Makar Sankranti 2026: date, significance and rituals

Makar Sankranti marks the sun's transit into Capricorn (Makar) and the start of Uttarayan, the sun's northward journey — traditionally read as the beginning of the harvest season and of longer, warmer days across much of India.

Makar Sankranti is fixed by the solar calendar rather than the lunar one, so unlike most Hindu festivals its date barely moves from year to year: it usually falls on 14 January, occasionally 15 January. For 2026, treat 14 January as the working date, but confirm the exact punya kaal (auspicious window) timing with a current panchang closer to your travel dates, since that detail varies by location and calendar authority.

• Gujarat and Rajasthan (Uttarayan) — kite-flying festivals fill the skies over Ahmedabad and Jaipur.
• Uttar Pradesh and Bihar — holy dips at the Sangam in Prayagraj and along the Ganga.
• West Bengal and Odisha (Poush Sankranti / Makar Mela) — river-mouth pilgrimages, notably Ganga Sagar.
• Punjab (Lohri, the night before) — bonfires and harvest songs.
• Tamil Nadu (Pongal, around the same period) — a separate but related harvest festival with its own rituals.

• Til-gud (sesame and jaggery) sweets, eaten for the warmth they're believed to bring in mid-winter.
• Khichdi, especially across north India.
• Fresh sugarcane and sugarcane-based sweets.

• Book kite-festival viewing in Jaipur or Ahmedabad ahead of the date.
• Dress warmly for early-morning river dips — mid-January mornings are cold.
• Respect ritual space at pilgrimage sites; a local guide helps you know where to stand.
• Mid-January weather across north India is generally cool and pleasant for sightseeing.