Makar Sankranti 2027: Date, Punya Kala Timings and the Meaning of the Festival

Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious festivals of the Hindu calendar, marking the day the Sun enters Capricorn (Makar rashi) and begins its northward journey, Uttarayan, a time of light, harvest and holy bathing celebrated across India under many names. In 2027, Makar Sankranti falls on Thursday, 14 January. Here, from one born in Braj, is the complete guide to Makar Sankranti 2027: the date, the Punya Kala timings, its meaning and how it is observed, including in Krishna's Braj. Plan your visit with our Mathura Vrindavan tour packages.

Key takeaways

• Makar Sankranti 2027 is on Thursday, 14 January.

• The Sun enters Capricorn (the Sankranti moment) at 9:14 PM on 14 January 2027.

• The Punya Kala is 10:44 AM to 5:09 PM; the Maha Punya Kala 10:44 AM to 12:21 PM.

• It marks Uttarayan, the Sun's northward journey, a highly auspicious time.

• It is celebrated with holy bathing, charity, til-gud sweets and kite-flying.

• Regional forms include Pongal, Magh Bihu and Lohri (on the eve, 13 January).

I am Gurudutt, born in Gokul in the Mathura district, guiding pilgrims through Braj since 2018, more than 50,000 of them. Makar Sankranti is a great day of holy bathing and in Braj the pilgrims come to take the sacred dip in the Yamuna. Here I give you the essentials of Makar Sankranti 2027, the date, the timings, the meaning and then how it is observed, including in the land of Krishna.

Makar Sankranti 2027 date and Punya Kala timings

Here are the key date and timing details for Makar Sankranti in 2027.

Makar Sankranti 2027 date and Punya Kala timings. The timings vary by city with local sunrise and sunset.

Because the Sun's transit into Capricorn (the Sankranti moment) falls late in the evening of 14 January 2027, at 9:14 PM, the auspicious Punya Kala observances, the holy bathing and charity, are kept on the same day, 14 January. Note that the exact Punya Kala timings depend on your city's sunrise and sunset and so vary by a little from place to place; the window above is the widely-followed one.

The meaning of Makar Sankranti and Uttarayan

Makar Sankranti carries deep meaning. 'Sankranti' means the transit of the Sun from one zodiac sign to the next and Makar Sankranti marks its entry into Makar, Capricorn. This begins Uttarayan, the six-month northward journey of the Sun, when the days grow longer and the light returns, considered the most auspicious half of the year, a period held sacred for spiritual practice and holy acts. It is also a great harvest festival, a thanksgiving for the ripened crops and above all a day of holy bathing in the sacred rivers, when a dip washes away sins and brings blessings. It is one of the very few Hindu festivals fixed to the solar calendar, which is why it falls on nearly the same date each year.

Makar Sankranti across India: the regional festivals

Makar Sankranti is celebrated all over India under different names and customs. Here are the main regional forms.

Makar Sankranti across India. The same solar festival, in many joyful regional forms.

How Makar Sankranti is celebrated

Across India, Makar Sankranti is celebrated in beautiful ways: the holy dip (snan) in sacred rivers at dawn, above all at the Ganga, Yamuna and the Sangam; the giving of charity (daan), especially of til-gud (sesame and jaggery), khichdi, blankets and food to the needy; the making and sharing of til-gud sweets, symbolising sweetness and togetherness; and, famously, the flying of kites, which fills the skies of Gujarat and beyond. It is a joyful festival of light, gratitude and giving, that turns the whole land and sky, festive.

Makar Sankranti in Vrindavan and Braj

In Braj, Makar Sankranti is a great day of holy bathing and pilgrims come to take the sacred dip in the Yamuna, Krishna's own river, at the ghats. The holiest spots are Vishram Ghat in Mathura and Kesi Ghat in Vrindavan, where devotees bathe at dawn during the Punya Kala, then take darshan at the temples and give charity, above all khichdi, which in Uttar Pradesh gives the festival its very name. The temples, including the beloved Banke Bihari, are decorated and the day is one of quiet, auspicious devotion. To bathe in the Yamuna on Makar Sankranti, in the land of Krishna, is a deeply blessed act.

Makar Sankranti, the Magh Mela and the pilgrim season

Makar Sankranti also opens the great pilgrim-bathing season of North India: it is one of the principal bathing days of the Magh Mela (and, in its year, the Kumbh Mela) at Prayagraj, on the Sangam, only a few hours from Braj. So many pilgrims combine the darshan of Krishna in Braj with the holy bathing at Prayagraj around Makar Sankranti. It is the start of the most sacred bathing weeks of the year. See our Mathura Vrindavan festivals calendar to plan your visit around the season.

Tips for Makar Sankranti 2027

• Confirm your city's exact Punya Kala timings, as they vary a little with local sunrise and sunset.

• Take the holy dip and do your charity during the Punya Kala (about 10:44 AM to 5:09 PM).

• In Braj, bathe in the Yamuna at Vishram Ghat or Kesi Ghat, then take temple darshan.

• Give charity (daan) of til-gud, khichdi, blankets or food; it is the heart of the festival.

• Share til-gud sweets with family and friends, for sweetness and togetherness.

• Come warmly dressed; mid-January in Braj is cold, especially at dawn by the river.

The honest bit

Honest words from one born in Braj. Makar Sankranti is a beautiful, auspicious festival, but a few honest notes. The Punya Kala timings above are the widely-followed ones, but they shift a little with your city's sunrise and sunset, so confirm locally. In Braj, the day is one of holy bathing and quiet devotion rather than grand spectacle, so come for the sacred Yamuna dip and the peace of the temples, not for a great festival show. Mid-January is genuinely cold here, especially at dawn by the river, so dress warmly for the snan. And remember the true heart of the day is not the ritual but the giving; a little charity of khichdi or a blanket to someone in need is the finest way to keep Makar Sankranti.

Why Experience My India is the right choice

I was born in Gokul in the Mathura district and every Makar Sankranti I help pilgrims take the holy Yamuna dip and darshan in Braj. Guiding since 2018, more than 50,000 pilgrims, 4.5 stars on Google, WhatsApp first, 8 AM to 9 PM daily. For a Makar Sankranti visit we plan your day around the Punya Kala, bring you to the right ghat for the sacred dip, take you for temple darshan, arrange your pooja, daan and seva and can add Prayagraj for the Magh Mela bathing, all with a local's care and no touts. One clear fare and never a charge for free darshan.

Tip from Gurudutt: keep Makar Sankranti in Braj the way the Brajwasis do. Rise before dawn on the 14th, come to the Yamuna at Kesi Ghat or Vishram Ghat and take the sacred dip in Krishna's own river as the winter sun rises, the truest way to begin Uttarayan. Then take the darshan at the temples, share til-gud and give a little khichdi or a blanket to someone in need. To bathe in the Yamuna and give in charity on this holy day, in the land of Krishna, is to draw the light of Uttarayan into your own life.

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Plan your Makar Sankranti trip to Braj

Tell me your dates and I will plan your Makar Sankranti visit around the holy Yamuna dip and the Punya Kala, with a car, a guide born on this soil and your pooja and daan arranged, for one clear price, with Prayagraj added if you wish. Our Mathura Vrindavan tour packages from Delhi and our Mathura tour packages cover the heart of Braj. WhatsApp +91 7302265809, any day 8 AM to 9 PM. Packages from ₹1,999 per person, 4.5 stars on Google. Born in Gokul, Mathura.