Makar Sankranti 2024: Date, Timings, and Significance

Makar Sankranti 2024: Makar Sankranti is one of the most celebrated festivals in India. Makar Sankranti marks the end of the winter solstice and the transition of the sun from the Southern hemisphere to the Northern hemisphere. 

Devotees celebrate Makar Sankranti to mark the transition of the Sun from Dhanu Rashi to Makar Rashi. People respect Lord Sun and seek his blessings for a good harvest season.

Makar Sankranti is known by different names in the different regions of India. Makar Sankranti is celebrated with full joy and enthusiasm in India. 

Devotees celebrate Makar Sankranti to mark the transition of the Sun from Dhanu Rashi to Makar Rashi. People worship Lord Sun and seek his blessings for a good harvest season. 

Makar Sankranti 2024 Muhurat for Punya Kaal 

Punya Kaal Muhurat for Makar Sankranti 2024 will be for five hours and twenty-two minutes. Devotees will celebrate Makar Sankranti on 15th January. The timing of muhurta for Makar Sankranti 2024 Punya Kaal will be. 

Punya Kaal Timings: 7:14 AM – 12:36 PM

Maha Punya Kaal Muhurat for Makar Sankranti 2024 will be for one hour and forty-eight minutes. The timing of muhurat for Maha Punya Kaal will be 7:14 AM – 9:02 AM 

Timing of Sankranti Moment: The exact moment of Sankranti will be 2:45 AM on 15th January 2024.

Read this blog to understand the importance of Makar Sankranti and the exact muhurta, tithi, and much more related to Makar Sankranti 2024.   

Significance of Makar Sankranti 

The exact moment of Makar Sankranti will be 2:45 AM on the fifteenth of January 2024. At this moment devotees will mark the transition of Lord Sun from Dhanu Rashi to Makar Rashi. 

People celebrate Makar Sankranti based on the Solar calendar and not the Hindu calendar (Luni – Solar calendar). Based on the exact moment of Makar Sankranti, devotees celebrate the Makar Sankranti festival on either the 14th or 15th of January. 

People celebrate Makar Sankranti in the month of Magh as per the Hindu calendar. Unlike other important festivals which are celebrated as per the Hindu calendar, people celebrate Makar Sankranti every year on the 14th or 15th of January.

Sankranti is a Solar event. People celebrate Makar Sankranti on the same day, the fourteenth or fifteenth of January every year. In the years when the Sun enters Makar Rashi after sunset on 14th January, people celebrate Makar Sankranti on 15th January to mark the entry of the Sun into Makar Rashi. 

This period is considered as the best time to mark the start of the holy phase of Uttarayan. People consider Uttarayan as the best time for attaining mukti.  

For example, as per the Mahabharat, Bhishma Pitamaha waited for Uttarayan to attain mukti. Bhishma Pitamaha was wounded fatally in the battle of Mahabharat. 

All his body was injured by arrows. He waited for 51 nights on the bed of arrows before attaining mukti. A person attaining mukti becomes free from the cycle of rebirth. 

Meaning of Punya Kaal 

Punya means holy or sacred in Sanskrit. Kaal means period. Thus, punya kaal means sacred time. When the Sun makes a transition from one Rashi to another Rashi, for some brief time it appears to be in both the Rashis. 

This period is also called as ‘Punyakaal’. This period is considered to be very auspicious. Devotees can reap the benefits of both the rashis during the punyakaal. People perform activities such as taking baths in holy rivers, Puja of Lord Sun, and Daan (donation). 

People especially pandits calculate the muhuruta of Makar Sankranti with the help of sacred texts of Hindu religion such as ‘Muhuruta Chintamani’. Similarly, People calculate the punya kaal of Makar Sankranti with the help of 16 Ghatis.

It lasts for about 6 hours and 24 minutes from the moment of Sankranti. If the Sankranti moment occurs after sunset, we calculate Makar Sankranti punya kaal as per the time of the next sunrise. Makar Sankranti punyakaal marks the start of the summer solstice. Narad Puran also mentions Makar Sankranti punyakaal as 16 Ghatis (6 hours and 24 minutes).

Timing and Mahapunyakaal

As per Sangrah Shiromani and Brihad Jyotish Saar, the punya kaal of Makar Sankranti is for 40 Ghati (16 hours). The timing of punyakaal for Makar Sankranti 2024 as per the Narad Puran and Muhurt Chintamani will be from 7:14AM till 1:38PM on 15th January. 

As per the Brihad Jyotish Saar and Sangrah Shiromani, the timing of Makar Sankranti 2024 punya kaal will be from 7:14 AM to 11:14PM on 15th January. Devotees can mark punyakaal only during the daytime. 

Thus, punya kaal will be marked from 7:14 AM to 5:57 PM on January 15th 2024. Brihad Jyotish Saar and Sangrah Shiromani also mention Atipunyakaal or Mahapunyakaal. Mahapunyakaal is marked for 5 ghati (2 hours) after sunrise. People will mark mahapunyakaal from 7:14 AM till 9:14 AM on 15th January 2024. 

Makar Sankranti celebrations in India 

Many states of India celebrate Makar Sankranti with full joy. They celebrate it with different names as per the unique culture of the area.

Maharashtra 

Makar Sankranti is a special day for women in Maharashtra. The people of Maharashtra prepare Tilgudi Til laddus and Til Polis on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. 

People exchange Tilgudi til laddus and til polis with friends and family. They greet each other by saying “ Til gul ghya gud gud bola”. It means accepting tilguds and speaking good words. 

Gujarat 

The people of Gujarat celebrate Makar Sankranti as Uttrayan. The people of Gujarat celebrate Makar Sankranti in the month of Posh. 

