Sankranti 2027 (Makar Sankranti, Pongal): Bhogi, Sankranti, Kanuma dates, punya kalam and story
By Kulasekhar Mittapalli · Updated
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Makar Sankranti, the three-day harvest festival that Telugu homes call Pedda Panduga, falls on Friday, January 15, 2027 in India. The Sun enters Makara at 9:14 PM IST on Thursday, January 14, after sunset, so the festival moves to the next day, with Bhogi on the 14th and Kanuma on the 16th. In the US and Canada the same moment comes in the morning of January 14, so there Sankranti is Thursday, January 14, a day earlier.
1The story behind Sankranti
Sankranti means "crossing". Each month the Sun crosses into a new sign, but Makara Sankranti is special: it begins Uttarayana, the Sun's northward half of the year, which tradition calls the day of the devas. It is the one great festival fixed by the Sun rather than the Moon, which is why it stays near January 14 or 15 every year.
Bhishma and Uttarayana
In the Mahabharata, Bhishma, lying on a bed of arrows after the war, held on to life until the Sun turned north, and left his body only after Uttarayana began. That is why Uttarayana is held to be the most auspicious half of the year.
Surya, the giver of the harvest
Sankranti is a thanksgiving to Surya for the harvest. Newly harvested rice is cooked with jaggery and milk as pongali (Pongal) and offered to the Sun, and sesame and jaggery are given and shared as a wish for warmth and sweetness in the colder months. In Telugu villages the Haridasu goes from house to house singing at dawn, and Gangireddulu, decorated bulls, are led from door to door.
2How to celebrate Sankranti at home, in India or abroad
- Bhogi morning: clear out old things. Families abroad who can't light an outdoor fire often light a lamp at the door instead.
- Bhogi evening: Bhogi pallu for children under five: regi fruits (or berries), flower petals, coins and sugarcane bits poured gently over the head, with elders' blessings.
- Sankranti morning: rise early, have an oil bath, wear new clothes, and draw a muggu at the door, with gobbemmalu (cow-dung or flower cones) if you can.
- Puja and tarpanam: offer pongali to Surya facing east during the punya kalam shown above. Many families also offer tarpanam to ancestors on Sankranti, and give danam: sesame, jaggery, rice, clothes.
- Kanuma: honour the cattle where you can, or visit a temple goshala, and share a family feast.
Surya verse (Navagraha Stotra, attributed to Vyasa):
जपाकुसुमसंकाशं काश्यपेयं महाद्युतिम्
तमोऽरिं सर्वपापघ्नं प्रणतोऽस्मि दिवाकरम्॥
Japākusuma-saṅkāśaṁ kāśyapeyaṁ mahādyutim, tamo'riṁ sarva-pāpa-ghnaṁ praṇato'smi divākaram.
Meaning: I bow to the Sun, red as the hibiscus flower, son of Kashyapa, of great radiance, the enemy of darkness and remover of all sins.
3Checklist: what you need
10 items
- Bhogi: old wood or logs for the bonfire (a small safe fire, or a lamp abroad)
- Rangoli / muggu colours for big front-yard designs
- Gobbemmalu: cow dung or clay balls, flowers
- New rice, jaggery, milk, ghee for pongal
- Sesame and jaggery for nuvvula undalu
- Sugarcane, turmeric plants
- New clothes
- Kites and string
- Bhogi pallu: regi pallu (berries), flowers, coins for the children
- Kanuma: a puja for the cows (or a picture)
4A priest, or do it yourself
What to do on Bhogi and Sankranti (Telugu) · Nanduri Srivani · YouTubeA video by another channel, added after our review. If your family’s custom differs, follow it.
5Puja items near you
Indian groceries and puja stores near the city you picked above.
