About Makar Sankranti Pooja
What is Makar Sankranti Pooja?
Makar Sankranti (Pongal, Uttarayan, Lohri, Bihu) marks the Sun’s entry into Capricorn; the pooja worships Surya Narayana and the ancestors and is followed by dana of til, jaggery and new grain.
Sankranti begins Uttarayana, the auspicious half of the year. Telugu families celebrate Bhogi, Sankranti and Kanuma; Tamil families celebrate Pongal; Gujarat flies kites for Uttarayan. Til-gud and new rice are offered everywhere.
Benefits
- Blessings of Surya for health and success
- Peace for the ancestors (Sankranti tarpanam)
- Merit of dana in the auspicious punya kaal
When to perform
- Makara Sankranti punya kaal (usually 14 or 15 January)
How Makar Sankranti Pooja is performed
- Surya pooja and arghya
- Sankranti tarpanam (for those who perform it)
- Pooja with new rice, til and jaggery
- Dana of til, jaggery, rice and clothes
- Harathi
Makar Sankranti Pooja samagri list
- Sesame (til) and jaggery
- New rice, milk and jaggery for pongal
- Sugarcane — 2
- Turmeric plant — 1
- Flowers, fruits and kumkum
- Items for dana
Do’s and don’ts
✅ Do
- See the exact Sankranti punya kaal for your city on the Stuti Mandir Panchang
❌ Avoid
Frequently asked questions
How much does Makar Sankranti Pooja cost?
Makar Sankranti Pooja with a verified Stuti Mandir pandit starts from ₹2,100 as pandit dakshina, for about 1 to 1.5 hours. The price can be a little higher outside the metro cities, live video pujas cost less than a home visit, and the full bill is shown before you pay.
When is Makar Sankranti?
Usually 14 or 15 January; the exact punya kaal depends on when the Sun enters Makara.