti occurs when the sun makes its transition from Sagittarius to Capricorn during the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. From this day begins the six-month long Uttarayana, considered very auspicious for attaining higher worlds in the hereafter. Sankranti is the only Hindu festival based on the solar calendar rather than the lunar calendar. While the traditional Indian calendar is basically based on lunar positions with the dates of all festivals constantly changing, the English calendar date of Makar Sankranti stays consistently the same, on 14th January. Makar Sankranti is celebrated in the Hindu Calendar month of Magha.