Hindu festival · computed for New Delhi
Makar Sankranti 2027 Date and Punya Kaal
In 2027, Makar Sankranti in New Delhi falls on Friday, 15 January 2027. The Sun enters Capricorn; the harvest festival of kites, sesame and til-gud.
Punya Kaal: From the moment of the ingress until sunset — or, for a night ingress, the next morning until midday.
How the date is decided
The day the Sun enters sidereal Capricorn (Makara). If the ingress falls after sunset, the punya kaal and the festival move to the next day.
This year the Sun changes sign after sunset, so Sankranti and its punya kaal are kept the next day.
Dates for the next few years (New Delhi)
| Year | Date | Punya Kaal |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday, 14 January · passed Sankranti: 3:05 PM, 14 Jan | 3:05 PM – 5:45 PM |
| 2027 | Friday, 15 January Sankranti: 9:06 PM, 14 Jan | 7:15 AM – 12:31 PM |
| 2028 | Saturday, 15 January Sankranti: 3:18 AM, 15 Jan | 7:15 AM – 5:46 PM |
| 2029 | Sunday, 14 January Sankranti: 9:20 AM, 14 Jan | 9:20 AM – 5:46 PM |
See the day's full panchang for New Delhi →
In your city
The tithi changes at the same instant everywhere, but sunrise, sunset, midnight and moonrise are local — so the day a festival falls on can differ between cities, especially abroad.
| Date | Friday, 15 January 2027 |
|---|---|
| Punya Kaal | 7:15 AM – 12:31 PM |
Cities with a different date in 2027
- London: Thursday, 14 January 2027
- New York: Thursday, 14 January 2027
- Toronto: Thursday, 14 January 2027
- San Francisco Bay Area: Thursday, 14 January 2027
About the festival
Makar Sankranti marks the Sun's entry into the sidereal sign of Capricorn (Makara). Unlike almost every other Hindu festival it follows the Sun, not the Moon, which is why it stays on 14 or 15 January year after year — it drifts by about a day every seventy years as the equinoxes precess. It also opens Uttarayana, the half-year in which the Sun is traditionally said to travel north, regarded as an auspicious season for good beginnings.
The day is a harvest festival with many regional names: Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Bhogali Bihu in Assam, Lohri the evening before in Punjab, Uttarayan in Gujarat with its kite-flying, and Khichdi in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Common threads are a ritual bath — at Prayagraj and Gangasagar for many — gifts of sesame, jaggery, rice and warm clothing to those in need, and sweets of til and gud shared with neighbours. In Maharashtra people exchange tilgul with the words "tilgul ghya, goad goad bola": take this sweet and speak sweetly.
The punya kaal is the stretch after the ingress that is considered best for bathing and giving. When the Sun changes sign after sunset, the observance moves to the next morning.
Common questions
When is Makar Sankranti 2027?
In New Delhi, Makar Sankranti 2027 is on Friday, 15 January 2027.
What is the Punya Kaal for Makar Sankranti 2027?
For New Delhi: 7:15 AM – 12:31 PM. It is computed from the city's own sunrise and sunset, so other cities differ by a few minutes or more.
Is Makar Sankranti on the same date in every city?
Mostly, but not everywhere: in 2027 the date differs in London, New York, Toronto, San Francisco Bay Area, because local sunrise, sunset or moonrise falls on the other side of the tithi change there.
Why is Makar Sankranti sometimes on 15 January?
Because it is fixed by the moment the Sun enters sidereal Capricorn, and that moment falls a few hours later each year in a four-year cycle (the leap year resets it). When it falls after sunset in India, the festival is kept the next day — and over the decades the ingress itself is slowly moving later in January.