HinduCalendar.in New Delhi

Makar Sankranti

Also called Uttarayan, Magh Bihu, Pongal, Maghi, Khichdi Parv

When

Thursday, 14 January 2027 in 140 days

New Delhi ยท change location

Sunrise7:19 AM
Sunset5:41 PM
Shashthi until 1:59 PM
at sunrise. This observance is governed by sankranti-instant, not by the sunrise tithi โ€” which is why the tithi named here is often not the one the festival is named for.
Uttara Bhadrapada until 11:19 PM
1:47 PM โ€“ 3:05 PM

See the complete panchang for that day โ†’

Governed by sankranti-instant

Why this date?

The Sun's entry (sankranti) into the sidereal sign Makara. This is a SOLAR event, which is why it falls on nearly the same civil date each year while lunar festivals move by weeks. The punya kala โ€” the meritorious window for bathing, charity and pitru rites โ€” is reckoned in ghatis around the sankranti instant, and its placement depends on whether the instant falls before or after sunset.

  • Computed by the panchanga engine for your location
  • Follows a written selection rule, not a copied list
  • The governing period is stated, and the rule is applied to it
  • 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†’

Dates in the coming years

Published to 2030. Later years appear as the dataset is extended and validated.

What In short

The day the Sun begins its northward course. Observed as a harvest festival across almost the whole subcontinent under a dozen different names, with bathing in rivers, sesame-and-jaggery sweets, charity, and in several regions kite-flying and cattle honouring.

Why The reason behind it

Uttarayana โ€” the northward half of the solar year โ€” is traditionally held to be the auspicious half, associated in the Mahabharata with Bhishma's choice to wait for it before leaving his body. The sesame and jaggery of the day carry a plain social meaning as well: til-gul ghya, god god bola โ€” take this sweet and speak sweetly โ€” is said while giving it.

Traditional basis

Mahabharata, Anushasana Parva โ€” Bhishma's death at the onset of Uttarayana is the most-cited basis for the half-year's auspiciousness.

Dharmashastra nibandhas on sankranti-kala โ€” Establish snana (bathing), dana (charity) and tarpana as the acts of the punya kala.

How At home, step by step

  1. Bathe before or at sunrise, ideally in flowing water; many households add sesame seeds to the bathing water where a river is not reachable.
  2. Offer arghya to the Sun โ€” water poured from a small vessel, facing east.
  3. Make or buy til-gul (sesame and jaggery); give it to neighbours and elders with the traditional greeting.
  4. Give in charity within the punya kala: sesame, jaggery, blankets, and food are the customary items.
  5. Where the family keeps the custom, honour the cattle, and fly kites in the afternoon.

เฅ เคธเฅ‚เคฐเฅเคฏเคพเคฏ เคจเคฎเคƒ

oแน sลซryฤya namaแธฅ

Salutations to the Sun.

Short namah form; safe for household use without initiation.

What you'll need
  • Sesame seeds (til)
  • Jaggery (gur)
  • A copper vessel for arghya
  • Rice and moong dal for khichdi
  • New clothes, if the family's custom
Fasting and breaking the fast

Not a fasting day in most traditions. Where a fast is kept it is a partial one broken after the arghya and the charity are done.

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

For children

Today the sun starts moving back towards the north, and the days will slowly get longer again. That is why everyone eats something sweet, flies kites, and says nice things to each other.

Common questions

Why is this on almost the same date every year when other festivals move?
Because it is set by the Sun, not the Moon. Lunar festivals are tied to a tithi, which drifts against the civil calendar by about eleven days a year. Makar Sankranti is tied to the Sun entering Makara, which is fixed against the seasons.
Why do some calendars place this a day later than others?
The sankranti is an instant, not a day. When it falls late in the evening, several traditions move the observance to the next sunrise, so two calendars using different sunset and sunrise rules can name different civil days for the same astronomical event. Both are following a rule; they are not disagreeing about the astronomy. The date this site shows, and the punya kala window with it, are computed for the location you have set.

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.

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.