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इतिहास
The history, origin and significance of Makar Sankranti — where it comes from, what it means, and how it changed over time.
Makar Sankranti 2026: 14 January 20261 dayमकर संक्रांति
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Makar Sankranti marks the sun's transit into the zodiac sign Capricorn, which makes it one of the very few Indian festivals fixed by the solar calendar rather than the lunar one. It falls on 14 or 15 January. In 2026 it is Wednesday 14 January.
Because it is solar, the festival does not drift, and nearly the whole country observes it on the same day — under completely different names and with completely different rituals. In Gujarat and Maharashtra it is Uttarayan and the kite-flying festival. In Punjab it is Maghi, and the day after Lohri. In Tamil Nadu it is Pongal, a four-day harvest festival. In Karnataka it is Suggi, in Andhra and Telangana it is Sankranti, in Assam it is Magh Bihu, in West Bengal it is Poush Sankranti with pithe and payesh, in Bihar and UP it is Khichdi Parva, and in Nepal it is Maghe Sankranti.
The festival is fundamentally about the harvest, the end of the inauspicious Kharmas period, and the northward movement of the sun (Uttarayan), which is considered the auspicious half of the year. It is also the traditional day for the Ganga Sagar Mela and the Kumbh Mela's main bathing dates in some years.
The one ritual almost universally present is taking a ritual bath at sunrise and eating something made from the new harvest — til and gur laddoos in the north and west, khichdi in the east, pongal in the south, pithe in Bengal. Donating til, gur, rice, and warm clothing is considered especially meritorious on this day, because it falls in the coldest part of the year.
Almost every large Indian festival means something different in different states. That is not a contradiction — it is the history.
Uttarayan — the world's largest kite-flying festival. Gujarat declares a public holiday, Ahmedabad's rooftops fill from dawn, and the night-time kite flying with illuminated strings (tukkal) continues after dark. Maharashtra eats til-gur laddoos and exchanges the greeting 'til gud ghya, aani goad goad bola'.
Pongal, a four-day festival: Bhogi (bonfire of old things), Thai Pongal (the main day, with the pot boiling over), Mattu Pongal (cattle worship) and Kaanum Pongal (family visits). Celebrated on 14–17 January in most years.
Suggi in Karnataka and Sankranti in Andhra and Telangana. In Andhra, three days of Bhogi, Sankranti and Kanuma, with much attention on cattle decoration and the garelu (vada) preparation.
Maghi, the day after Lohri. Considered the start of the new financial year for some communities, with ritual bathing and charity. In Himachal it is Magha, with local fairs.
Poush Sankranti in Bengal, with pithe, patishapta and payesh made from the new rice. In Bihar and eastern UP it is Khichdi Parva, when khichdi is cooked and eaten as the day's primary food.
Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu — the harvest festival of Assam. Community feasts are cooked in temporary bamboo huts (bhelaghar) overnight, and the Meji, a bamboo structure, is burned the next morning.
Observed as Makar Sankranti with the Makar Mela, and it also marks the end of the month-long Dhanu Yatra in Bargarh.
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