6Bhogi, Sankranti, Kanuma and punya kalam by city
| City | Sankranti and punya kalam |
|---|---|
| New York | Thu, Jan 14 · Bhogi 13 · Kanuma 15 Punya 10:44 AM – 4:51 PM |
| Dallas | Thu, Jan 14 · Bhogi 13 · Kanuma 15 Punya 9:44 AM – 5:42 PM |
| Chicago | Thu, Jan 14 · Bhogi 13 · Kanuma 15 Punya 9:44 AM – 4:43 PM |
| Bay Area (San Jose) | Thu, Jan 14 · Bhogi 13 · Kanuma 15 Punya 7:44 AM – 5:12 PM |
| Toronto | Thu, Jan 14 · Bhogi 13 · Kanuma 15 Punya 10:44 AM – 5:04 PM |
| London | Thu, Jan 14 · Bhogi 13 · Kanuma 15 Punya 3:44 PM – 4:18 PM |
| Dubai | Fri, Jan 15 · Bhogi 14 · Kanuma 16 Punya 7:06 AM – 5:50 PM Best 7:06 AM – 9:06 AM |
| Singapore | Fri, Jan 15 · Bhogi 14 · Kanuma 16 Punya 7:12 AM – 7:15 PM Best 7:12 AM – 9:12 AM |
| Sydney | Fri, Jan 15 · Bhogi 14 · Kanuma 16 Punya 5:59 AM – 8:09 PM Best 5:59 AM – 7:59 AM |
| Hyderabad | Fri, Jan 15 · Bhogi 14 · Kanuma 16 Punya 6:49 AM – 6:01 PM Best 6:49 AM – 8:49 AM |
| Chennai | Fri, Jan 15 · Bhogi 14 · Kanuma 16 Punya 6:35 AM – 6:01 PM Best 6:35 AM – 8:35 AM |
| Bengaluru | Fri, Jan 15 · Bhogi 14 · Kanuma 16 Punya 6:45 AM – 6:12 PM Best 6:45 AM – 8:45 AM |
| Delhi | Fri, Jan 15 · Bhogi 14 · Kanuma 16 Punya 7:14 AM – 5:45 PM Best 7:14 AM – 9:14 AM |
Sun enters Makara (sidereal, Lahiri): India Thu, Jan 14, 9:14 PM · US Eastern 10:44 AM · US Central 9:44 AM · US Pacific 7:44 AM · London 3:44 PM, all on Jan 14 · Dubai 7:44 PM · Singapore 11:44 PM · Sydney Fri, Jan 15, 2:44 AM. Tamil Thai Pongal falls on the same day as Sankranti in each city, Bhogi Pongal the day before and Mattu Pongal the day after; Lohri is the night before Sankranti.
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Sankranti date and punya kaalam in your city
Each city page has every day of the festival with local times, and the dates in India.
USA
Canada
UK & Europe
Gulf
Asia-Pacific
India
More about Sankranti
Why the US date is a day earlier
Sankranti is a solar festival: it marks the instant the Sun crosses into Makara (sidereal Capricorn), and that instant is the same everywhere. What changes from city to city is whether it comes before or after the local sunset. The classical rule keeps the festival on the day of the crossing when it happens in daylight, and moves it, with its punya kalam, to the next morning when it happens after sunset.
In 2027 the crossing is at 9:14 PM in India, three hours after sunset, so India keeps Sankranti on Friday, January 15. In New York it is 10:44 AM on January 14, in Dallas 9:44 AM, in the Bay Area 7:44 AM, all in daylight, so North America keeps Thursday, January 14. Many temples abroad still hold their main Sankranti and Pongal events on the weekend; check your temple's schedule.
