Sankranti Vrat Calendar

Sankranti Vrat Calendar 2031

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.

The Sankranti Vrat Calendar lists 12 dates in 2031, from Makar Sankranti on 14 January through Dhanu Sankranti on 16 December. The year runs through Vikram Samvat 2087 – 2088. 2031 carries an Adhik Maas (Bhadrapada (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several dates later than usual.

Monthly Sankranti Days

January 2031

  • Makar Sankranti

    Tuesday, 14 January 2031

    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 2031

  • Kumbha Sankranti Vrat

    Thursday, 13 February 2031

    Sankranti — the day the Sun enters sidereal Kumbha (Aquarius). A parva for a holy dip (snana), charity (daan) and ancestral offerings.

March 2031

  • Meena Sankranti Vrat

    Saturday, 15 March 2031

    Sankranti — the day the Sun enters sidereal Meena (Pisces). A parva for a holy dip (snana), charity (daan) and ancestral offerings.

April 2031

  • Mesha Sankranti

    Monday, 14 April 2031

    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 2031

  • Vrishabha Sankranti Vrat

    Thursday, 15 May 2031

    Sankranti — the day the Sun enters sidereal Vrishabha (Taurus). A parva for a holy dip (snana), charity (daan) and ancestral offerings.

June 2031

  • Mithuna Sankranti Vrat

    Sunday, 15 June 2031

    Sankranti — the day the Sun enters sidereal Mithuna (Gemini). A parva for a holy dip (snana), charity (daan) and ancestral offerings.

July 2031

  • Karka Sankranti

    Thursday, 17 July 2031

    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 2031

  • Simha Sankranti Vrat

    Sunday, 17 August 2031

    Sankranti — the day the Sun enters sidereal Simha (Leo). A parva for a holy dip (snana), charity (daan) and ancestral offerings.

September 2031

  • Kanya Sankranti Vrat

    Wednesday, 17 September 2031

    Sankranti — the day the Sun enters sidereal Kanya (Virgo). A parva for a holy dip (snana), charity (daan) and ancestral offerings.

October 2031

  • Tula Sankranti

    Friday, 17 October 2031

    Tula Sankranti — the Sun enters Libra (Tula). Kept as Tula Sankramana with a holy dip (notably the Cauvery / Tula snana) and charity.

November 2031

  • Vrishchika Sankranti Vrat

    Sunday, 16 November 2031

    Sankranti — the day the Sun enters sidereal Vrishchika (Scorpio). A parva for a holy dip (snana), charity (daan) and ancestral offerings.

December 2031

  • Dhanu Sankranti Vrat

    Tuesday, 16 December 2031

    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).

What the sky brings in 2031

Beyond the dates the Sankranti Vrat Calendar lists, 2031 brings 5 eclipses - 2 solar and 3 lunar - of which 2 are above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carries an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Bhadrapada, running from 19 August 2031 to 16 September 2031. Karka Sankranti falls on 17 July, 1 day later in the year than in 2030 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.

Eclipses of 2031

Date (IST) Eclipse Hindu date Seen from India
7 May 9:20 AM Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Vaishakha Purnima Not visible
21 May 12:44 PM Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Jyeshtha Amavasya Yes - Sutak observed
5 Jun 5:14 PM Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Jyeshtha Purnima Penumbral only
30 Oct 1:15 PM Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Kartika Purnima Not visible
15 Nov 2:36 AM Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Kartika Shukla Pratipada Not visible

Sutak Kaal is observed for 1 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.

Guru and Shani in 2031

Date Graha Sign change
17 Feb 3:10 PM Guru (Jupiter) Vrishchika → Dhanu
14 Jun 3:30 AM Guru (Jupiter) Dhanu → Vrishchika re-entry while retrograde
15 Oct 4:20 PM Guru (Jupiter) Vrishchika → Dhanu

Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu enters Tula on 31 July 2031, carrying the eclipse axis with it.

Frequently asked questions about the Sankranti Vrat Calendar 2031

How many festivals and vrats does the Sankranti Vrat Calendar list in 2031?

The Sankranti Vrat Calendar lists 12 dates in 2031, of which 8 are vrats. The first is Makar Sankranti on Tuesday, 14 January 2031, and the last is Dhanu Sankranti on Tuesday, 16 December 2031.

What are the main festival dates in the Sankranti Vrat Calendar for 2031?

The first major observances of 2031 are:

  • Makar Sankranti - Tuesday, 14 January 2031
  • Mesha Sankranti - Monday, 14 April 2031
  • Karka Sankranti - Thursday, 17 July 2031
  • Tula Sankranti - Friday, 17 October 2031
Which traditional year does 2031 correspond to in the Sankranti Vrat Calendar?

The Gregorian year 2031 spans Vikram Samvat 2087 – 2088. The traditional year does not begin on 1 January, so one Gregorian year usually covers the end of one era year and the start of the next.

Will there be an Adhik Maas in 2031?

Yes. 2031 carries an Adhik Maas (Bhadrapada (Adhik)), the extra lunar month inserted roughly every third year to keep the lunar calendar in step with the solar one. Festivals falling after it shift later in the Gregorian year, which is why 2031 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.

Will there be any eclipses in 2031?

2031 has 5 eclipses:

  • 7 May 2031 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
  • 21 May 2031 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal will be observed
  • 5 June 2031 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak will be observed
  • 30 October 2031 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
  • 15 November 2031 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India

Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 1 of these will be kept in India.

Will Guru or Shani change sign in 2031?

Yes - 3 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2031:

  • Guru (Jupiter) enters Dhanu on 17 February 2031
  • Guru (Jupiter) enters Vrishchika on 14 June 2031, moving retrograde
  • Guru (Jupiter) enters Dhanu on 15 October 2031

Jupiter takes about a year to cross one sign and Saturn about two and a half, so these transits colour the whole year rather than a single week.

Are these 2031 dates the same everywhere?

The dates follow the standard Indian sunrise-based calendar. Because a tithi begins and ends at a fixed moment rather than at midnight, an observance can fall a day earlier or later where sunrise differs - most noticeably outside India. Set your city in the box at the top to see the start and end times in your own local time, and check the daily Panchang for the exact window on the day.

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.

Get your Daily Tarot Readings Draw Today's card