Sankranti 2024 February: In 2024, Kumbha Sankranti will be observed on February 13th. There are 12 Sankranti in a year. As of 2024, there will be a total of twelve Sankranti, including Makar Sankranti, Kumbha Sankranti, Meena Sankranti, Mesha Sankranti, Vrishabha Sankranti, Mithuna Sankranti, Karka Sankranti, Singh Sankranti, Kanya Sankranti, Tula Sankranti, Vrischika Sankranti, and Dhanu Sankranti.
As of February 20, 2024, Kumbha Sankranti falls on the 13th of February, and Sankranti falls in January. Sankranti is a major Hindu festival that is celebrated across the country by taking a holy bath in sacred rivers and donating to the poor. The entire year consists of 12 Sankranti, each falling on a different day.
Hindus celebrate Makar Sankranti with great joy and celebration because they consider it the most important Sankranti out of all the various Sankranti known by different names and having their significance. This article provides some information regarding Sankranti 2024, including dates, celebration methods, etc.
Sankranti 2024 Dates and Days List
Below is a list of all 12 Sankrantis that will fall in the year 2024, along with their dates.
According to the Hindu calendar, here are the Sankranti dates for 2024:
| Month | Name | Date | Day |
| Sankranti January 2024 | Makar Sankranti | 15 January | Monday |
| February | Kumbha Sankranti | 13 February | Tuesday |
| March | Meena Sankranti | 14 March | Thursday |
| April | Mesha Sankranti | 13 April | Saturday |
| May | Vrishabha Sankranti | 14 May | Tuesday |
| June | Mithuna Sankranti | 15 June | Saturday |
| July | Karka Sankranti | 16 July | Tuesday |
| August | Singh Sankranti | 17 August | Friday |
| September | Kanya Sankranti | 16 September | Monday |
| October | Tula Sankranti | 17 October | Thursday |
| November | Vrischika Sankranti | 16 November | Saturday |
| December | Dhanu Sankranti | 15 December | Sunday |
The significance of Sankranti
Generally, Sankranti falls between the 13th and 17th of each month, and the Punya Kaal or Mahapunya Kaal is considered even more auspicious.
Devotees believe that by taking a dip in holy water on the day of Sankranti, they can rid themselves of their previous life’s sins and ask God for forgiveness. The home of those who observe and reverently celebrate Sankranti also enjoys peace, prosperity, and good health.
During this festival, devotees actively perform pooja rituals and actively donate food and other materials to the poor and needy. These activities are believed to bring good fortune, especially if performed during Punya Kaal or Mahapunya Kaal. Following the position of the Sun during Sankranti, Punya Kaal can vary from one location to another.
Overview of Kumbha Sankranti
Although all 12 Sankrantis are auspicious on this day, Kumbha Sankranti is particularly significant. Offering cows and taking a bath in the Ganges, especially in Triveni, is considered truly auspicious on this day as it marks the beginning of the 11th Hindu month.
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It is a day when Hindus from all over the country gather in Haridwar, Allahabad, Nasik, and Ujjain to take a holy bath in the Ganges to bring happiness and good luck to their lives.
Overview of Makar Sankranti
People celebrate Makar Sankranti on the 14th of January every year in January. This holiday marks the time when the Sun enters the Capricorn zodiac, which is the most significant of all Sankranti. People observe Makar Sankranti based on solar cycles, so its date always remains the same as the Gregorian calendar (except in some years).
Known and celebrated by various names in different states of the country, Makar Sankranti relates to harvesting crops. As a celebration of the end of winter, this festival symbolizes the beginning of brighter and happier days. People hold many fairs throughout the country on this day to celebrate Makar Sankranti, which is also a festival of Melas.
As part of Makar Sankranti, people offer arghya at sunrise and worship the Sun. People observe the Kumbha Mela every 12 years in Prayag Raj, as Jupiter completes one revolution around the Sun during this period. The Kumbha Mela takes place in one of four sacred locations: Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain, and Nashik. Additionally, Prayag hosts the Magha Mela.
In addition to dipping in the holy rivers and donating food, Makar Sankranti also involves kite flying and visiting fairs.
How different states celebrate Makar Sankranti
Although Makar Sankranti has different names throughout the country, the festivities and celebrations of this day are quite similar.
- Assam-Magh Bihu
- Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh- Maghi (preceded by Lohri)
- Central India- Sukarat
- Tamil Nadu- Thai Pongal
- Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh- Uttarayan
- Uttarakhand- Ghughuti
- Andhra Pradesh and Telangana- Sankranthi
- Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal- Makara Sankranti
- Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh- Khichdi Sankranti
- West Bengal- Poush Sankranti
- Kashmir- ShishurSankrat
- Tripura- Hangrai
People of India and other countries observe this day. Other South Asian countries, such as Nepal (Maghi Sankrant), Pakistan (Tirmoori), Singapore and Malaysia (Uzhavar Thirunal), Thailand (Songkran), Cambodia (Mohan Songkran), etc., celebrate the Makar Sankranti festival as well.
Sankranti celebrations
It is customary for people to take a holy bath at sunrise on Makar Sankranti. Although most people prefer dipping in the holy waters of any sacred river (Ganga or Yamuna), people may also bathe in their homes. People believe that bathing in sacred rivers brings merit or absolves past sins.
In addition to worshipping the sun and other deities, they also worship other gods and goddesses. Rather than fasting, it is a day to prepare special meals to celebrate Sankranti, like dahi, choora, and khichdi. Makar Sankranti is the most popular time of the year to practice this ritual, with devotees donating food to the poor and flying kites. The majority of other Sankrantis devote their time to praying to the Sun and distributing alms to the poor.
