Festivals · Sun enters Makara
Makar Sankranti 2027 and 2026: date and Sankranti time
The date of Makar Sankranti for 2026 and 2027, the hour the Sun enters sidereal Capricorn, and the rule for an ingress after sunset, computed for New Delhi.
In short
Makar Sankranti 2027 is on Friday, 15 January 2027, and Makar Sankranti 2026 on Wednesday, 14 January 2026, by Astrojar's Panchang engine for New Delhi. Makar Sankranti is a solar festival: the day the Sun enters Makara (Capricorn) in the sidereal zodiac. It does not follow a tithi, so its date moves by only a day.
Makar Sankranti dates for 2026 and 2027
| Year | Date | Solar month | Lunar month | The Sankranti moment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday, 14 January 2026 | Solar: Makara Masa begins | Magha (purnimanta), Pausha (amanta) | Sun enters Makara between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm, 14 Jan |
| 2027 | Friday, 15 January 2027 | Solar: Makara Masa begins | Pausha (both calendars) | Sun enters Makara between 9:00 pm and 10:00 pm, 14 Jan |
Times are for New Delhi, in IST, from Astrojar's Panchang engine. Lunar months are given both ways: amanta (the month ends at the new moon, as in the south and west) and purnimanta (it ends at the full moon, as in the north).
How the date of Makar Sankranti is fixed
The punya kala, the time for the holy bath and charity, begins at the moment of the ingress. When the ingress falls after sunset, the festival is kept the next day.
| Year | Sun enters Makara (IST) | Sunset that day | Rule | Makar Sankranti |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 14 Jan 2026, 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm | 5:45 pm | Before sunset: the same day | Wednesday, 14 January 2026 |
| 2027 | 14 Jan 2027, 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm | 5:45 pm | After sunset: the next day | Friday, 15 January 2027 |
Why Makar Sankranti can differ by place and tradition
Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Uttarayan (Gujarat), Magh Bihu (Assam) and Maghi (Punjab) fall at the same ingress, but regional rules on a night-time ingress differ, so their day can differ from the one here.
Sunrise, sunset and moonrise change with the city, so the windows here move for other places. Astrojar's daily Panchang gives them for where you are.
Questions about Makar Sankranti
When is Makar Sankranti in 2026?
Makar Sankranti 2026 is on Wednesday, 14 January 2026 (New Delhi). The Sun enters Makara between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm on 14 January.
When is Makar Sankranti in 2027?
Makar Sankranti 2027 is on Friday, 15 January 2027 (New Delhi). The Sun enters Makara between 9:00 pm and 10:00 pm on 14 January. After sunset, so the festival is kept the next day.
Why is Makar Sankranti on 14 or 15 January?
Because it follows the Sun, not the Moon: the Sun's entry into sidereal Capricorn shifts by about six hours a year and returns after a leap year. When the entry falls after sunset, the day moves to the 15th.
What is punya kala on Makar Sankranti?
The punya kala is the holy period for the bath, charity and offerings, counted from the moment the Sun enters Makara. When that moment is at night, the punya kala is kept the next morning.
Why do some calendars give a different date for Makar Sankranti?
A panchang is worked out for one place. Where the Sun's entry falls close to sunset, a city east or west of New Delhi can land on the other side of the boundary. Calendars also differ in tradition (amanta or purnimanta, Smarta or Vaishnava) and in the ephemeris they use.
Keep learning
- Hindu festivals 2026 and 2027 Every festival's date and the tithi rule behind it.
- Panchang Tithi, nakshatra, Rahu Kalam and choghadiya explained.
- Shubh muhurat How a good day and time is chosen for an activity.
- Sun transit Every sign change of the Sun, to the hour.
- Zodiac sign by date Western and Vedic sun signs by date.
Sources
- Dates, tithi start and end times, sunrise, sunset, moonrise, Nishita muhurta, Vijaya muhurta, Abhijit muhurta and the rising sign (udaya lagna): Astrojar's Panchang engine (Lahiri ayanamsa), for New Delhi (28.61° N, 77.21° E, IST), computed on 21 October 2026. The tithi and nakshatra end times were checked against the Swiss Ephemeris and agree to within a minute.
- Which part of the day a festival's tithi must cover: Nirnaya Sindhu (Kamalakara Bhatta) and Dharma Sindhu (Kashinatha Upadhyaya), the chapters on the festivals month by month.
- The Sun's ingress into sidereal Capricorn, to the hour: Astrojar's chart engine, the same data as the Sun transit page.
This is the traditional reading of the classical texts, given for learning and reflection. It is not a prediction for you, and not medical, legal or financial advice.
Makar Sankranti times for your city
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