Makar Sankranti 2027: Date, Punya Kaal Timings & Braj Traditions

Makar Sankranti 2027 at a glance

Makar Sankranti 2027: an overview

Makar Sankranti is the festival of the Sun, the day the great cycle turns and the days begin to lengthen again and in Braj it is kept with a holy dip in the Yamuna, prayers to Surya and the joy of kites against the winter sky. In 2027 it falls on Thursday, 14 January. This guide gives the exact date and Punya Kaal timings, the meaning of the day, how it is celebrated in Mathura and Vrindavan and how to plan a visit. If you would like your darshan and snan arranged for you, we run it as a mathura vrindavan tour with a local guide.

From the ground (Gurudutt): Makar Sankranti in Braj is one of my favourite mornings of the year. We reach the Yamuna ghat before the crowd, take the holy dip in the cold clean water as the sun rises and the whole riverfront smells of til and gud. Later the sky over Mathura fills with kites and children shout from every rooftop. If you come, do the snan early, keep something warm for after, carry small packets of til-gud and a blanket or two to give in charity and remember that because the Sankranti moment is late at night this year, the main Punya Kaal is kept from the next sunrise, so do check the local muhurat. It is a cold but joyful day and the ghats are unforgettable.

Makar Sankranti 2027 date and timings

The date and the auspicious timings for Makar Sankranti 2027 are given below. Because the Sankranti moment falls late on the night of 14 January, the holy Punya Kaal observances are kept from the following sunrise, so confirm the exact muhurat locally for the year.

So the festival is on 14 January, the transit at 9:14 PM and the Punya Kaal in the daytime window. So the Maha Punya Kaal morning is the most auspicious for snan and daan. So plan around these times and confirm the local muhurat.

What is Makar Sankranti and Uttarayan

Makar Sankranti marks the moment the Sun leaves the zodiac of Sagittarius and enters Capricorn, called Makara and begins Uttarayan, its six-month northward journey through the sky. By the tradition, Uttarayan is a period of light and auspiciousness and the day itself signals the end of the deepest winter, bringing longer days, shorter nights and the slow return of warmth. Being a solar festival, Makar Sankranti falls around 14 January every year, unlike the lunar festivals whose dates shift more widely.

So Makar Sankranti is the start of Uttarayan, the Sun's northward turn and the turning of the season. So it is a festival of light, warmth and new beginnings. We present its significance with the reverence of the tradition, held with faith and recounted with reverence.

How Makar Sankranti is celebrated in Mathura and Vrindavan

In Braj, the day begins at the river. Pilgrims take a holy dip in the sacred Yamuna at the ghats of Mathura and Vrindavan, above all at vishram ghat mathura, then take darshan at the temples, the krishna janmabhoomi temple, the dwarkadhish temple mathura and the banke bihari temple in Vrindavan. Through the day, families share til-gud sweets and khichdi, give food, sesame, jaggery and warm blankets in charity and fly kites from the rooftops under the clear winter sky. Our yamuna pushkaralu guide covers the sanctity of the Yamuna more widely.

So in Braj, Makar Sankranti is a day of Yamuna snan, temple darshan, charity, feasting and kites. So the ghats and rooftops come alive from dawn. We present the observance with the reverence of the tradition, held with faith and recounted with reverence.

The spiritual significance: Surya, snan and daan

At the heart of Makar Sankranti are three acts of devotion. The first is snan, the holy dip in a sacred river during the auspicious Punya Kaal, believed to cleanse the soul. The second is the worship of Surya, the Sun God, with offerings of water and prayer for health, peace and prosperity, for this is above all his festival. The third is daan, charity, the giving of food, til, gud and warm clothes and blankets to those in need, held especially meritorious on this day.

So Makar Sankranti is kept through snan, Surya worship and daan. So the giving of til and gud, sweet and warming, is its loving symbol. We present these acts with the reverence of the tradition, held with faith and recounted with reverence.

Lohri, Pongal and the regional festivals

Makar Sankranti is one festival with many faces across India. In the north, above all in Punjab, Lohri is celebrated on the eve, on Wednesday, 13 January 2027, with bonfires and song. In Tamil Nadu, Pongal, the great harvest festival, begins on Makar Sankranti and runs four days. In Assam it is Magh Bihu and elsewhere it takes yet other names. All mark the same turning of the Sun and the season.

So Lohri, Pongal, Magh Bihu and Makar Sankranti are the same season celebrated across the land. So the festival is a beautiful picture of India's unity in diversity. We present each tradition with respect, held with faith.

How to plan a Makar Sankranti visit to Braj

Mid-January is cool and festive in Braj, a lovely time to visit, with the Makar Sankranti crowds at the ghats and pleasant weather for sightseeing. Reach the Yamuna ghat early for the snan, keep warm clothes for after and carry small gifts of til-gud and blankets to give in charity. Our vrindavan mathura travel tips guide covers what to wear and carry, the mathura vrindavan temple timings guide the darshan hours, the mathura vrindavan city map the layout and our how to plan vrindavan mathura trip guide the wider trip. The kartik month in vrindavan guide covers the winter devotion of the season.

We arrange Makar Sankranti darshan and sightseeing in Mathura and Vrindavan, with a holy dip at the Yamuna ghats, temple darshan, transport, a route timed around the Punya Kaal and the aartis and a knowledgeable local guide. A shared day tour starts from around ₹1,499 per person, with darshan free at the temples; our one-day vrindavan mathura tour and two-day mathura vrindavan tour help you plan. Message me on WhatsApp at +91-7302265809 to plan your Makar Sankranti visit to Braj.

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