The festival days
| Day | What families do |
|---|---|
| Bhogi Thu, Jan 14 US Wed, Jan 13 | A bonfire (Bhogi mantalu) before dawn to burn old things; oil bath; in the evening Bhogi pallu, regi fruits poured over small children as a blessing |
| Sankranti Fri, Jan 15 US Thu, Jan 14 | Holy bath, new clothes, prayers to Surya, tarpanam to ancestors, danam; muggulu with gobbemmalu; pongali and ariselu |
| Kanuma Sat, Jan 16 US Fri, Jan 15 | Thanks to cattle and the harvest: cows and bulls bathed and decorated; family feasts |
| Mukkanuma Sun, Jan 17 US Sat, Jan 16 | The closing day in many Andhra homes, kept with a family meal and visits |
How Sankranti is celebrated across India
| Where | Name and customs |
|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh, Telangana | Sankranti, the Pedda Panduga: Bhogi, Sankranti, Kanuma and Mukkanuma; muggulu with gobbemmalu, Haridasu, Gangireddulu; kite flying in Hyderabad |
| Tamil Nadu | Thai Pongal: Bhogi Pongal, Thai Pongal (pongal boiled over in a new pot), Mattu Pongal for cattle, Kaanum Pongal for visits |
| Karnataka | Sankranti: ellu-bella (sesame, jaggery, coconut, groundnut) shared with neighbours; cattle decorated |
| Maharashtra | Til-gul exchanged with the words "Tilgul ghya, god god bola", eat sweets and speak sweetly |
| Gujarat | Uttarayan: rooftop kite flying, undhiyu and chikki |
| Punjab | Lohri bonfire the night before; Maghi on Sankranti day |
| West Bengal, Assam | Poush Sankranti with pithe and the Ganga Sagar bath; Magh Bihu feasts in Assam |
| Kerala | Makaravilakku at Sabarimala |
సంక్రాంతి 2027: తెలుగులో
మకర సంక్రాంతి 2027 భారత్లో జనవరి 15 శుక్రవారం. సూర్యుడు జనవరి 14 గురువారం రాత్రి 9:14కి (IST) మకర రాశిలోకి ప్రవేశిస్తాడు; అది సూర్యాస్తమయం తర్వాత కావడంతో పండుగ మరుసటి రోజుకు వస్తుంది. భోగి జనవరి 14, కనుమ జనవరి 16, ముక్కనుమ జనవరి 17. పుణ్యకాలం, హైదరాబాద్: శుక్రవారం 6:49 AM – 6:01 PM (మొదటి రెండు గంటలు మహా పుణ్యకాలం). అమెరికా, కెనడాలో సంక్రాంతి జనవరి 14 గురువారం, భోగి జనవరి 13, కనుమ జనవరి 15. పూర్తి వివరాలు తెలుగు పేజీలో.
Frequently asked questions
When is Sankranti in 2027?
Friday, January 15, 2027 in India, the Gulf, Singapore and Australia, with Bhogi on Thursday, January 14 and Kanuma on Saturday, January 16. In the US, Canada and the UK, Sankranti is Thursday, January 14, with Bhogi on Wednesday, January 13 and Kanuma on Friday, January 15.
Why is Sankranti on January 14 in the US but January 15 in India?
The Sun enters Makara at one instant for the whole world: 9:14 PM IST on January 14, which is 10:44 AM Eastern and 9:44 AM Central the same day. In India that moment falls after sunset, so the festival moves to the next day, January 15. In North America it falls in daylight on January 14, so Sankranti is kept that day.
What is the Sankranti punya kalam in 2027?
In India it is the daytime of Friday, January 15, from sunrise: Hyderabad 6:49 AM – 6:01 PM, with the first two hours (6:49 – 8:49 AM) held most auspicious for the holy bath, tarpanam and danam. In the US it runs from the Sankranti moment to sunset on Thursday, January 14: Dallas 9:44 AM – 5:42 PM, New York 10:44 AM – 4:51 PM.
Are Pongal and Sankranti the same festival?
They mark the same event, the Sun's entry into Makara. Tamil Nadu calls it Thai Pongal, the first day of the month Thai; Telugu states call it Sankranti, with Bhogi the day before and Kanuma the day after. In 2027 Thai Pongal is January 15 in India and January 14 in the US, the same days as Sankranti.
When is Sankranti in 2028?
Saturday, January 15, 2028 in India and Friday, January 14, 2028 in the US (Dallas), as calculated by Global Panchang for each city.
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Calculated for each city's own sunrise and sunset; times are shown to the minute in local time, including daylight saving. Panchangams can differ by a few minutes, and family and temple traditions vary. For general information only; it may contain errors and is not religious, astrological or medical advice. Always confirm important dates and muhurtams with your priest or temple. See the disclaimer and terms.
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