Solar ingress festival
Sankranti — All 12 Dates, Makar Sankranti & Puja Vidhi
Sankranti dates 2026 & 2027
| Sankranti | Date | Hindu month |
|---|---|---|
| Makar Sankranti(मकर संक्रांति) | Wednesday, 14 January 2026 | — |
| Kumbha Sankranti(कुम्भ संक्रांति) | Friday, 13 February 2026 | — |
| Meena Sankranti(मीन संक्रांति) | Sunday, 15 March 2026 | — |
| Mesha Sankranti(मेष संक्रांति) | Tuesday, 14 April 2026 | — |
| Vrishabha Sankranti(वृषभ संक्रांति) | Friday, 15 May 2026 | — |
| Mithuna Sankranti(मिथुन संक्रांति) | Monday, 15 June 2026 | — |
| Karka Sankranti(कर्क संक्रांति)Next | Thursday, 16 July 2026 | — |
| Simha Sankranti(सिंह संक्रांति) | Monday, 17 August 2026 | — |
| Kanya Sankranti(कन्या संक्रांति) | Thursday, 17 September 2026 | — |
| Tula Sankranti(तुला संक्रांति) | Saturday, 17 October 2026 | — |
| Vrishchika Sankranti(वृश्चिक संक्रांति) | Monday, 16 November 2026 | — |
| Dhanu Sankranti(धनु संक्रांति) | Wednesday, 16 December 2026 | — |
All Sankranti dates are computed from real planetary positions using the Swiss Ephemeris engine with Lahiri Ayanamsa — the Sun's exact solar ingress into each rashi, not a fixed calendar.
What is Sankranti?
Sankranti (संक्रांति) is the day the Sun (Surya) moves from one rashi — zodiac sign — into the next. This solar ingress happens twelve times a year, once per rashi, so there are twelve Sankrantis, each named for the sign the Sun enters: Makar Sankranti (Capricorn), Kumbh Sankranti (Aquarius), Mesh Sankranti (Aries), and so on through the year. Each Sankranti is a punya kaal — an auspicious window for snan (a holy bath), daan (charity) and Surya worship.
Because Sankranti follows the Sun and not the moon, it falls on nearly the same English date each year (around the 14th–16th), unlike the lunar festivals whose dates shift by weeks. The exact ingress moment still varies, which is why every date in the table above is computed from the real position of the Sun using the Swiss Ephemeris engine, never copied from a generic list.
Makar Sankranti & Uttarayan — the most important
Makar Sankranti is the day the Sun enters Makar (Capricorn) and begins its northward journey — Uttarayan — ending the dark, inauspicious half of the year and opening the auspicious one. Because of this it carries the highest merit of the twelve Sankrantis, and is celebrated across India under many names: Makar Sankranti, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri in Punjab, Uttarayan in Gujarat, and Magh Bihu in Assam.
The day is marked with a holy bath at sacred rivers, til-gud (sesame and jaggery) offerings, khichdi daan, and kite-flying. The Sun's turn north is also why marriage and other shubh muhurats resume after Makar Sankranti. The exact Makar Sankranti date is the engine-computed ingress moment in the table above — it has slowly drifted from Jan 14 toward Jan 15 over decades due to precession.
Sankranti rituals — snan, daan & Surya Arghya
The Sankranti punya kaal is observed with snan, daan and Surya worship. Devotees bathe — ideally in a holy river, or with Ganga jal at home — then offer Arghya, water poured to the rising Sun with the Gayatri or Surya mantra. Daan is the heart of the day: til, gud, grains, blankets, ghee or food given to the needy, with til-gud and khichdi especially meritorious on Makar Sankranti.
The bath and charity are kept within the punya kaal window around the ingress moment for the full benefit. The exact punya kaal in your city depends on sunrise and the ingress time — for that, use the daily Panchang.
Sankranti puja vidhi
- Bathe in the punya kaal. Rise before sunrise and take a holy bath — at a sacred river if possible, or with a little Ganga jal mixed into your bath water at home. The bath within the Sankranti punya kaal (the window around the Sun's ingress) carries the day's merit.
