When Makar Sankranti falls

Dates are computed astronomically against Kashi sunrise.

The significance of Makar Sankranti

Makar Sankranti puja vidhi

1. 1Rise before sunrise and bathe, ideally in a river; add sesame seeds to the bathing water if a river is not near.
2. 2Offer arghya to the rising sun with water from a copper vessel, adding red flowers and a few grains of rice.
3. 3Recite the Gayatri mantra or Om Suryaya Namah while facing the sun.
4. 4Cook khichdi of rice and urad dal, offer it first, then eat it.
5. 5Give in charity: til, gur, a blanket, or uncooked khichdi to someone who needs it. Giving during punya kaal carries the merit of the festival.
6. 6Prepare and exchange til-gud laddus with neighbours and family.
7. 7Fly kites if that is the local custom — the day belongs to the open sky.

Mantra

Vrat rules

• No fast is prescribed. The observance is snan (bathing), daan (giving) and til.
• Bathe in a river at sunrise if possible; the punya kaal begins at the moment of the sankranti.
• Give til, gur, rice, blankets or khichdi ingredients — the giving is the rite, not an adjunct to it.
• Sesame and jaggery are eaten and exchanged: til-gud with the words 'take this sweet and speak sweetly'.
• If the sankranti falls after sunset, the punya kaal and the observance move to the next morning.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming its date changes like the lunar festivals — Makar Sankranti is solar and stays near 14–15 January every year.
• Missing the punya kaal window, which is the most meritorious time for the bath and daan on the day.
• Treating it as one uniform festival — the names, foods and customs differ widely (Pongal, Lohri, Bihu, Uttarayan, Khichdi).
• Skipping the daan — giving til, gud, khichdi and warm clothing in the cold is central to the day.

The vrat katha of Makar Sankranti

Makar Sankranti timeline

1. The solar transit

   The sun enters Makara (Capricorn) and turns northward — Uttarayana begins, the 'day of the gods' in the year's symbolism.

2. Punya kaal

   The auspicious window around the transit for the holy bath, daan and til-offerings — its timing shifts each year with the exact moment of sankranti.

3. Snan & daan

   A dip in a river at dawn, then charity — til, gud, khichdi, blankets and, in the cold, warm food given to the needy.

4. Til-gud & the sky

   Sesame-and-jaggery is exchanged with the words 'til-gul ghya, god god bola'; in the west and north the day is spent flying kites.

Famous places & temples

Interesting facts

• ◆It is almost the only major Hindu festival on a near-fixed solar date, because it follows the sun and not the moon.
• ◆Its date has slowly drifted — precession moves the sidereal Makara transit about a day later every seventy years, from late December long ago to mid-January now.
• ◆Bhishma, in the Mahabharata, lay on his bed of arrows and waited for Uttarayana to give up his life on this auspicious turn.
• ◆The same solar day is Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri on its eve in Punjab, Bihu in Assam, Uttarayan in Gujarat and Khichdi in the Hindi belt.

Common questions