The celebration of Makar Sankranti in Gujarat is similar to the celebration of this festival in Maharashtra. People prepare sweets and exchange them with friends and family. Elder members of the family give gifts to the young. 

Uttar Pradesh 

The people of Uttar Pradesh celebrate Makar Sankranti as Kichdi. It is also known as ‘Kitcheri’. A special Mela is held in Prayag for one month. 

The devotees take holy baths in Prayag during the Makar Sankranti festival. The confluence of the Ganga River, Yamuna River, and Saraswati River is located in Prayag.  

Punjab 

The people of Punjab celebrate Makar Sankranti as Maghi. They light bonfires on the eve of Makar Sankranti. This festival is also called Lohri. 

People celebrate Lohri by dancing around the bonfire. People celebrate Makar Sankranti after the harvest season. Also, they celebrate this festival with traditional dishes and dances such as bhangra. 

Tamil Nadu 

The people of Tamil Nadu celebrate Makar Sankranti as Pongal. They light bonfires on the eve of Pongal and put their old possessions in it. This bonfire is also known as ‘Bhagi’. 

Women in Tamil Nadu ‘Pongalo Pongal’ on the occasion of Pongal. They boil rice in a pot of milk and add jaggery to make it sweet. Devotees celebrate Pongal for four days. The celebration of Pongal starts on January 14 with Bhogi Pongal and is completed with Kaanum Pongal on January 17.  

West Bengal

The people of West Bengal celebrate Makar Sankranti on the last day of ‘Paush’ month. People of the Hindu religion take a holy dip in Millat Ganga Sagar. People also know this practice as Ganga Sagar Snan.

Makar Sankranti 2024 Celebration Around the World 

People celebrate Makar Sankranti in many countries such as Sri Lanka, Canada, the United States of America, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and some countries of Europe. Devotees celebrate Makar Sankranti as Ulavar Thirunaal or Thai Pongal in Sri Lanka. 

They celebrate this festival for two days. On the first day, devotees celebrate sweet dishes. For example, Sakkarai Pongal is prepared on the first day of Pongal in Tamil Nadu. Similarly, Suriyapakaran is prepared as an offering to Lord Sun.

People prepare this dish with the help of boiled milk, rice, sugarcane syrup, and jaggery. People celebrate Mattu Pongal on the second day of Ulavar Thirunaal in Sri Lanka. They thank the oxen for their help in the production of crops.  

Makar Sankranti Characteristics 

The help of Muhurat Chintamani can determine the characteristics of Makar Sankranti. The characteristics of Makar Sankranti are as follows. 

Name: Rakshasi
Age: Adolescent
Cloth Color: Yellow (Peeta Vastra)
Caste: Bhoot
Top Cloth: Leaves (Parna)
Ornaments: Bangles (Kankan)
Vaahan: Tiger (Vyaghra)
Up- Vaahan: Horse (Asva)
Weapon in hand: Mace (Gada)
Condition: Pleasure (Bhoga)
Material of food plate: Silver
Flower in hand: Jasmine
Emotion according to Vahana: Fear
Food: Pudding (sweet rice pudding)
Head Direction: North
Star: Daarun
Face Direction: West
Position: Sitting
Cost: Madhyam 

Makar Sankranti Dates between 2024 and 2030

Year	Date
2024	Monday, 15th January
2025	Tuesday, 14th January
2026	Wednesday, 14th January
2027	Friday, 15th January
2028	Saturday, 15th January
2029	Saturday, 14th January
2030	Monday, 14th January

Conclusion 

People in India celebrate Makar Sankranti in many parts of the country, considering it as one of the most important festivals. People in countries such as Sri Lanka also celebrate Makar Sankranti 2024. The people of India celebrate Makar Sankranti with full joy and devotion. 

People usually celebrate Makar Sankranti on either January 14 or 15. People celebrate Makar Sankranti as per the Solar calendar. The Hindu calendar, which is a Lunar calendar, celebrates other Hindu festivals.

Devotees perform various activities on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. Performing activities such as holy baths and daan (donations) on the occasion of Makar Sankranti can have many benefits for the devotees. 

It is important to know about the punya kaal and maha punya kaal muhurat of Makar Sankranti. This blog tells you about the exact moment of Makar Sankranti. The exact moment of Sankranti will be 2:45 AM on 15th January 2024. Afterwards, people will observe Punya Kaal and Maha Punya Kaal. Similarly, if you need a Pandit to perform Makar Sankranti 2024 you can connect with 99Pandit to book a Pandit online. People enjoy celebrating Makar Sankranti. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.What is Makar Sankranti 2024?

A.Makar Sankranti is one of the most important festivals celebrated in India. People will celebrate Makar Sankranti 2024 on January 15. Makar Sankranti is celebrated with full joy and enthusiasm.

Q.Where is Makar Sankranti 2024 celebrated?

A.People celebrate Makar Sankranti in many parts of the world. People in countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, and Australia celebrate it. The people of Sri Lanka also know the Makar Sankranti festival as Ulavar Thirunaal.

Q.How to celebrate Makar Sankranti?

A.Makar Sankranti is one of the most important festivals in India. People perform activities such as bathing in the holy river and giving daan (donation). They also share sweets made of til with friends and family.

Q.What is the Shubh Muhurat of Makar Sankranti?

A.Shubh Muhurat of Makar Sankranti can be determined with the help of sacred texts of the Hindu religion. As per the Brihad Jyotish Saar and Sangrah Shiromani, the timing of Makar Sankranti 2024 punya kaal will be from 7:14 AM to 11:14PM on 15th January.