Makar Sankranti, Lohri and Pongal: India's January Harvest Festivals

By the Hindi Haveli team · October 28, 2026

In the middle of January, while much of North America is buried in snow, India celebrates the sun. Kites fill the skies over Gujarat, bonfires crackle in Punjab, and in Tamil Nadu pots of rice and milk bubble over on purpose. These are the January harvest festivals: Makar Sankranti, Lohri, Pongal and their many cousins.

This guide explains what these festivals celebrate, when they fall in 2027, how different regions mark them, and the Hindi words that come with them. It is one of the friendliest festival seasons for children, because almost every tradition involves something you can do with your hands: fly, light, cook or share.

Why January? The sun's new journey

Most Indian festivals follow the moon, so their dates move around each year. Makar Sankranti is different. It follows the sun. It marks the day the sun enters the zodiac sign of Capricorn, called मकर (makar) in Hindi. संक्रांति (sankraanti) means the sun's passage from one sign to the next.

That is why Makar Sankranti falls on almost the same date every year, January 14, or sometimes January 15. In 2027, most calendars mark Lohri on January 13, Makar Sankranti on January 14, with many rituals on January 15, and Thai Pongal on January 15. Local calendars can differ by a day, so check with your family or your local temple.

The season also marks the sun's turn toward the north, called उत्तरायण (uttaraayan). Days grow longer, the winter crops are ready, and farmers give thanks.

The sun and the season

सूरज (sooraj): the sun
मकर (makar): Capricorn (also a crocodile-like sea creature)
फ़सल (fasal): harvest, crop
किसान (kisaan): farmer
सर्दी (sardee): winter, the cold

Makar Sankranti and Uttarayan: the kite festival

In Gujarat, the festival is called Uttarayan, and it is famous for kites. From dawn until after dark, rooftops in Ahmedabad and other cities are crowded with families flying kites, cheering when one string cuts another, and shouting a happy cry when they win a "kite fight." Kites are popular in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and other states on this day too.

Kite words

पतंग (patang): kite
डोर (Dor): kite string
चरखी (charkhee): the spool or reel for the string
छत (chhat): roof, rooftop
आसमान (aasmaan): sky

A happy shout you may hear on Gujarati rooftops is kaypo che!, roughly "it's cut!", when one kite slices another one's string. It is Gujarati, not Hindi, but it is a fun phrase to know.

Til and gur: speak sweetly

Across much of India, Makar Sankranti is the day for sweets made from sesame seeds and jaggery, an unrefined sugar. In Hindi, these are तिल (til) and गुड़ (guR). Sesame warms the body in winter, and jaggery gives quick energy, so the snack makes perfect sense for a cold January day.

In Maharashtra, families hand each other til-gul sweets and say a lovely Marathi line that means "take this til-gul and speak sweetly." The idea is simple and beautiful: begin the new season with kind words and forget old quarrels.

In parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the day is so linked to a simple dish of rice and lentils that people sometimes call it Khichdi. Families eat खिचड़ी (khichRee) with ghee and give food and warm clothes to people in need.

Food of the season

तिल (til): sesame seeds
गुड़ (guR): jaggery
तिल के लड्डू (til ke laDDoo): sesame laddoos
खिचड़ी (khichRee): rice and lentils cooked together
दान (daan): giving, charity

Lohri: bonfires in Punjab

The night before Makar Sankranti, families in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh celebrate Lohri. As evening falls, people gather around a big bonfire. They toss in popcorn, peanuts, sesame and sugar treats called रेवड़ी (revaRee), and walk around the fire singing folk songs. Many Lohri songs remember Dulla Bhatti, a folk hero of Punjab who is said to have protected young women.

Lohri is especially joyful for families celebrating a new baby or a new marriage, so it can feel like a big neighborhood party.

Lohri words

आग (aag): fire
अलाव (alaav): a bonfire
मूँगफली (moongphalee): peanuts
रेवड़ी (revaRee): small sesame and sugar sweets
गजक (gajak): a brittle sweet of sesame and jaggery

Pongal: the pot that boils over

In Tamil Nadu, the harvest festival is Pongal. The name comes from a Tamil word meaning "to boil over." Families cook new rice with milk and jaggery in a clay pot, often outdoors in the sun. When the milk froths up and spills over the rim, everyone cheers, because it is a sign of plenty in the coming year. The sweet rice dish itself is also called pongal.

Pongal runs for several days. One day honors the sun, and another honors cattle, who work alongside farmers. Cows are washed, their horns painted, and they are fed sweet pongal too.

The Hindi word for "to boil over" is उफनना (uphannaa), and for boiling, उबलना (ubalnaa). The Tamil and Hindi words are different, but the happy picture is the same.

Many names, one season

The same season has many other names across India:

Magh Bihu in Assam, with community feasts and bonfire structures called meji.
Uttarayan in Gujarat, the great kite festival.
Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka, often with colorful rangoli and new clothes.
Poush Sankranti in West Bengal, when families make sweets called pitha.
Maghi in Punjab, the day after Lohri.

For children, this is a wonderful lesson. India is one country with many languages and customs, and the same sun is celebrated in many different ways.

Simple ways to celebrate at home

Fly a kite, or make one. A paper kite on a stick works fine indoors. Say पतंग (patang) every time it lifts.
Make til laddoos. Toast sesame seeds, melt jaggery, mix and roll small balls while warm. Count them in Hindi.
Share a sweet word. Teach your child to say मीठा बोलो (meethaa bolo), "speak sweetly," and practice saying one kind thing to each family member.
Have a mini Lohri. Light candles on a plate, sit in a circle, and pass around popcorn and peanuts.
Watch the sunrise. Point to the sun and say सूरज (sooraj). Talk about how the days are getting longer.

Family tip: January is a great month to start a new Hindi habit. The days are getting longer, the holidays are over, and a short daily practice fits easily into winter evenings.

A sentence to practice

आसमान में पतंग उड़ रही है। (aasmaan men patang uR rahee hai.): A kite is flying in the sky.
तिल के लड्डू लो। (til ke laDDoo lo.): Have some sesame laddoos.

Play this month's free puzzle

Every month we post one Hindi word puzzle that is free for everyone, with no sign-up needed. It is a fun way to practice new words like पतंग and सूरज, and it takes just a few minutes. Try it on a cozy January evening.

मकर संक्रांति, लोहड़ी और पोंगल की शुभकामनाएँ!

Your turn: try it free

Every month one Hindi word puzzle is free for everyone. No sign-up needed to play. Play the puzzle of the month