The Sun's entry into Capricorn marks the start of Uttarayan and harvest festivals across India.
Makar Sankranti will be celebrated on Thursday, January 14, 2027, when the Sun enters the sidereal sign of Capricorn, or Makar. The day marks the start of the Sun's northward journey in the traditional calendar.
Lohri, the Punjabi harvest festival, will be celebrated with bonfires on the evening before, January 13.
The punya kaal, considered the most auspicious window for holy dips and charity, begins with the Sun's transit and varies by city. Devotees bathe in rivers, donate sesame, jaggery and grains, and worship the Sun god.
The festival goes by many names: Uttarayan in Gujarat, famous for kite flying, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Bihu in Assam and Khichdi in parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. It also ends the inauspicious Kharmas period.
