The solar transition that marks a new beginning

Cultures · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Every January, a celestial shift triggers a wave of celebrations across India. Known as Makar Sankranti, this festival marks the Sun's entrance into the sign of Capricorn, signaling the start of its northward journey and a seasonal turning point for harvests and rituals.

Makar Sankranti is a solar-based Hindu festival occurring on January 14, or January 15 during leap years. Unlike many Hindu holidays that follow a lunisolar calendar, this festival is reckoned according to the solar calendar, allowing it to fall on roughly the same Gregorian date annually. The name itself derives from Sanskrit, where 'Makara' refers to the zodiac sign Capricorn and 'sankranti' denotes the transition or transmigration of the Sun into a new astrological sign.

The festival celebrates the beginning of the Sun's northward journey, known as Uttarayana. This period is deeply embedded in Hindu epic tradition; in the Mahabharata, the commander Bhishma declared he would depart life only once the Sun began this northward course. While the winter solstice (December 21 or 22) also marks the Sun's northward movement in astronomical terms, the precession of equinoxes has caused the astronomical solstice and the festival's specific solar transit date to separate over time.

Celebrations vary significantly by region, reflecting diverse local customs. In Gujarat, the festival is celebrated with the International Kite Festival in Ahmedabad. In the Deccan and Maharashtra, it is often called Til Sankranti, where people exchange 'tilgul'—sweets made of sesame and jaggery—to encourage speaking sweetly. In Tamil Nadu, the festival is known as Pongal, named after the ritual of boiling newly harvested rice and milk until it overflows. In West Bengal, the festival is associated with 'Poush Sankranti' and the use of 'nabanna' (new grain) in traditional dishes.

The festival also serves as a major period for pilgrimage. Devotees often perform ritual baths in sacred waters, such as the Ganges at Gangasagar or the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna in Prayagraj. This period inaugurates the ritual bathing for the Kumbh Mela, a massive pilgrimage that occurs every 12 years and has attracted hundreds of millions of people.

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