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Hindu Festival · 2026 · All Years Guide

Makar Sankranti 2026

Solar festival marking the sun's transition into Capricorn.

Gregorian dateJanuary 14, 2026
Day of weekWednesday
PanchangWhen Sun enters Capricorn
ReligionHinduism

In 2026, Makar Sankranti falls on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. Regional panchang authorities — including the Vakya, Drik, and Surya Siddhanta traditions — may calculate the precise tithi differently, with some communities observing the festival one day earlier or later than the date shown.

Significance of Makar Sankranti

Makar Sankranti is one of the few Hindu festivals observed according to the solar calendar rather than the lunar, marking the transition of the Sun into the Capricorn (Makara) zodiac and the start of the Uttarayana — the six-month northward journey of the sun, considered the most auspicious half of the solar year. The festival falls between January 14 and 15 in the Gregorian calendar and is celebrated across the Indian subcontinent under regional names including Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri in Punjab, Uttarayan in Gujarat, Magh Bihu in Assam, Maghi in Punjab, and Khichdi in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The festival celebrates the harvest, the reverence of the sun god Surya, and the gradual lengthening of days that brings the promise of spring.

Traditions and Observances

Devotees rise before dawn for ritual baths in sacred rivers — the Ganges at Prayagraj, Varanasi, Haridwar, the Yamuna, the Godavari, and the Cauvery — believing that ablution on this day washes away accumulated sins. Special foods of sesame seeds and jaggery in the form of til-gud laddoos, gajak, and chikki are exchanged with the greeting "til-gud ghya, god-god bola" (eat tilgul and speak sweetly). Charitable donations of warm clothing, blankets, and food to the poor are widespread. Kite-flying competitions take over rooftops in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra, with the sky filled with thousands of colorful kites and the air thick with cheers of "kai po che."

Makar Sankranti 2026 — At a Glance

If you are planning travel, scheduling community events, requesting time off work, or simply marking your family calendar for 2026, the table below summarises every key detail for Makar Sankranti this year, alongside the surrounding observances on either side of the festival in the Hindu lunar calendar.

Detail2026
Gregorian dateJanuary 14, 2026
Day of weekWednesday
Panchang referenceWhen Sun enters Capricorn
TraditionHinduism (regional variations across panchang traditions)

Regional Observance

Gujarat's Uttarayan is celebrated with the International Kite Festival in Ahmedabad, drawing professional kite-flyers from around the world. Tamil Nadu's four-day Pongal festival begins with Bhogi Pongal (cleaning of homes), followed by Thai Pongal (cooking of the eponymous sweet rice dish in a clay pot), Mattu Pongal (worship of cattle), and Kaanum Pongal (family visits). Punjab's Lohri is celebrated the night before with bonfires and the singing of Punjabi folk songs honoring the legendary hero Dulla Bhatti. Assam's Magh Bihu features traditional bamboo huts called meji that are burned at dawn. Bihar's Khichdi serves the eponymous lentil-and-rice dish to family and neighbors.

Makar Sankranti Across the Years 2024–2030

The Islamic Hijri calendar is a purely lunar calendar of approximately 354 days, so its observances drift forward by roughly 10–11 days each Gregorian year. The Hindu lunar calendar uses periodic intercalary months (adhik maas) that keep festivals broadly anchored to the seasons. The table below shows the Gregorian date of Makar Sankranti across every year HijriHub covers, allowing you to plan multi-year commemorations, anniversaries, or research at a glance.

YearGregorian dateDay
2024January 15, 2024Monday
2025January 14, 2025Tuesday
2026January 14, 2026Wednesday
2027January 14, 2027Thursday
2028January 15, 2028Saturday
2029January 14, 2029Sunday
2030January 14, 2030Monday

How HijriHub calculates Makar Sankranti 2026

Our Hindu festival dates are compiled from the Drik Panchang almanac authority, cross-checked against regional panchang publications including the Mahesh Dharmik Panchang and the Indian government's National Calendar. For festivals tied to specific tithis, nakshatras, or yogas, the date listed corresponds to the day on which the festival is most widely observed in North India under the Drik tradition. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and parts of Karnataka follow the Vakya tradition that may shift the observance by a day. Bengal's Vishuddha Siddhanta and the lunisolar calendars of Maharashtra and Gujarat occasionally differ. Always confirm with your family priest or local temple before finalising ritual plans.

Other Years

Other Holidays in January 2026