Makar Sankranti: Chaku markets buzz with festive cheer (photos) - english.makalukhabar.com

KATHMANDU: In Nepal’s hilly and mountainous regions, Makar Sankranti marks the end of winter and the arrival of spring. Central to the celebrations is chaku, a traditional molasses-based sweet that holds both cultural and health significance. Made by boiling sugarcane juice for hours and mixing it with ghee, chaku is believed to keep the body warm and strengthen health during the cold season. According to age-old beliefs, consuming chaku on Makar Sankranti wards off illnesses and brings good fortune in the coming year. Traditionally, it is enjoyed alongside til (sesame) laddus, ghee, tarul, sugarcane, and khichadi. Women across households wake up early to prepare chaku, while markets bustle with its trade. In some communities, spinning the charkha (spinning wheel), carding wool, and enjoying chaku remains a cherished custom, said to warm the body and lift the spirit. In the Terai, the Tharu community celebrates the festival as Maghi, their New Year, with feasts featuring new grains, fish, meat, and chaku-based dishes. Makar Sankranti, thus, is more than a festival—it is a celebration of Nepal’s cultural diversity, unity, and the connection between tradition, health, and seasonal change. Chaku is not just a sweet; it is a symbol of heritage, wellbeing, and the rhythms of nature. Photos: -Saroj Basnet