2026 Makara Sankranti
14 Jan, 2026
Wednesday
2026 Makara Sankranti on
(14-01-2026)
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Meaning & Significance of Makar Sankranti
Makar Sankranti, or Makar Mahotsav also called Uttarayan, Makar or simply Sankranti, is a Hindu ritual and festival. Usually falling annually on January 14 or January 15 on leap years, the occasion marks on the Sun's transition from Sagittarius to Capricorn or Makara Rashi. Since the Sun undergoes this change which vaguely coincides with its movement from south to north, the festival is dedicated to the solar deity, Surya, and is celebrated to mark a new beginning. Many native multi-day festivals are organized across India on this occasion.
Makar Sankranti is celebrated with colorful decorations, flying kites by rural children going from door to door, singing and in some areas asking for gifts, social festivities like melas, dances, bonfires and feasts.
Magh Mela Started on the Day
Magh Mela is mentioned in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Many observers go to sacred rivers or lakes and bathe in a ceremony to thank the Sun. Every twelve years, Hindus celebrate Makar Sankranti with the Kumbh Mela which one of the world's largest mass pilgrimages, with an estimated 60 to 100 million people attending in the event.
Frequent Asked Questions(FAQs)
Sankranti means Sankraman or transit. The entry or transition of the Sun from one zodiac sign to another. This astronomical event occurs 12 times a year, marking the beginning of the solar months.
On Sankranti, wake up early and offer water to the Sun God before worshipping him. It is also considered auspicious to visit Lord Shiva on this day. Donating food and clothes is also considered auspicious. Donations related to Lord Surya should be made on Sankranti. Eating meat, fish, or non-vegetarian food is considered a sin.
By worshipping Sun God and Lord Shiva on this day, planetary defects are destroyed.
Sankranti falls every month, and some of the most prominent ones are Makar Sankranti, Maha Vishuva Sankranti, and Dhanu Sankranti. These festivals bring significant health and spiritual benefits, promoting health through seasonal foods and boosting immunity.
On the day of Sankranti, it is very auspicious to donate foods and food grains, and clothes to the poor.
It is very auspicious, if someone donate foods, food grains like rice, wheat, jaggery, sesame, pulses then malefic planets’ negative effects will be diminished.