Surya
Makar Sankranti
The sun turns north: harvest, gratitude, and new light.
Tithi: Solar transit of the Sun into Makara (Capricorn), one of the few fixed-date festivals.
In the simplest words
The sun turns north and the days start growing longer, so everyone flies kites, eats sesame-jaggery sweets, and says thank you to the sun.
The story & purpose
Sankranti marks the sun's entry into Makara and the beginning of Uttarayana, the northward half of the year that tradition counts as the day of the devas. Bhishma, lying on his bed of arrows, waited for this very turning to leave his body.
The rest of the story
Across India it is the great harvest thanksgiving: Pongal in the south, Lohri's fires in the north, Uttarayan's kites in Gujarat. The same sun is honoured in a dozen tongues.
Til and gur are its language: 'til-gul ghya, god god bola', which means take sesame and jaggery, and speak sweetly this year.
What is done
Snan & Surya arghya
Bathe (in a sacred river where possible) and offer water to the rising sun.
Til-gud
Sesame and jaggery, eaten, gifted, and offered: warmth and sweetness for the cold season.
Daan
Charity of khichdi, til and blankets. Sankranti daan is held especially meritorious.
Surya jaap
The twelve names of Surya or the Gayatri, at sunrise.
Best timings
Punya kaal spans the daylight hours after the transit; morning snan-daan is preferred.
Exact muhurat varies by city and tradition; for the precise hour, consult a local panchang for your location.
Worth knowing
In eastern UP and Bihar the day is called Khichdi, after the meal that is cooked, eaten and given.
The Kumbh Mela's great snan days are anchored to Sankranti transits.
In Tamil Nadu the same sun is thanked as Pongal, with newly harvested rice boiled till it overflows.