Makar Sankranti 2024 Date or Titthi

Makar Sankranti 2024 date is decided by the Hindu’s Calander and it is on the 1st day of the 10th solar month magh when the sun moves from Dhanu Rashi to Makar Rashi. The month is the coldest in the Hindu calendar.

Most of the year Makar Sankranti is celebrated on 14th January, but it’s on 15th January in the leap year as per Gregorian Calander and it is also observed that the Sankranti occurs before sunset otherwise, it is celebrated the next day. 

In 2024, Makar Sankranti is on the 15th of January (According to Drik Panchang).

Sankranti Moment – 02:54 AM, 15 January

Punya Kala Makara Sankranti – 07:10 AM to 06:18 PM

Makara Sankranti Maha Punya Kala – 07:10 AM to 09:01 AM

Makar Sankranti is a gazetted holiday in India and lasts from 2-4 days in various states. The dates of different celebrations are given below: -

January 14, 2024 – Lohri/ Bhogi Pandigai

January 16, 2024 – Kanuma Panduga / Mattu Pongal

January 17, 2024 – Kaanum Pongal/ Mukkanuma

How Makar Sankranti is celebrated?

Hindus worship the god sun/ Surya deva, Makar Sankranti is the auspicious day according to the Hindu calendar. There are 12 Sankranti in total, but Makar Sankranti is the most important of all and hence it goes along with several spiritual practices with nationwide celebration.

Followers take a religious bath in the holy rivers such as Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, and others. It is a sign that all their immoral act has been washed away. Apart from the worship of the sun people also pay respect to livestock and cattle. Some people also do some charity activities and donate food and clothes.

It is a Hindu belief that the people die on the day of Sankranti they go to heaven.

In some places, Sankranti is noticed as the day of uttarayana. This word comes from Uttara which means north and Ayana which means six months duration or the day of winter elevation when the sun starts its journey northwards. In different parts of India, the enthusiasm of Sankranti is manifest in the harvest festival.

Food is a major part of the celebration of any festival in India, til (Sesame) and gur (Jaggery) Ladoo are very famous as sweets of Sankranti in India. In Makar Sankranti, people gather in Kumbh Mela.

Importance of kite flying during Makar Sankranti

One of the most famous things to do in Makar Sankranti is flying kites. People organize kite-flying competitions. For many, this is considered a fun practice.

Wearing black clothes on Makar Sankranti

Black is considered to be the color of Makar Sankranti, even as black is considered inauspicious when it comes to festivals. The black color is known for absorbing rays of the sun, and in Makar Sankranti, the sun starts its journey towards the northern hemisphere, people believe that wearing black will help them to absorb all good energies from the sun.

Makar Sankranti holiday in India

 Makar Sankranti is celebrated without opposition in India. While the festive soul remains the same throughout, Makar Sankranti takes the mass of forms and names throughout the country, with a variety of stories to go by as the origin of celebration in any particular state.

Khichdi- Uttar Pradesh

Khichdi is the name of the dish that is made of rice and lentils. In Uttar Pradesh, khichdi is given out for donation during Makar Sankranti. People also donate clothes, blankets, and even gold. In Gorakhpur, a fair is organized by the name of Khichdi Mela.

Magh Bihu- Assam and North East

Sankranti is celebrated as a harvest festival known as Magh Bihu in Assam and northeast India. Temporary huts called bhelaghar or mejhi are built where friends and family group together and feast bonfire. In several places, the state organizes traditional games such as buffalo fighting and pot breaking.

Maghi- Punjab

Makar Sankranti is a Hindu festival but it is also celebrated among the Sikh community as a Lohri (a day before Makar Sankranti). Apart from remembering God Surya, Lohri also pays tribute to fire. People do the bhangra and guide around the bonfire.

Makaravilakku – kerala

In lord Ayyappan’s holy place of Sabarimala, Kerala notice Makar Sankranti as Makaravilakku and is marked by the Thiruvabharanam parade. The temple witnesses millions of devotees who visit Sabarimala. Aarti is performed in the temple.

Pedda Panduga- Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

In Andhra Pradesh, Makar Sankranti is known as Pedda panduga festival. Telegu women decorate home entrances with rangoli and prepare traditional Telugu food and sweets such as bobatullu, paramannam, pulihora, ariselu, etc.

Poush Sankranti- West Bengal

In Poush Sankranti, West Bengal witness the huge fair at ganga Sagar. Artis is performed in fair to thank sun god fir his blessings. They make rice sweets called pithy including gokul epithet, patisapata, dudh puli, etc.

Thai Pongal – Tamil Nadu

Pongal is the name of the dish that is made of rice boiled in milk and jaggery that people consume in Makar Sankranti. This is also a thanksgiving festival for the years that harvest. They celebrate this festival for 4 days marking the days as bhogi Pongal, Surya Pongal, mattu Pongal, and kanum Pongal. 

Vasi uttarayan – Gujarat

Flying kites in Makar Sankranti are most popular in Gujarat. The preparation starts in January for the international kite festival Uttarayan, with people crowding in from international destinations such as Italy, Malaysia, Japan, etc.

Makar Sankranti Remedies:

•    This is a very good thing to offer sesame seeds to birds on this day as it shows your gratitude towards animals.
•    You are going to be blessed and filled with positivity if you can apply tilak made of haldi and sesame oil on the day of Makar Sankranti.
•    On this day plant a tree to show your gratitude towards the environment as you are celebrating the auspicious harvest festival.
•    You can distribute sweets to your friends and family, and you can prepare sweets at your home, such as til ka Ladoo and gur Rewari. Doing this will enhance your relationship.