Sankranti Dates 2026 and 2027: All 12 Sun Entries a Year

About Sankranti

Sankranti marks the moment the Sun crosses from one sidereal sign into the next. It happens twelve times a year, and each crossing begins a new solar month. Unlike most of the days on this site, Sankranti is set by the Sun and not by a tithi, which is why many Sankranti festivals fall on nearly the same calendar date each year.

The time around the Sun's entry is called punya kaal, a window held especially good for bathing in a holy river, prayer and giving, daan. Sesame, grain, jaggery, clothes and blankets are the traditional gifts. When the Sun enters a sign after sunset, the festival and its punya kaal are marked on the next day, and that is the date given in the list.

A few Sankrantis are great festivals. Makar Sankranti, the Sun's entry into Capricorn, is celebrated as Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Uttarayan with kites in Gujarat and Khichdi in the north, with til and gud shared everywhere and Lohri fires lit on its eve. Mesha Sankranti, the entry into Aries, is the solar new year for much of India: Baisakhi in Punjab, Vishu in Kerala, Bohag Bihu in Assam, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu and Pohela Boishakh in Bengal. Kanya Sankranti, the entry into Virgo, is Vishwakarma Puja in much of eastern India, when tools and workshops are honoured; some regions keep it the day after Diwali instead.

The twelve Sankrantis also open the solar months of many regional calendars. The month that begins with Mesha Sankranti is Chithirai in Tamil Nadu, Medam in Kerala and Boishakh in Bengal, and each later Sankranti opens the next month in the same way. Karka Sankranti, the entry into Cancer, begins the Sun's southward half of the year, Dakshinayana, and Makar Sankranti begins the northward half, Uttarayana.

Each row in the list below shows the date, the moment the Sun enters the new sign, and the punya kaal for your city.