Makar Sankranti 2027 Date – 15 January

A solar festival with a steady date

Most Hindu festivals follow the moon, but Makar Sankranti follows the Sun: it is the day the Sun moves into the sidereal sign of Makara (Capricorn). That is why it falls on 14 or 15 January almost every year instead of moving around. The date drifts very slowly – roughly a day every 70 years or so – which is why it fell around 13 January a century ago.

It also begins Uttarayana in the traditional calendar, the six months of the Sun's northward course, considered auspicious. In the Mahabharata, Bhishma waited on his bed of arrows for Uttarayana before leaving his body.

One festival, many names

• Tamil Nadu – Pongal, a four-day festival: Bhogi (old things burnt), Thai Pongal (rice boiled in a new pot until it overflows), Mattu Pongal (cattle honoured) and Kaanum Pongal (family outings).
• Gujarat and Rajasthan – Uttarayan, when the sky fills with kites from dawn to dusk; undhiyu and chikki are eaten on rooftops.
• Punjab and Haryana – Maghi, following Lohri bonfires the evening before.
• Assam – Magh Bihu (Bhogali Bihu), with a community feast and bonfires of meji huts.
• Uttar Pradesh and Bihar – Khichdi Parv, when khichdi, dahi-chura and til laddoos are eaten and donated.
• Maharashtra – women exchange tilgul with the words 'tilgul ghya, god god bola' (take tilgul and speak sweetly), and hold haldi-kumkum gatherings.
• Karnataka – Sankranti with ellu-bella (sesame, jaggery, coconut and peanuts) shared among neighbours; Andhra Pradesh and Telangana hold a three-day festival with Bhogi, Sankranti and Kanuma.
• Kerala – the Makaravilakku is sighted at Sabarimala.

Holy dips and charity

Lakhs of pilgrims bathe at the confluence of rivers at Prayagraj, where the Magh Mela is under way, and at Gangasagar in West Bengal, where the Ganga meets the sea. Charity (daan) on this day is considered especially meritorious – sesame seeds, jaggery, khichdi, blankets and warm clothes are commonly given.

Why sesame and jaggery

Til (sesame) and gur (jaggery) are winter foods that provide warmth and energy, and are tied to the season's harvest. Til laddoos, gajak, rewari, chikki and tilgul are made in almost every region. Sesame is also linked with the Sun and with Shani in tradition, and is offered in charity.

Kite flying safely

Kite flying is a highlight in Gujarat, Rajasthan and many North Indian cities. Glass-coated and synthetic (Chinese) manja is banned in many states because it injures people on two-wheelers and kills birds. Use cotton thread, keep children away from rooftop edges, and leave injured birds to rescue helplines.

How to do Makar Sankranti puja, step by step

1. Bathe early, ideally in a river; add sesame seeds to your bath water at home.
2. Offer water (arghya) to the Sun from a copper lota, with red flowers, akshat and a little sesame.
3. Pray to Surya with the Gayatri mantra or 'Om Suryaya Namah'.
4. Cook khichdi, pongal or til-gud sweets and offer them first to the Sun or your family deity.
5. Donate sesame, jaggery, rice, dal, blankets or warm clothes.
6. Share til-gud with family and neighbours.