- Offer Arghya to the Sun. Face east at sunrise and offer Arghya — water poured to the rising Sun from a copper vessel, with a pinch of roli and red flowers — chanting 'Om Suryaya Namah' or the Gayatri mantra. This honours Surya, the deity of the day.
- Worship Surya and the kuldevta. Light a ghee or til-oil diya, offer red flowers, roli and til-gud, and pray to Surya for health, vitality and clarity. Remember the kuldevta and ancestors on this sankranti of the new solar month.
- Give daan (charity). Daan is the heart of Sankranti. Give til (sesame), gud (jaggery), grains, blankets, ghee or food to the needy and to Brahmins. On Makar Sankranti, til-gud and khichdi daan are especially meritorious.
- Share til-gud and prasad. Prepare and share til-gud, khichdi or the regional Sankranti dish with family and neighbours, with the words that keep relationships sweet. Distribute the prasad of the Surya puja.
What each Sankranti means for your chart
Each Sankranti moves the transiting Sun into a new rashi, which changes the house it activates relative to your Moon sign and lagna. A Sun transit can lift or pressure career, health, confidence and recognition depending on where the transiting Sun sits in your chart and which dasha is running. The Sankranti snan-daan is the traditional way to strengthen a weak Surya.
Which house this Sankranti activates for you, and which Surya upay fits, depends on your chart. Generate your free kundali to see where the transiting Sun falls and the upay that fits the area this Sankranti is touching.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sankranti?
Sankranti is the day the Sun (Surya) moves from one rashi (zodiac sign) into the next — its solar ingress. There are twelve Sankrantis in a year, one for each rashi, named after the sign the Sun enters: Makar Sankranti (Capricorn), Mesh Sankranti (Aries), and so on. Each is a punya kaal — an auspicious window for snan (a holy bath), daan (charity) and Surya worship. Makar Sankranti, when the Sun turns north (Uttarayan), is the most celebrated. Every Sankranti is fixed by the Sun's exact movement, so the dates are computed by the engine, not the lunar calendar.
When is the next Sankranti?
The next Sankranti is the upcoming solar ingress in the live table above, highlighted as the Next date. Sankranti follows the Sun, not the moon, so it falls on nearly the same English date each year (around the 14th–16th) — but the exact moment shifts, which is why every date here is computed from the real position of the Sun using the Swiss Ephemeris engine, not copied from a generic list.
What is Makar Sankranti and why is it the most important?
Makar Sankranti is the day the Sun enters Makar (Capricorn) and begins its northward journey (Uttarayan), marking the end of the cold, inauspicious half of the year. It is celebrated across India as Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Lohri, Uttarayan and Magh Bihu, with a holy bath at sacred rivers, til-gud (sesame and jaggery) offerings, and kite-flying. Because it opens the auspicious Uttarayan period, it carries the highest merit of the twelve Sankrantis.
What should you do on Sankranti — the rituals?
The Sankranti punya kaal is observed with snan, daan and Surya worship. Devotees bathe (ideally in a holy river or with Ganga jal at home), offer Arghya — water to the rising Sun with the Gayatri or Surya mantra — and give daan: til, gud, grains, blankets or food to the needy. On Makar Sankranti, til-gud and khichdi are shared. The bath and charity are kept within the punya kaal window around the ingress moment for the full benefit.
How does Sankranti affect me — does the Sun's move change my chart?
Each Sankranti moves the transiting Sun into a new rashi, which changes the house it activates relative to your Moon sign and lagna. A Sankranti can lift or pressure career, health and confidence depending on where the transiting Sun sits in your chart and your active dasha. The festival's snan-daan is the traditional way to strengthen a weak Surya. Which house this Sankranti activates for you, and which upay fits, depends on your kundali.
Why does Sankranti fall on a fixed English date when other festivals move?
Most Hindu festivals follow the lunar calendar (tithi), so their English date shifts by weeks each year. Sankranti follows the solar calendar — the Sun's ingress into a rashi — so it lands on nearly the same English date annually (around the 14th–16th). The slow drift over decades (Makar Sankranti has moved from Jan 14 toward Jan 15) is due to precession. Every date in the table is the engine-computed ingress moment, never a memorized date.