Makar Sankranti, also known as Uttarayan, celebrates the sun's northward journey ('Uttarayan'). It's a sacred period in Hinduism, emphasizing the act of donating ('Dan'). Devotees visit temples to offer grains, food, and monetary donations.
Vasant Panchmi has been a part of the Hindu festival calendar for thousands of years and is a special festival in the Swaminarayan Sampraday. Nishkulanand Swami and Brahmanand Swami, two of Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s paramhansas, were born on this day. Vasant Panchmi also marks the advent of the Shikshapatri and the birth of Shastriji Maharaj, the third spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and the founder of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.