Sankranti dates for Chennai — 25 events in this window, citation-backed.
January2026
2 events
Thu · Jan 15
Makar Sankranti
मकर संक्रान्ति
Medium06:36 – 18:00sankrantifestivalsuryadana
Sun enters Makara (Capricorn), marking Uttarayana -- the northward journey of the sun. Most auspicious Sankranti. Dana, snana in sacred rivers, and tila-gur offerings are prescribed. Ganga snan on this day destroys all sins.
Narada Purana — Purvabhaga, Sankranti-punyakala-varnana, Makara-sankranti punya-kala (sankshipta ed., around lines 14751-14800)Makara-sankranti = Uttarayana-sankrama; purva 40 ghadi + para 30 ghadi prescribed for snana-dana.
Thu · Jan 15
Sankranti
संक्रान्ति
Medium06:36 – 18:00sankrantisuryasnanadana
Sun enters a new rashi (solar ingress). All Sankrantis are considered punya kala. Sacred bath, surya arghya, tila dana, and charity are prescribed. The punya kala extends 16 ghatikas (~6.5 hours) before and after the exact transition moment.
Sankranti Snana & Dana·
Makar Sankranti Surya Puja·
Mesha Sankranti Vishnu Puja·
February2026
2 events
Fri · Feb 13
Kumbha Sankranti
कुम्भ संक्रान्ति
Medium06:33 – 18:13sankrantisuryakumbha_mela
Sun enters Kumbha (Aquarius). Associated with Kumbha Mela at Prayag when Jupiter is also in Kumbha.
Sun enters Kanya (Virgo), beginning the Pitru Paksha period. Extremely important for pitru tarpana and shraddha. Dana of food and dakshina to Brahmins is highly meritorious.
Sankranti falling on Sunday Shukla Saptami. Triple Surya alignment creates a once-in-a-decade+ window for supreme Surya sadhana. Rudrayamala prescribes 1008 Surya Gayatri on this day for burning lifetimes of karma.
Narada Purana — Purvabhaga, Sankranti-punyakala-varnana (Vishnupadi), Vrisha-Vrischika-Simha-Kumbha vishnupadi-sankranti punya-kala (sankshipta ed., around lines 14701-14750)Kumbha is one of the four vishnupadi sankrantis; purva 8 muhurta (16 ghadi) is punya-kala for snana-dana.
Padma Purana — Sankranti-vishesha-mahatmya (vishnupadi and shadashiti), Vishnupadi-sankranti reward = lakshaguna (Gita Press Series 44, around lines 30751-30800)Vrisha, Vrischika, Kumbha, Simha = vishnupadi; punya-karma fruit = lakshaguna (one lakh times).
Fri · Feb 13
Sankranti
संक्रान्ति
Medium06:33 – 18:13sankrantisuryasnanadana
Sun enters a new rashi (solar ingress). All Sankrantis are considered punya kala. Sacred bath, surya arghya, tila dana, and charity are prescribed. The punya kala extends 16 ghatikas (~6.5 hours) before and after the exact transition moment.
Meena classed among the 4 Shadashiti sankrantis — 16 post-sankranti ghatikas are punyakala for snana, dana, charity.
Padma Purana — Srishti-khanda, Sankranti-snana-dana-mahatmya, Shadashiti-Vishnupadi section (Gita Press Series 44, lines 30751-30800) — 'मीन और कन्या राशिकी संक्रान्तिको षडशीति कहते है ... षडशीति नामकी संक्रान्तिमें किये हुए पुण्यकर्मका फल छियासी हजारगुना'Explicitly names Meena+Kanya as Shadashiti — merit of any punya-karma multiplied 86,000 fold.
Sun · Mar 15
Sankranti
संक्रान्ति
Medium06:17 – 18:18sankrantisuryasnanadana
Sun enters a new rashi (solar ingress). All Sankrantis are considered punya kala. Sacred bath, surya arghya, tila dana, and charity are prescribed. The punya kala extends 16 ghatikas (~6.5 hours) before and after the exact transition moment.
Sun enters a new rashi (solar ingress). All Sankrantis are considered punya kala. Sacred bath, surya arghya, tila dana, and charity are prescribed. The punya kala extends 16 ghatikas (~6.5 hours) before and after the exact transition moment.
'Vrṣa, Vrshchika, Kumbha aur Sinha rashi par jo Surya ki sankranti hoti hai, uska naam Vishnupadi hai. Vishnupadi sankranti mein kiye hue punya-karma ka phala lakhguna.' Vrishabha-Sankranti is thus a Vishnupadi-sankranti with lakh-fold snaana-daana merit.
Narada Purana — Uttarardha, Sankranti-punyakala prakaranam, dvi-svabhava-rashi 16-ghadi section (verse 264 segment)Specifies punyakaala windows around sankrantis for snana and dana; Vishnupadi-sankrantis get the 16-ghadi post-sankranti window.
Sat · May 16
Sankranti
संक्रान्ति
Medium05:44 – 18:26sankrantisuryasnanadana
Sun enters a new rashi (solar ingress). All Sankrantis are considered punya kala. Sacred bath, surya arghya, tila dana, and charity are prescribed. The punya kala extends 16 ghatikas (~6.5 hours) before and after the exact transition moment.
