Makar Sankranti · मकर संक्रांति
Makar Sankranti marks the day the Sun enters the sidereal sign of Makara (Capricorn). It is one of the few Hindu festivals fixed by the solar calendar, so it falls on 14 or 15 January almost every year. It is associated with the Sun's northward course (Uttarayana), the winter harvest, and charity.
Dates
Dates and times are for New Delhi (Asia/Kolkata). They can differ in other places, especially outside India, and between traditions.
How the date is determined
The date is the day the Sun enters sidereal Makara (Lahiri ayanamsa). If the entry happens after sunset, the festival is observed the next day.
Many people take a holy dip in rivers (especially at Prayagraj), give til (sesame), jaggery and khichdi in charity, eat til-gud sweets and fly kites, particularly in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Regional and tradition differences
The same day is Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Uttarayan in Gujarat, Lohri falls the evening before in Punjab, and Bihu (Magh Bihu) in Assam. In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar it is often called Khichdi.
What to recite
Sources
- Makar Sankranti, Wikipedia (2026)
Change log
- : Published.