Makar Sankranti 2027 – The Sun Turns North
मकर संक्रांति
When is Makar Sankranti in 2027?
Makar Sankranti falls on Thursday, 14 January 2027. It marks the sun’s entry into Makara (Capricorn) and the start of Uttarayan, the sun’s northward journey. Because it follows the solar calendar rather than the moon, the date stays fixed around 14 January every year.
Makar Sankranti is the day the sun leaves the sign of Sagittarius and moves into Makara, or Capricorn, beginning its slow climb back to the northern sky. Hindus read this shift as the return of longer, warmer days and the close of the year’s darkest stretch. Falling on or about 14 January, it is one of the very few festivals tied to the solar calendar, which is why its date hardly changes. People bathe in sacred rivers, share sweets of sesame and jaggery, and fly kites into a clear winter sky.
Makar Sankranti 2026-2028: Dates & Calendar
The next Makar Sankranti is Thursday, 14 January 2027. Unlike most Hindu festivals it is fixed to the sun rather than the moon, so it lands on nearly the same date each year.
| Year | Date | Day | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 14 January | Wednesday | Uttarayan begins |
| 2027 | 14 January | Thursday | Next occurrence; the sankranti moment straddles 14-15 January, so a few panchang mark it on 15 Jan |
| 2028 | 14 January | Friday | Uttarayan begins |
The festival is celebrated on the day the sun enters Makara. When the transition happens late in the day, some regional almanacs shift the main observance to the following morning, which is why you may see 15 January listed for 2027.
Why Makar Sankranti Is Celebrated
Makar Sankranti is celebrated because it marks the sun’s turn to the north (Uttarayan) and the end of the inauspicious winter month, bringing longer days and the harvest thanksgiving.
The sun turns north
Sankranti means the passage of the sun from one zodiac sign to the next. This particular one, into Makara (Capricorn), starts Uttarayan, the six-month northward course. In many Hindu texts this half of the year is considered the more auspicious time for beginnings, weddings and sacred rites.
End of a dark month
The festival closes the month sometimes called the inauspicious period of the winter solstice and opens a season of growing daylight. Farmers see it as a natural New Year for the fields, warmer weather and renewed work ahead.
A harvest thank-you
The main crop is in by mid-January across much of India, so the day doubles as a harvest festival. Fresh sugarcane, sesame and the new rice are offered first, a way of giving thanks before the family eats.
Sweetness and goodwill
In Maharashtra people share til-gud (sesame and jaggery) with the words til-gul ghya, god god bola – take this sweet and speak sweetly. Old quarrels are meant to be set aside as the new season starts.
Deities & Figures Worshipped
Makar Sankranti is dedicated to Surya, the sun god, whose movement into Capricorn gives the festival its name and meaning.
Surya
The sun god is the heart of the day. Devotees offer water to the rising sun (arghya), recite the Gayatri and Surya mantras, and give thanks for light and the coming harvest. The whole festival tracks Surya’s journey into Makara.
Sacred rivers
The Ganga, Godavari and the meeting of rivers at Prayag are honoured with a ritual bath. At Ganga Sagar in Bengal, where the Ganga meets the sea, one of India’s largest annual gatherings forms for a dawn dip.
Key Rituals, Step by Step
The day usually begins before dawn with a holy bath and ends with kites, sweets and acts of charity.
- Rise early for the holy dip. Families bathe at home or travel to a sacred river – the Ganga, Godavari, or the confluence at Prayag – believing a Sankranti dip is especially cleansing.
- Offer water to the sun. Standing in the light, devotees pour an arghya of water toward the rising sun and recite Surya mantras in thanks.
- Prepare til-gud sweets. Sesame and jaggery are cooked into laddoos, chikki and tilgul, then offered to the deity and shared with neighbours.
- Exchange sweets and greetings. People visit each other with til-gud, asking that any bitterness of the past year be forgotten.
- Fly kites. In Gujarat, Rajasthan and beyond, rooftops fill from morning as families fly and cut kites through the day.
- Light bonfires (regional). In the north, the eve or the day is marked with a bonfire around which songs are sung and grains are offered.
- Give daan (charity). Sesame, jaggery, blankets, rice and khichdi ingredients are donated to the needy, seen as a highly meritorious act on this day.
Special Foods of Makar Sankranti
The kitchen turns to sesame, jaggery and the new harvest, foods that warm the body in deep winter.
Tilgul & til laddoo
Sesame seeds bound with jaggery, rolled into laddoos or set as chikki. Warming and rich in the cold, they carry the festival’s message of sweet words and mended ties.
Khichdi
A comforting one-pot of rice and lentils, cooked with fresh winter vegetables. The dish is so central in the north that the festival itself is called Khichdi there.
