Karnataka celebrates Makara Sankranti with great religious fervour
Bengaluru (PTI): Makara Sankranti, marking the Sun's transition into Makara Rashi or capricorn sign, is being celebrated with traditional fervour across Karnataka on Thursday, with temples witnessing heavy footfall and households observing age-old rituals.
In Bengaluru, thousands of devotees thronged the historic Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple at Gavipuram in Basavanagudi from the early hours.
The temple holds special significance on Makara Sankranti as the setting Sun's rays pass through the horns of the stone Nandi and illuminate the Shiva Linga inside the cave temple.
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The Sun's rays directly falling on the Linga in the afternoon on Makara Sankranti is a rare and unique occurrence, symbolising the cosmic alignment and Lord Shiva's blessings, temple authorities said.
Police and temple authorities have made elaborate arrangements to regulate the crowd as devotees queued up to have a darshan of Lord Shiva, the presiding deity of the cave shrine.
Across the state, devotees offered prayers in temples and observed Sankranti rituals at home.
The festival is traditionally celebrated as Suggi in Karnataka, marking the harvest season.
On this day, festive dishes are prepared and 'Ellu-Bella', a mix of sesame seeds, jaggery, groundnuts and coconut, is distributed to the near and dear ones wishing for their safety and good luck.
In rural parts of Karnataka, farmers celebrate the harvest with special pujas, cattle worship and community gatherings, reflecting gratitude for a good crop.
Cultural programmes and traditional games will also be organised on this day adding colour to the celebrations in several districts.
Flowers, jujube fruits and sugarcane were in great demand in the market as they are the key ingredients for the pujas.
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Trump says he ‘hasn’t even thought about’ continuing Iran ceasefire
Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he has not yet considered whether he would continue the ceasefire involving Iran, while also claiming the United States holds the advantage in negotiations.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he was prepared to make a deal with “whoever is running the show” in Iran.
“They are fighting with each other, there’s tremendous infighting. They’re probably fighting for leadership in many cases. I think they’re fighting not to be leader because we knocked out two levels of leaders,” he said.
Trump added, “When they want they can call me. We have all the cards, we’ve won everything.”
Referring to ongoing negotiations, he said, “They gave us a paper that should’ve been better. And, interestingly, immediately when I cancelled it [envoy trip to Pakistan], within 10 minutes we got a new paper that was much better.”
“We talked about they will not have a nuclear weapon, very simple … They offered a lot, but not enough,” he added.
When asked whether he would continue the ceasefire, Trump replied, “I haven’t even thought about it.”
The remarks come as uncertainty remains over the future of the temporary truce and broader negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
