Sankranti around the world in 2025

Sankranti around the world in 2025
Indian kites are traditionally used on Makar Sankranti. Image by amlanmathur , via 123RF
  How long until Sankranti?
Sankranti
  Dates of Sankranti around the world
2026 Various Jan 14
India Jan 14
Andhra PradeshWed, Jan 14Regional Holiday
AssamWed, Jan 14Regional Holiday
GujaratWed, Jan 14Regional Holiday
KarnatakaWed, Jan 14Regional Holiday
Tamil NaduWed, Jan 14Regional Holiday
TelanganaWed, Jan 14Regional Holiday
NepalWed, Jan 14National Holiday
2025 Various Jan 14
India Jan 14
Andhra PradeshTue, Jan 14Regional Holiday
AssamTue, Jan 14Regional Holiday
GujaratTue, Jan 14Regional Holiday
KarnatakaTue, Jan 14Regional Holiday
Tamil NaduTue, Jan 14Regional Holiday
TelanganaTue, Jan 14Regional Holiday
NepalTue, Jan 14National Holiday
2024 Various Jan 14, Jan 15, Jan 17
India Jan 14, Jan 15, Jan 17
Tamil NaduWed, Jan 17Regional Holiday
AssamMon, Jan 15Regional Holiday
KarnatakaMon, Jan 15Regional Holiday
TelanganaMon, Jan 15Regional Holiday
Arunachal PradeshSun, Jan 14Regional Holiday
NepalMon, Jan 15National Holiday
2023 Various Jan 14, Jan 15, Jan 17
India Jan 14, Jan 15, Jan 17
Tamil NaduTue, Jan 17Regional Holiday
Andhra PradeshSun, Jan 15Regional Holiday
TelanganaSun, Jan 15Regional Holiday
AssamSat, Jan 14Regional Holiday
GujaratSat, Jan 14Regional Holiday
KarnatakaSat, Jan 14Regional Holiday
Madhya PradeshSat, Jan 14Regional Holiday
NepalSun, Jan 15National Holiday
2022 Various Jan 14, Jan 15, Jan 16, Jan 17
India Jan 14, Jan 15, Jan 16, Jan 17
Tamil NaduMon, Jan 17Regional Holiday (in lieu)
Tamil NaduSun, Jan 16Regional Holiday
KarnatakaSat, Jan 15Regional Holiday
SikkimSat, Jan 15Regional Holiday
TelanganaSat, Jan 15Regional Holiday
Andhra PradeshFri, Jan 14Regional Holiday
AssamFri, Jan 14Regional Holiday
GujaratFri, Jan 14Regional Holiday
OdishaFri, Jan 14Regional Holiday
NepalFri, Jan 14Regional Holiday
  Summary

A harvest festival marking the start of spring.

  Which countries observe Sankranti in 2025?
National Holiday Regional Holiday Not a public holiday Govt Holiday
  IndiaJan 14
  NepalJan 14
Related holidays

When is Makar Sankranti?

This is a popular Hindu festival that occurs on or around January 14th across India.

The day is known by various names and there is a variety of different customs observed in the different Indian states.

Despite these variations, it is a harvest and thanksgiving festival marking the start of spring, the end of the traditional farming season and the gathering of the first food from the harvest.

It is unique among Hindu festivals as the date is based on a solar calendar rather than the phases of the moon. This means it falls on January 14th in the western calendar.

This date marks the start of Uttarayana, the time when the sun starts to move northwards after the winter equinox.

This date is now actually December 21st in the Western Calendar, but as the equinoxes move by 50 seconds each year due to the wobble of the Earth's axis.

This shows the ancient age of this festival - a thousand years ago, the festival was on December 31st.

Uttarayana is also considered a time of good fortune and important events are scheduled during this period.

Celebrations across India

Maharashtra, Gujarat

Here the day is known as Makar Sankranti. Makara Sankranthi refers to the event of the Sun entering the zodiac sign of Makara or Capricorn, marking the start of its northward journey. It is a festival of the young and the old.

In Ahmedabad in Gujarat, a large part of the celebration is the International Kite Festival. The skies are filled with kites, and kite makers come from many other cities to make and fly multicoloured kites in all design and sizes. At night, kites with paper lamps filling the sky with light.

Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka

The festival is celebrated for up to four days and is known as Pongal.

The harvest festival is known as Pongal and lasts for three days.

In Andhra Pradesh, the first day is known as Bhogi, and it is a day of cleaning and cleansing; old clothes are thrown away, marking the start of new life.

The second day is known as Pongal day. This is the key day for celebrations and holidays in many states. To mark a good harvest, milk or rice is cooked until they boil over - 'Pongal' means 'it boils'. The food is offered to the gods (including the sun or rain gods, depending on the region's climate) before people eat it to cleanse themselves of past sins.

The third day is Mattu Pongal (festival of the cow). It is a day to offer thanks to the village cows and oxen, who played a key role in the season's farming as they are used to plough the land. The cows and oxen are bathed, decorated with garlands and worshipped.

The fourth day is known as Kanum Pongal or Kanyapongal. In Tamil Nadu, it may be called Uzhavar Tirunal. This is a day to thank family and friends who have helped in the farming season and the harvest.

In southern India, all three or four days of Pongal are considered important. Southern Indians who have settled in the north will usually celebrate the second day. As it coincides with Makara Sankranti in the north, it may also be called Pongal Sankranti.

Punjab

The festival is called Lohri. December and January is winter in Punjab and bonfires are lit on the eve of Sankranti. Sweets, sugarcane and rice are thrown on the bonfires and friends and relatives gather together.

Uttar Pradesh

The period is celebrated as Kicheri. An important tradition on this day is to have a bath and masses of people can be seen bathing in the Sangam at Prayagraj where the rivers Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswathi flow together.


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