Muhurta Chintamani — Sankranti-prakarana, verses 5 and 7 (Pyarelal Mishra ed., lines 2320-2374)Sankranti punya-kala: 16 ghadi purva + para of sankranti-moment is shubha for snana-dana across all sankrantis.
Tue · Jun 16
Sankranti
संक्रान्ति
Medium05:43 – 18:35sankrantisuryasnanadana
Sun enters a new rashi (solar ingress). All Sankrantis are considered punya kala. Sacred bath, surya arghya, tila dana, and charity are prescribed. The punya kala extends 16 ghatikas (~6.5 hours) before and after the exact transition moment.
Sun enters a new rashi (solar ingress). All Sankrantis are considered punya kala. Sacred bath, surya arghya, tila dana, and charity are prescribed. The punya kala extends 16 ghatikas (~6.5 hours) before and after the exact transition moment.
Muhurta Chintamani — Sankranti-prakaranam, verses 3, 7-8 (sthira-rashi sankranti category; snana and dana prescription)
Tue · Aug 18
Sankranti
संक्रान्ति
Medium05:57 – 18:27sankrantisuryasnanadana
Sun enters a new rashi (solar ingress). All Sankrantis are considered punya kala. Sacred bath, surya arghya, tila dana, and charity are prescribed. The punya kala extends 16 ghatikas (~6.5 hours) before and after the exact transition moment.
Muhurta Chintamani — Sankranti-prakarana (Shadashiti and Vishnupadi sankranti), verse 8 (Pyarelal Mishra Hindi ed., lines 2348-2374) — 'षडशीत्यानने ... परा नाड्योऽतिपुण्यदाः'Kanya, Mithuna, Mina, Dhanu sankrantis classed as Shadashiti — 16 post-sankranti ghatikas are ati-punya for snana/dana/tarpana.
Narada Purana — Purvabhaga, Sankranti-punyakala-vichara, Sankranti-punyakala section (Sankshipta ed., lines 14751-14800) — 'कन्या, मिथुन, मीन और धनकी संक्रान्तियोंमें बादकी सोलह घटिकाएँ पुण्यदायक जाननी चाहिये'Explicitly fixes Kanya-sankranti's 16 post-sankranti ghatikas as the punyakala — start of Pitru Paksha begins here, making pitru-tarpana ati-shreshtha.
Fri · Sep 18
Sankranti
संक्रान्ति
Medium05:58 – 18:07sankrantisuryasnanadana
Sun enters a new rashi (solar ingress). All Sankrantis are considered punya kala. Sacred bath, surya arghya, tila dana, and charity are prescribed. The punya kala extends 16 ghatikas (~6.5 hours) before and after the exact transition moment.
Muhurta Chintamani — Samvatsara-prakarana, Sankranti-punyakala section, verses 7-8Tula and Mesha Sankranti share 'madhya' (16 ghatikas centered on Sankranti moment) punyakala for snana-dana; Tula marks midpoint of dakshinayana.
Padma Purana — Srishti-khanda, Sankranti-vibhaga section, Vishnupadi / Shadashiti sectionTula and Mesha (Vishuva) Sankranti dana fruit said to be lakh-fold; reinforces snana-dana prescription.
Sun · Oct 18
Sankranti
संक्रान्ति
Medium06:00 – 17:47sankrantisuryasnanadana
Sun enters a new rashi (solar ingress). All Sankrantis are considered punya kala. Sacred bath, surya arghya, tila dana, and charity are prescribed. The punya kala extends 16 ghatikas (~6.5 hours) before and after the exact transition moment.
Vrisha-Simha-Vrischika-Kumbha Sankrantis are the Vishnupadi set: first 16 ghatikas are atipunyada for snana-dana.
Skanda Purana — Nagara-khanda, Hatakeshvara section, Vrischika-to-Kumbha Sankranti period passageShiva-Indra dialogue: from Vrischika Sankranti to Kumbha Sankranti period named as supremely sacred at Hatakeshvara-kshetra (Anarta-desha).
Tue · Nov 17
Sankranti
संक्रान्ति
Medium06:09 – 17:38sankrantisuryasnanadana
Sun enters a new rashi (solar ingress). All Sankrantis are considered punya kala. Sacred bath, surya arghya, tila dana, and charity are prescribed. The punya kala extends 16 ghatikas (~6.5 hours) before and after the exact transition moment.
'Makara-Karkayoh kramashah saumyam (Uttarayanam) yamyam' -- Dhanu-sankranti enters Dakshinayana's last solar month before Makara (Uttarayana). The 'Kharmas' (mala-masa-like) vyavahara-niṣedha tradition follows directly from this.
Narada Purana — Uttarardha, Sankranti-punyakala prakaranam, dvi-svabhava (Mithuna/Kanya/Dhanu/Meena) 16-ghadi sectionDhanu-sankranti = Ṣaḍashiti-mukhi sankranti (dvi-svabhava rashi); merit 86,000-fold per Padma Purana cross-reference cited in this section.
Thu · Dec 17
Sankranti
संक्रान्ति
Medium06:25 – 17:44sankrantisuryasnanadana
Sun enters a new rashi (solar ingress). All Sankrantis are considered punya kala. Sacred bath, surya arghya, tila dana, and charity are prescribed. The punya kala extends 16 ghatikas (~6.5 hours) before and after the exact transition moment.
