Makar Sankranti

Also known as Sankranti, Sankranthi, Pongal, Uttarayana, Punyakalam, Pedda Panduga, Maghi, Magha Mela

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.

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Key facts

Also called: Uttarayana, Sankranti, Til Sakraat, Magha, Môkôr Sôṅkrānti, Mela, Ghughuti, Pedda Panduga, Bhogi, Sakraat, Pongal, Peddha Panduga, Sakrat, Khichaṛi, Sankramana
Observed by: Hindus , Buddhists , Sikhs , Jains
Liturgical color: Red
Type: Religious and cultural, harvest festival
Significance: A harvest festival, a celebration of the mid-winter solstice
Celebrations: Kite flying, bonfires, fairs, feast, arts, dance, socialization
Date: First day of makara masa, Bhogi (15 January in leap years ; 14 January on all other years)
Frequency: Annual
Related to: Pongal , Lohri , Lal Loi , Maghe Sankranti , Magh Bihu , Tusu Festival

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Article

Makar(a) Sankrānti (Sanskrit: मकरसङ्क्रान्ति, romanized: Makarasaṅkrānti), (transl. Capricorn Festival) also referred to as Uttarāyana, Makara, or simply Sankrānti, is a Hindu observance and a mid-winter harvest festival in India and Nepal. The Sun God (Surya) is worshipped in Makar Sankranti. It is typically celebrated on 14 January annually (15 January on a leap year). 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.

The festivities associated with Makar Sankranti are known by various names including Sankranthi or Peddha Panduga in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Khichari in Bhojpuri region, Magh Bihu in Assam, Maghi Saaji in Himachal Pradesh, Makaravilakku in Kerala, Makara sankranti in Karnataka, Maghi Sangrand in Punjab, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Maghi Sangrand or Uttarain (Uttarayana) in Jammu, Sakrat in Haryana, Sakraat in Rajasthan, Sukarat in central India, Uttarayana in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, Ghughuti in Uttarakhand, Dahi Chura in Bihar, Makar Sankranti in Odisha, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal (also called Poush Sankranti or Mokor Sonkranti), Uttar Pradesh (also called Khichidi Sankranti), Uttarakhand (also called Uttarayani) or as simply, Maghe Sankranti (Nepal), Songkran (Thailand), Thingyan (Myanmar), Mohan Songkran (Cambodia), Til Sakraat in Mithila, and Shishur Senkrath (Kashmir). On Makar Sankranti, Surya (Hindu solar deity) is worshipped along with Vishnu and goddess Lakshmi throughout India.