Makar Sankranti: dates, muhurat and meaning.
The next Makar Sankranti is on Friday, 15 January 2027. The date is computed from the classical panchang for Delhi (rule: classical festival table — tithi prevailing at local noon). Below are the Makar Sankranti dates for 2026 and 2027, the day's shubh muhurat windows, and what the festival celebrates.
Makar Sankranti dates
What is Makar Sankranti?
Makar Sankranti celebrates the sun's crossing into Capricorn and the turning of Uttarayana, the six-month northward arc the Mahabharata calls the auspicious half of the year — Bhishma is said to have waited for it to give up his life.
Across India it takes local names — Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Uttarayan in Gujarat, Magh Bihu in Assam, Khichdi in Bihar — but the thread is one: harvest gratitude, sesame and jaggery, and gifts of warmth in mid-winter. The exact sankranti moment varies with longitude, but the festival is observed on the civil day it falls.
Muhurat on Makar Sankranti
The punya kaal (merit window) for bathing and charity centres on the sankranti instant. Any shubh work begun on Sankranti is traditionally strong — the Abhijit Muhurat above is the day's best general window.
| Window — 15 January 2027 | Time (IST) |
|---|---|
| Abhijit Muhurat (shubh for all works) | 12:10 PM – 12:51 PM |