Makar Sankranti marks the Sun's entry into Makar (Capricorn) and the start of its northward journey. Across the Hindi heartland it is a day for bathing in a river before sunrise, giving away sesame, jaggery, blankets and grain, and eating khichdi; in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar the festival is simply called Khichdi. It is the one great festival that the north reckons by the Sun and not the Moon.
The story
The six months that begin today are Uttarayan, counted as the daytime of the gods. The Mahabharata has Bhishma, wounded and lying on arrows, hold on to life for weeks until the Sun turned north. A second tradition says that on this day the Sun visits the house of his son Shani, lord of Makar, and the two set aside their quarrel.
At Gorakhpur the day belongs to Guru Gorakhnath: the first offering of khichdi at his temple is made on behalf of the royal house of Nepal, and a fair lasts a month. At Prayagraj it opens the Magh Mela, when thousands camp on the sandbanks for a month of vows.
How the day is kept
- The bathTaken before sunrise in the Ganga, the Yamuna or wherever a river is near; at home, with a little sesame in the water.
- Til and gurLaddoos of sesame and jaggery, gajak, rewri and chikki are made, eaten and handed round. Black sesame is given away with blankets and grain.
- KhichdiRice and urad dal cooked together, with ghee, papad, curd and pickle. In Bihar the morning meal is dahi-chura, curd with flattened rice.
- KitesRooftops in Jaipur, Lucknow and old Delhi fill with kite fliers until dusk.
- DaanWhatever is given today is held to return many times over; the gift is set aside before the family eats.
Why this date
Makar Sankranti is the day the Sun enters the sidereal sign of Makar. When that moment comes late in the day, after the afternoon, the bathing and giving are done on the following day. As a solar date it stays on 14 or 15 January.
Makar Sankranti in other years
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday | |
| 2027 | Friday | |
| 2028 | Saturday | |
| 2029 | Sunday | |
| 2030 | Monday | |
| 2031 | Wednesday |
More North Indian festivals
13 FebruaryRatha Saptamiरथ सप्तमी
6 MarchMaha Shivaratriमहाशिवरात्रि
23 MarchHoliहोली
24 November 2026Kartik Purnimaकार्तिक पूर्णिमा
15 November 2026Chhath Pujaछठ पूजा
8 November 2026Diwaliदीपावली
Where to see Makar Sankranti
In North India
- Triveni Sangam, PrayagrajUttar PradeshThe Magh Mela begins its great bathing days at the meeting of the Ganga and the Yamuna.
- Gorakhnath Temple, GorakhpurUttar PradeshThe Khichdi Mela: lakhs offer rice and dal at the temple, and the fair runs for a month.
- Har Ki Pauri, HaridwarUttarakhandWhere the Ganga leaves the hills; the dawn bath here is among the most sought on this day.
- JaipurRajasthanThe walled city spends the day on its roofs, and the sky is crowded with kites.
Across India
- GangasagarWest BengalPilgrims from across the north travel to where the Ganga meets the sea.
- AhmedabadGujaratUttarayan, the largest kite festival in the country.
- SabarimalaKeralaThe hill shrine's season ends with the sighting of the Makaravilakku light.