Makar Sankranti marks the movement of the Sun from tropic of Cancer to the tropic of Capricorn. (The zodiac ‘Capricorn’ is known as ‘Makar’ in India, and Sankranti means movement and hence the name ‘Makar Sankranti’ is derived) this festival is also known as Uttarayan in Gujarat, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Til-Gul in Maharashtra, Poush Sankranti in West Bengal and Bihu in Assam. This day is also celebrated as a Thanksgiving Day as it marks the ending of harsh winters and beginning of bountiful harvest. It is believed to be a time for peace and prosperity.
This festival is celebrated by Flying Kites and is full of colors and friendly banter among friends and neighbors.
Some Investment Lessons learned from Makar Sankranti:
The Kite: Kite is a symbol of having high aspirations and an elevated vision. Suitable preparation is needed before we can go and fly our kites. In the financial world, your investment goals and dreams are similar to a kite. Be careful in choosing the ideal one for yourself before investing.
Manja: Manja is the mean of achieving the goal of flying high. The quality of Manja determines the success you will achieve in the competitive environment. Therefore, choosing a knowledgeable and competent financial advisor is of utmost importance in having a successful and rewarding financial flight.
Firki: Firki lets us adjust the length of manja we use to fly the kite, by giving ‘dheel’ when the winds are favorable and retract (‘Lapeet’) in turbulent times. Similarly, one should monitor his investments and enjoy the uptrends but be agile to sell and have liquidity in volatile markets. You should always be prepared to make adjustments as the situation demands.
Stay Protected: One needs to be careful while handling the Manja, as it tends to cut people’s fingers. Tapes and bandages are used to avoid such injuries. Regarding your finances, you should cover your risks and take adequate insurance whenever needed.
Be Patient: It takes time for the kite to gain momentum. Often people start flying kites in the morning and their kites reach high up in the skies later in the day. Just like flying kites, no investment will yield returns overnight; you have to be patient and stay invested for a long time to reap the benefits of your investment.
Kai Po Che: While flying kites, you compete with your friends & neighbors and try to cut each other’s kites down. This is a friendly activity and you will sometimes lose a few kites in the process. You let it go, bring out a new kite and start all over again!
In the investment world, some investments will fail, you should be quick to get out of them and start afresh. Small losses are a part and parcel of the investing game. The goal should be to beat the market and yell ‘Kai Po Che!’
Yash Diwate|Sushil Financial Services Pvt Ltd