Sankranti

Makar(a) Sankrānti, also referred to as Uttarāyana, Makara, or simply Sankrānti, is a Hindu observance and a mid-winter harvest festival in India and Nepal. It is typically celebrated on 14 January annually, this occasion marks the transition of the sun from the zodiac of Sagittarius (dhanu) to Capricorn (makara). As this transition coincides with the sun's movement from south to north, the festival is dedicated to the solar deity, Surya, and is observed to mark a new beginning. Across India, the occasion is celebrated with numerous multi-day festivals.

Sankranti () refers to the transmigration of the sun from one zodiac to another in Indian astronomy. In Saurmana varsha (Hindu Solar year), there are twelve Sankrantis corresponding with twelve months of a year. The Sankrantis can be broadly classified into four main categories: Ayan (Solstice), Vishuva (Equinox), Vishupadi and Shadshitimukhi sankrantis. Each Sankranti is marked as the beginning of a month in the sidereal solar calendars followed in South Indian states: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka; Himalayan states: Jammu region, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Nort