The 12 Solar Transits of Sūrya
Saṅkrānti
Sidereal Solar Calendar · Puṇya Kāla · Sacred Snāna & Dāna
In Vedic astronomy, a Saṅkrānti marks the exact celestial instant the Sun passes sidereally (Lahiri ayanāṁśa) across the 30° threshold from one rāśi (zodiac sign) into the next. There are twelve such transits in a solar year, each opening a new solar month and accompanied by a sacred Puṇya Kāla window dedicated to purification, bath, and charity.
Kanyā Saṅkrānti
The Sun enters sidereal Kanyā
The Sun enters Kanyā (Virgo). Kept in some regions as Viśvakarmā Pūjā, honouring the craftsman of the gods.
Exact celestial crossing
Full Day Pañcāṅga →The Four Great Saṅkrāntis
While every monthly transit carries merit, the two solstices (Ayana) and two equinoxes (Viṣuva) form the pillars of the Vedic solar calendar.
Makara Saṅkrānti
The Sun enters Makara (Capricorn) and turns northward: Uttarāyaṇa begins, the half-year regarded as the daytime of the gods. Celebrated as Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri in Punjab, Magh Bihu in Assam, and Uttarāyaṇ in Gujarat. Bhīṣma in the Mahābhārata chose to leave his mortal body only after Uttarāyaṇa commenced.
Ritual: Gaṅgā-snāna, offering sesame and jaggery (til-guḍ), sharing sweet Pongal, and massive dāna.
Karka Saṅkrānti
The Sun reaches its northern apex and turns south: Dakṣiṇāyana begins, the half-year held to be the night of the devas and the period of ancestor remembrance. It marks the onset of the monsoon season and initiates the sacred four-month monastic vow period (Cāturmāsya).
Ritual: Tarpaṇa and śrāddha for ancestors, sacred river bath, fasting, and commencement of vows.
Meṣa Saṅkrānti
The Sun enters Meṣa (Aries), the first sign of the zodiac, inaugurating the sidereal solar New Year. Celebrated as Viṣu in Kerala, Puthāṇḍu in Tamil Nadu, Vaiśākhī in Punjab, Poila Boishakh in Bengal, and Bohag Bihu in Assam.
Ritual: Viewing the Viṣukkaṇi at dawn, listening to the Pañcāṅga, oil-bath, charity of water pots and umbrella.
Tulā Saṅkrānti
The Sun enters Tulā (Libra), the balance point of the zodiac. In South India, this begins the sacred month of Tulā Snāna in the river Kāverī, where all holy rivers are said to converge. In Assam, it is kept as Kati Bihu with earthen lamps lit in paddy fields.
Ritual: Sacred bath in the Kāverī or holy waters, lighting lamps, and praying for fertile harvest.
Understanding Puṇya Kāla (The Auspicious Window)
The exact moment of solar ingress represents a celestial transition point. Śāstras state that the ordinary worldly affairs should be paused during the Puṇya Kāla (the 16 ghaṭikās, approx. 6 hours and 24 minutes around the transit) in favour of spiritual contemplation:
A bath in a natural river, sacred lake, or ocean with the remembrance of Gaṅgā washes away past physical and subtle impurities.
Giving sesame seeds, blankets, jaggery, brass vessels, or food grains to the needy during Puṇya Kāla yields inexhaustible merit.
Chanting the Sūrya Gāyatrī or Āditya Hṛdaya Stotra, followed by water oblations (tarpaṇa) to ancestors and ṛṣis.
The Twelve Saṅkrāntis of 2026
Exact sidereal solar transit times computed using the Swiss Ephemeris for Asia/Kolkata.
| Saṅkrānti Name | Zodiac Sign | Civil Date | Transit Moment (Asia/Kolkata) | Observance / Note | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Makara Saṅkrānti
Major Transit
| Makara | Wed, 14 Jan 2026 | 3:07 PM | Uttarāyaṇa begins, Pongal / Makara Saṅkrānti | View → |
| Kumbha Saṅkrānti | Kumbha | Fri, 13 Feb 2026 | 4:08 AM | The Sun enters Kumbha (Aquarius), opening the Kumbha month, a time of bathing-pilgrimage; the Māgha Melā falls in this period. | View → |
| Mīna Saṅkrānti | Mīna | Sun, 15 Mar 2026 | 1:03 AM | The Sun enters Mīna (Pisces), the last sign, the solar year drawing toward its close before it begins again at Meṣa. | View → |
| Meṣa Saṅkrānti
Major Transit
| Meṣa | Tue, 14 Apr 2026 | 9:32 AM | Solar new year, Viṣu / Tamil Puthāṇḍu | View → |
| Vṛṣabha Saṅkrānti | Vṛṣabha | Fri, 15 May 2026 | 6:22 AM | The Sun enters Vṛṣabha (Taurus), opening the second solar month. | View → |
| Mithuna Saṅkrānti | Mithuna | Mon, 15 Jun 2026 | 12:53 PM | The Sun enters Mithuna (Gemini). In Odisha it is kept as Raja Saṅkrānti, honouring the earth. | View → |
| Karka Saṅkrānti
Major Transit
| Karka | Thu, 16 Jul 2026 | 11:39 PM | Dakṣiṇāyana begins, the Sun turns south | View → |
| Siṁha Saṅkrānti | Siṁha | Mon, 17 Aug 2026 | 7:58 AM | The Sun enters Siṁha (Leo). In parts of the south it opens a month of special charity and offerings to the family deity. | View → |
| Kanyā Saṅkrānti | Kanyā | Thu, 17 Sep 2026 | 7:52 AM | The Sun enters Kanyā (Virgo). Kept in some regions as Viśvakarmā Pūjā, honouring the craftsman of the gods. | View → |
| Tulā Saṅkrānti
Major Transit
| Tulā | Sat, 17 Oct 2026 | 7:51 PM | The Sun enters Tulā (Libra), where day and night stand in balance. Kept as Tulā Saṅkrānti, and as Kati Bihu in Assam, a quieter festival of lamps in the fields and prayers for the ripening crop. | View → |
| Vṛścika Saṅkrānti | Vṛścika | Mon, 16 Nov 2026 | 7:43 PM | The Sun enters Vṛścika (Scorpio), opening the Vṛścika month; in Kerala it begins the pilgrimage season to Śabarimala. | View → |
| Dhanu Saṅkrānti | Dhanu | Wed, 16 Dec 2026 | 10:25 AM | Dhanurmāsa (Margazhi) begins | View → |
ॐ भास्कराय विद्महे महाद्युतिकराय धीमहि।
तन्नो आदित्यः प्रचोदयात्॥
“We contemplate the radiant Bhāskara, we meditate upon the Lord of boundless effulgence. May that celestial Sūrya stimulate and inspire our intellect.”