Harvest · Surya (the Sun)
Makar Sankranti
The day the Sun enters Capricorn and begins its northward journey: sesame, jaggery, kites and holy dips.
Also known as: Uttarayana, Khichdi, Maghi
Date and muhurat
✓ 28.6519°N, 77.2315°E · Asia/Kolkata
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When is it observed?
When the Sun enters Makara (Capricorn), which is a solar event, so it falls on a nearly fixed date in mid-January, usually the 14th or 15th. If the entry occurs after sunset, the observance can move to the next day.
About Makar Sankranti
Makar Sankranti is one of the few Hindu festivals set by the Sun rather than the Moon. From this day the Sun is said to move into Uttarayana, its northward course, and the days begin to lengthen. It is also a harvest festival, thanking the earth and the Sun for the crops.
People bathe at dawn in rivers, especially the Ganga, give alms, eat sweets of sesame and jaggery, and in many regions fly kites. Fairs and gatherings take place at sacred confluences such as Prayagraj and Ganga Sagar.
Significance
Uttarayana is regarded as an auspicious phase in Hindu tradition. The Mahabharata records that Bhishma waited on his bed of arrows for this period to leave his body, and the Gita speaks of the bright path of the Sun. Giving, bathing and worship at this time are traditionally believed to carry lasting merit.
The Sankranti is also a festival of sharing. The warm sweets of sesame and jaggery are exchanged with the words of friendship, and farmers celebrate the harvest. The festival comes in many forms, which shows how one astronomical event unites regions across the subcontinent.
Observances of the day
- 1Rise early and bathe in a river or sacred water, or add a few sesame seeds and Ganga water to the bath at home.
- 2Offer arghya to the Sun with water, red flowers and sesame, and chant Surya mantras or the Gayatri.
- 3Observe the Punya Kaal, the auspicious hours after the Sun's entry into Makara, and the Maha Punya Kaal within it, for bathing, charity and worship, as given in the panchang.
- 4Give sesame, jaggery, khichdi, blankets, ghee or grain to the needy, to Brahmins or at a temple.
- 5Prepare sweets of sesame and jaggery, such as laddoo and chikki, along with khichdi in many homes, and offer them first before eating.
- 6Exchange sesame sweets with relatives and neighbours and greet them warmly.
- 7In the daytime, enjoy kite flying, which also gives the body a morning of Sun.
The story
In a popular tradition, Surya visits the home of his son Shani, who rules Capricorn, on this day, and the father and son, long at odds, are reconciled. This is a reason the day is linked with forgiveness and fresh beginnings.
Another tradition holds that the Ganga followed Bhagiratha's penance and reached the ashram of Sage Kapila on this day, washing the ashes of King Sagara's sons and freeing them, then flowing into the sea at what is now Ganga Sagar. Bhishma's choice of Uttarayana to depart is also recalled.
What to do
- ✓Take the early-morning bath and offer water to the Sun.
- ✓Give sesame, jaggery, grain or warm clothes in charity.
- ✓Eat and share sesame-jaggery sweets and khichdi.
- ✓Use cotton strings, not sharp glass-coated manjha, for kites.
- ✓Do your rituals during the Punya Kaal given in the panchang.
What to avoid
- ✕Do not use dangerous manjha that harms birds, animals and passers-by.
- ✕Avoid flying kites near roads, wires and rooftops without railings.
- ✕Do not eat non-vegetarian food or alcohol on this day.
- ✕Avoid wasting grain or throwing away the sweets.
- ✕Do not harm trees or birds; keep the day gentle.
Around the country
- Gujarat and Rajasthan: Uttarayan, with kite festivals filling the sky and special foods such as undhiyu and chikki.
- Tamil Nadu: Pongal, the four-day harvest festival with rice cooked in milk until it overflows.
- Punjab: Maghi, with a holy dip and khichdi, the day after Lohri; and in Assam, Magh Bihu with feasts and bonfires.
- Uttar Pradesh and Bihar: Khichdi, with ritual baths, the Magh Mela at Prayagraj and meals of khichdi, til and curd-flattened rice.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Makar Sankranti stay on almost the same date?
It follows the Sun's position in the zodiac, not the Moon, so it moves little in the Gregorian calendar, usually the 14th or 15th of January, and the exact moment of the Sun's entry moves a little each year with the leap-year cycle. Over the long run the date drifts later by about one day every 70 years or so.
What are Punya Kaal and Maha Punya Kaal?
They are the auspicious windows after the Sun enters Makara, when bathing, charity and worship are most recommended. The Maha Punya Kaal is the shorter, most favoured part at its start. Exact times come from the panchang for your city.
Why are sesame and jaggery eaten?
They are warming foods suited to the cold season, and by tradition they symbolise sweetness in speech and relationships, as in the saying "til-gud ghya, god god bola".