Makar Sankranti 2026 and 2027: date, muhurat and meaning

Because it is a solar festival. Most Hindu festivals depend on the lunar tithi, which shifts against the Western calendar each year. Sankranti depends on the Sun entering sidereal Capricorn, and the Sun's motion lines up closely with the Gregorian calendar. The exact moment still drifts slowly over the decades, and whether it falls before or after sunset can move the observance by a day. This year's and next year's dates are at the top of this page (for Delhi).

Punya kaal is the window after the Sun's entry into Capricorn when bathing, prayer and charity are believed to carry special merit. Its first part, called maha punya kaal, is treated as the most auspicious. Families try to finish their bath, offer water to the Sun and give their donations within this window. Because the transit is measured against local sunrise and sunset, check the punya kaal for your own city.

Sesame (til) and jaggery (gur) are traditional winter foods across most of India, and sesame is considered sacred in many rituals, so giving and eating it on this day is seen as auspicious. In Maharashtra the exchange of tilgul comes with the line 'eat sweet, speak sweet', a gentle invitation to let go of old quarrels. In the North, til laddoos, gajak and revdi turn up in almost every home.

They mark the same turning point. Pongal is Tamil Nadu's harvest festival and runs over several days; the main Thai Pongal day coincides with Makar Sankranti. Lohri in Punjab is celebrated with a bonfire on the evening before, while Bhogali Bihu in Assam and Uttarayan in Gujarat fall in the same window. The names, foods and rituals differ, but all of them give thanks to the Sun and the harvest.

Kite flying is closely tied to Uttarayan in Gujarat and to Sankranti celebrations in Rajasthan, Telangana and parts of the North. Families spend the whole day on rooftops, snacking on sesame sweets and cheering each other on. Popular explanations connect it with welcoming the Sun after winter, though for most people it is simply the joy of the season. Please avoid glass-coated string, which injures birds and people.

Fasting is not a central requirement of Sankranti, which is more about bathing, charity and the harvest. Some families eat nothing until they have bathed and given their donations, then begin the day with khichdi or sesame sweets. Others keep it simply as a festive meal. Elderly people, pregnant women or anyone unwell often keep a lighter observance, and that is entirely in keeping with the spirit of the day.