Pongal
Freshly harvested rice boiled with milk and jaggery until it overflows the pot, a sign of plenty. It gives the Tamil festival its name.
Chikki & sugarcane
Brittle sheets of jaggery set with peanuts or sesame, alongside stalks of the season’s new sugarcane, round out the day’s sweets.
Regional Names & Variations
One solar event, many names – from bonfires in Punjab to kite-filled skies in Gujarat, the day is kept across India under local titles.
Tamil Nadu – Pongal
A four-day harvest festival named after the pot of rice and milk boiled until it spills over. Cattle are washed and honoured on Mattu Pongal, and the sun is thanked for the crop.
Punjab – Lohri & Maghi
Lohri is celebrated the evening before with a bonfire, sesame, jaggery and folk songs. The morning of Sankranti itself is Maghi, marked with a river dip.
Gujarat – Uttarayan
Known as Uttarayan and famous as a kite festival. Rooftops across Ahmedabad and Surat fill with families flying and cutting kites from morning to night.
Assam – Magh / Bhogali Bihu
A harvest feast built around community bonfires (meji) and food, with the night before spent in temporary huts eating and celebrating the gathered crop.
Bengal – Poush Sankranti & Ganga Sagar
Homes make date-palm jaggery sweets, while pilgrims gather in huge numbers at Ganga Sagar, where the Ganga meets the sea, for a dawn bath.
UP, Bihar & Karnataka
In UP and Bihar it is Khichdi, named for the day’s staple dish and the great Magh Mela dip at Prayag. In Karnataka it is Suggi, when families exchange a mix of sesame, jaggery and sugarcane.
Makar Sankranti Do's and Don'ts
A few simple customs help you keep the day well.
Do
- Bathe early, ideally in or with water from a sacred river
- Offer water and prayers to the rising sun
- Share til-gud and speak kindly, letting go of old disputes
- Give daan – sesame, blankets, food or grain to those in need
- Fly kites and gather with family and neighbours
Avoid
- Do not skip charity; giving is central to the day’s merit
- Avoid harsh words or reviving quarrels on a day meant for goodwill
- Do not waste the new harvest; offer it before eating
- Avoid non-vegetarian food where families keep the day sattvic
- Do not fly kites with sharp manja near people, birds or power lines
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Makar Sankranti in 2027?
Makar Sankranti in 2027 falls on Thursday, 14 January. It marks the sun’s entry into Makara (Capricorn) and the start of Uttarayan. Because the exact sankranti moment straddles the night of 14-15 January, a few regional panchang list it on 15 January.
When is Makar Sankranti in 2026 and 2028?
Makar Sankranti was on Wednesday, 14 January 2026, and will be on Friday, 14 January 2028. The festival follows the solar calendar, so it stays on or about 14 January every year rather than moving with the moon like most Hindu festivals.
Why is Makar Sankranti celebrated?
Makar Sankranti is celebrated to mark the sun’s turn to the north, called Uttarayan, which brings longer days and closes the darkest month of winter. It is also a harvest thanksgiving, when the new crop, sesame and sugarcane are offered in gratitude before the season’s work begins.
Which god is worshipped on Makar Sankranti?
Surya, the sun god, is worshipped on Makar Sankranti. Devotees offer water to the rising sun, recite Surya mantras and give thanks, since the whole festival tracks the sun’s movement into the sign of Makara (Capricorn).
Why is Makar Sankranti fixed to 14 January?
Makar Sankranti is fixed around 14 January because it follows the solar calendar and marks the exact day the sun enters Capricorn. Most Hindu festivals depend on the moon and shift each year, but this solar event keeps almost the same date, drifting only very slowly over centuries.
What are the main rituals of Makar Sankranti?
The main rituals of Makar Sankranti are an early holy bath in a sacred river, offering water to the rising sun, sharing sesame-and-jaggery sweets, flying kites, and giving charity such as food, sesame and blankets. In the north, bonfires are lit the evening before.
What foods are eaten on Makar Sankranti?
Makar Sankranti foods centre on sesame and jaggery – til laddoo, tilgul and chikki – along with khichdi in the north, Pongal (rice boiled with milk and jaggery) in the south, and fresh sugarcane. These warming, harvest-based foods suit the deep winter of mid-January.
What are the regional names for Makar Sankranti?
Makar Sankranti has many regional names: Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri and Maghi in Punjab, Uttarayan in Gujarat, Magh or Bhogali Bihu in Assam, Poush Sankranti in Bengal, Khichdi in UP and Bihar, and Suggi in Karnataka. All mark the same solar harvest festival.
However you keep the day – with a river dip, a kite, or a laddoo pressed into a neighbour’s hand – may the returning sun bring you a warm and fruitful year. Til-gul ghya, god god bola.