Sankranti Calendar
The Sankranti festival calendar - the solar-transit festivities including Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Bihu, Lohri, Vishu and Vaisakhi, with the tithi for each day.
January 2026
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Bhogi / Lohri
Tithi 12:41 PM, Jan 12 – 3:18 PM, Jan 13
The eve of Makar Sankranti — Maharashtra cooks bhogichi bhaji, while Punjab and the Sindhi community (as Lal Loi) light the Lohri bonfire and offer sesame, jaggery and popcorn to bid winter farewell.
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Makar Sankranti / Uttarayan / Pongal
Tithi 3:19 PM, Jan 13 – 5:53 PM, Jan 14
The Sun begins its northward journey (Uttarayan); a harvest festival of til-gud (sesame and jaggery), with Gujarat's famous kite-flying and Tamil Nadu's Pongal.
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Mattu Pongal
Tithi 5:55 PM, Jan 14 – 8:19 PM, Jan 15
The third day of Pongal, when cattle are bathed, decorated and honoured for their role in farming.
April 2026
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Vishu
Tithi 1:10 AM, Apr 14 – 12:27 AM, Apr 15
The Malayalam astronomical new year; the auspicious Vishukkani is viewed at dawn for a prosperous year.
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Pana Sankranti (Maha Vishuba)
Tithi 1:10 AM, Apr 14 – 12:27 AM, Apr 15
The Odia new year (Maha Vishuba Sankranti), with the sweet pana drink, Jhamu Yatra and Danda Nata.
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Bohag Bihu (Rongali Bihu)
Tithi 1:10 AM, Apr 14 – 12:27 AM, Apr 15
Assam's spring new-year Bihu of Husori song, dance and feasting, as the Sun enters Mesha.
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Vaisakhi
Tithi 1:10 AM, Apr 14 – 12:27 AM, Apr 15
The Punjabi spring harvest new year and the founding of the Khalsa Panth, on Mesha Sankranti.
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Bisket Jatra
Tithi 1:10 AM, Apr 14 – 12:27 AM, Apr 15
Bhaktapur's chariot and pole festival welcoming the Nepali solar new year (Baishakh).
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Jur Sital (Maithili New Year)
Tithi 1:10 AM, Apr 14 – 12:27 AM, Apr 15
The Maithili new year (Mesha Sankranti / Satuani), when elders sprinkle cooling water as blessings.
July 2026
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Karka Sankranti (Dakshinayana Begins)
Tithi 11:41 AM, Jul 15 – 8:53 AM, Jul 16
The Sun enters Karka and begins its southward journey (Dakshinayana) — the night of the gods, opening the holy Chaturmas season of vrats and worship.
October 2026
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Kati Bihu (Kongali Bihu)
Tithi 5:56 AM, Oct 17 – 8:28 AM, Oct 18
The austere Bihu of lamps lit in the paddy fields and before the Tulsi for a good harvest, as the Sun enters Tula.
December 2026
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Dhanurmasam Begins
Tithi 9:22 PM, Dec 15 – 10:54 PM, Dec 16
The month of dawn Vishnu worship (Tiruppavai / Dhanurmasa) begins as the Sun enters Dhanu.
Tithi start and end times are shown in your local time. Festival dates follow the standard Indian (sunrise) calendar and may vary by a day in other regions, and may differ slightly from regional almanacs (especially around an Adhik Maas).
Frequently asked questions about Sankranti Calendar
What is a Sankranti?
The moment the Sun enters a new sidereal sign - twelve in a year. Because it is a solar event, Sankranti festivals stay within a day or two of the same Gregorian date each year, unlike the lunar festivals.
Which festivals fall on a Sankranti?
Makar Sankranti with Pongal, Lohri, Bihu and Uttarayana in January; Mesha Sankranti with Vaisakhi, Pohela Boishakh, Puthandu, Vishu and Bohag Bihu in April; and Karka Sankranti at Dakshinayana in July. The harvest calendar of the whole subcontinent hangs on these.
Why is Makar Sankranti on 14 or 15 January and not in December?
Because the sidereal zodiac is fixed to the stars, not to the equinox, and the two drift apart at about a degree in seventy-two years. Makar Sankranti was near the winter solstice roughly seventeen centuries ago; the precession has moved it since.
What is done on a Sankranti day?
A bath before sunrise, daan of til, jaggery, blankets or grain, and tarpan for the ancestors. The Sankranti Vrat calendar lists all twelve with their exact moments.
Why do the solar calendars start their months here?
Because the Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Odia, Assamese, Punjabi and Nepali calendars take the Sankranti as the month boundary - which is why their month starts differ from the lunar almanacs by design.
About the Sankranti Calendar
The Sankranti festival calendar - the solar-transit festivities including Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Bihu, Lohri, Vishu and Vaisakhi, with the tithi for each day.
Each entry lists the festival or vrat with its date, the prevailing tithi, and a short note on the observance. Use the year links to plan ahead into the coming years or to look up a date from the archive.
This list is the festival dates, not the daily five limbs. For sunrise, Rahu Kalam and the day's yoga, open the Panchang. Other calendars are on the Calendars index. The story of a fast is under Vrat Katha.
