The Hindu festival of Makaraa Sankrānti (मकर संक्रांति) celebrates the winter solstice, the passing of dark days and the return of the Sun. At this time, the deified personification of the Sun, Sūrya (Sanskrit: सूर्य), is honoured with sacrifice, feasting and public bonfires. The festival is referenced in the epic poem Mahābhārata as "Magha Mela", and the deity Sūrya has even older roots, mentioned in the oldest text of the Vedic Period, The Rigveda.
[Art] Sūrya with Chariot