Makar Sankranti 2026: Confirmed date, timing, rituals & significance

Makar Sankranti, a major Hindu harvest festival, will be observed on Wednesday, January 14, this year.

Makar Sankranti marks the sun's movement of entering into Capricorn, which is claimed to be an auspicious period as per Hindu mythology. As confusion arises over the aforementioned solar event, Drik Panchang confirms the festival on January 14, 2026.

The festival also signifies the end of winter and the beginning of longer days, crucial for agriculture.

Key celebrations include ritual worship, gratitude for nature's bounty and marks the new begining, with sesame (til) and jaggery (gur) sweets rarely missed on the festive menu.

Auspicious Timings

According to Drik Panchang, the appropriate time to perform rituals is during the period of Punya Kala from 03:13 pm to 06:12 pm, lasting 2 hours 59 minutes.

As per religious annotations, it is suggested to prioritise the most spiritually rewarding window, the Maha Punya Kala, which falls between 03:13 pm and 05:07 pm, lasting for 1 hour 54 minutes.

Rituals & Customs

• Holy bath: Devotees wake up before sunrise and take a ritual dip in a holy river, or alternatively practise adding Ganga Jal or black sesame seeds to water and wear new or clean clothes.

• Sun worship: Offer Arghya (water) to the Sun using a copper vessel containing red flowers, rice, jaggery and sesame seeds. The mantras like “Om Suryaya Namah” are traditionally chanted while performing the ritual.

• Charity: Devotees believe that offering sesame (til), jaggery, kichdi and donating blankets and new clothes bring good fortune.

• Festive food: The festive food heavily features Rabi crops like sesame, jaggery, peanuts and winter vegetables such as mustard greens, maize. Dishes like Pongal, Til Ladoos, Gajak, Khichdi, Payasam are commonly made using these seasonal ingredients.

• Kite flying: The festival blankets the sky with colourful kites flying high to celebrate the arrival of longer, warmer days.

Significance of Makar Sankranti?

• The Makar Sankranti festival, celebrated across several states in India, emphasises the close connection between nature, agriculture and human life.

• Marking the end of winter, it signals longer days that are crucial for agriculture.

• The festival is also a significant period for farmers to harvest India's highlybeneficial seasonal crops including wheat, sugarcane, and pulses.

• The festival includes strong astronomical significance with the Sun's northward movement, called Uttarayan, as it enters the zodiac sign Capricorn. According to the scholarly observations, this perios is considered highly auspicious and is believed to bring positive energy, spiritual growth and fresh beginnings.

The festival is known by different names across India including Makar Sankranti in Bengaluru, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri/Maghi in Punjab, Bhogali Bihu in Assam and Uttarayan in Gujarat. Despite regional variations it is observes as a festival dedicated to agriculture and its close connection with astronomy.