Sankranti Vrat Calendar
A month-by-month list of every Sankranti of the year - the day the Sun enters a new sidereal sign, twelve times across the year. Each Sankranti is a parva (holy day) for a sacred bath, charity (daan) and offerings to the ancestors; Makar Sankranti (Uttarayana) and Karka Sankranti (Dakshinayana) mark the turn of the Sun's course.
Monthly Sankranti Days
January 2026
-
Makar Sankranti
Makar Sankranti — the Sun enters Capricorn (Makara) and begins its northward course (Uttarayana), the most celebrated Sankranti. Kept across India as Pongal, Lohri, Bihu, Uttarayan and Khichdi with a holy dip, til-gud (sesame and jaggery) and charity.
February 2026
-
Kumbha Sankranti Vrat
Sankranti — the day the Sun enters sidereal Kumbha (Aquarius). A parva for a holy dip (snana), charity (daan) and ancestral offerings.
March 2026
-
Meena Sankranti Vrat
Sankranti — the day the Sun enters sidereal Meena (Pisces). A parva for a holy dip (snana), charity (daan) and ancestral offerings.
April 2026
-
Mesha Sankranti
Mesha Sankranti — the Sun enters Aries (Mesha), the solar new year of many regions. Kept as Vishu, Vaisakhi, Poila Boishakh, Puthandu and Bohag Bihu, with a holy dip and charity.
May 2026
-
Vrishabha Sankranti Vrat
Sankranti — the day the Sun enters sidereal Vrishabha (Taurus). A parva for a holy dip (snana), charity (daan) and ancestral offerings.
June 2026
-
Mithuna Sankranti Vrat
Sankranti — the day the Sun enters sidereal Mithuna (Gemini). A parva for a holy dip (snana), charity (daan) and ancestral offerings.
July 2026
-
Karka Sankranti
Karka Sankranti — the Sun enters Cancer (Karka) and begins its southward course (Dakshinayana), the gods' night. A parva for a holy dip and daan.
August 2026
-
Simha Sankranti Vrat
Sankranti — the day the Sun enters sidereal Simha (Leo). A parva for a holy dip (snana), charity (daan) and ancestral offerings.
September 2026
-
Kanya Sankranti Vrat
Sankranti — the day the Sun enters sidereal Kanya (Virgo). A parva for a holy dip (snana), charity (daan) and ancestral offerings.
October 2026
-
Tula Sankranti
Tula Sankranti — the Sun enters Libra (Tula). Kept as Tula Sankramana with a holy dip (notably the Cauvery / Tula snana) and charity.
November 2026
-
Vrishchika Sankranti Vrat
Sankranti — the day the Sun enters sidereal Vrishchika (Scorpio). A parva for a holy dip (snana), charity (daan) and ancestral offerings.
December 2026
-
Dhanu Sankranti Vrat
Sankranti — the day the Sun enters sidereal Dhanu (Sagittarius). A parva for a holy dip (snana), charity (daan) and ancestral offerings.
Sankranti 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 Vrat Calendar
What does this calendar give?
All twelve Sankrantis of the year - the exact moments the Sun enters each sidereal sign - with the parva and the punya kaal for each, since bathing and daan are prescribed within a window around the ingress.
What is done on a Sankranti?
A bath before sunrise, daan - til, jaggery, grain, blankets, according to the season - and tarpan for the ancestors. Nothing new is traditionally begun during the Sankranti hour itself.
Which are the two most important?
Makar Sankranti, when Uttarayana begins and the Sun turns north, and Karka Sankranti at Dakshinayana. The Sankranti festival calendar lists the festivities attached to each.
What is punya kaal?
The window around the ingress in which the bath and daan carry their fruit - sixteen ghatis on either side by the usual rule, with a shorter maha punya kaal. The calendar shows both, since the moment itself passes in an instant.
Why does the date barely move each year?
Because it is a solar event tied to the sidereal zodiac, so it stays within a day of the same Gregorian date - unlike a lunar festival, which shifts by up to a month.
About the Sankranti Vrat Calendar
A month-by-month list of every Sankranti of the year - the day the Sun enters a new sidereal sign, twelve times across the year. Each Sankranti is a parva (holy day) for a sacred bath, charity (daan) and offerings to the ancestors; Makar Sankranti (Uttarayana) and Karka Sankranti (Dakshinayana) mark the turn of the Sun's course.
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.
