Bhogi
Also called Bhogi Pandigai
When
Thursday, 14 January 2027 in 126 days
New Delhi ยท change location
See the complete panchang for that day โ
Why this date?
The day before Thai Pongal โ the last day of the Tamil month Margazhi, immediately before the Sun's entry into Makara.
- Computed by the panchanga engine for your location
- Follows a written selection rule, not a copied list
- Governed by the whole day rather than a specific period
- The written guide has not yet been reviewed by a named scholar
Dates come from the calculation engine and are independent of the written guide. How we calculate โ
What In short
The first day of the Pongal sequence, kept by discarding what the household no longer needs. Old things are burnt in a pre-dawn bonfire and the house is cleaned and whitewashed for the new month.
- Deity: Indra
Why The reason behind it
Bhogi is Indra's day, and the fire is a clearing rather than a celebration: the year's accumulated clutter goes into it before the harvest festival begins the next morning. The bonfire is deliberately at dawn, so the new month starts on an emptied house.
Traditional basis
Tamil Pongal sequence โ Bhogi as the first of the four days, preceding Thai Pongal.
Indra worship tradition โ The day's association with Indra, and the Govardhana narrative in which that worship is displaced.
How At home, step by step
- Light the Bhogi fire before dawn and burn what the household is discarding.
- Clean and whitewash the house; draw a fresh kolam.
- In Andhra, Bhogi pallu โ a mix of regi fruit, coins and flowers โ is poured over young children's heads.
What you'll need
- Old and discarded household items for the fire
- Lime wash and kolam powder
- Regi fruit, coins and petals for the Bhogi pallu
Fasting and breaking the fast
Not a fasting day.
Fasting guidance here describes traditional practice. It is not medical advice โ if you are pregnant, diabetic, on medication or unwell, ask a doctor about your own circumstances.
Personal In your region
- Tamil Nadu (Tamil)
The first of the four Pongal days; the dawn bonfire is near universal. - Andhra & Telangana (Telugu)
Bhogi pallu poured over children is the day's most-kept custom.
For children
The day before Pongal, when everything old gets burnt in a big fire early in the morning and the house is cleaned so the new month starts fresh.
Common questions
- Is Bhogi the same as Lohri?
- They fall on the same night and both involve a fire, and both precede the Makara sankranti โ but they are separate regional observances with different customs and different stories, not one festival under two names.
Not the same day
These fall nearby or share the tithi, and are often confused with this observance. They are separate, and this site dates them separately.
- Pongal / Thai Pongal
- Lohri
This guide has not yet been reviewed by a named scholar or practising priest. The dates and times on this page come from the calculation engine and are independent of it; the explanatory text is editorial and may not reflect your family's practice. Tell us if something is wrong.