Makar Sankranti 2026: Date and Holiday Details

Every month has a Sankranti, the day the Sun transitions from one zodiac sign (Rashi) to the next. Here is the complete list of all 12 Sankranti dates for 2026, with bank holiday status for each, and detailed guides for the most-searched ones.

All 12 Sankranti Dates in 2026, Complete Calendar

Note on October: BankBazaar's table lists Tula Sankranti on 17 October (Saturday), this is the 3rd Saturday in October 2026, which is a regular working day. The 4th Saturday (bank holiday) is 24 October. These are different dates.

Sankranti in February 2026, Kumbha Sankranti

Date: Thursday, 12 February 2026

"Sankranti feb 2026" / "sankranti this month" (February) / "sankranti 2026 date February"

Kumbha Sankranti marks the Sun's entry into Kumbha (Aquarius), the 11th sign of the zodiac. It is observed primarily in Odisha, where it is a culturally significant day, and in parts of Karnataka and West Bengal.

Is Kumbha Sankranti a bank holiday? No. Kumbha Sankranti (12 February 2026) is not a gazetted public or bank holiday in any state. Banks remain open. The nearest bank closures in February 2026 are the 2nd Saturday (14 February) and 4th Saturday (28 February).

Poush Sankranti note: Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) was on 14 January 2026, the Sankranti at the end of the Bengali month of Poush. This is the most-searched Bengali variant of Makar Sankranti. In 2026, Poush Sankranti = 14 January.

Makar Sankranti 2026, The Most Important Sankranti

Date: Wednesday, 14 January 2026

"makar sankranti 2026" / "sankranthi 2026 date" / "poush sankranti 2026"

Makar Sankranti is the only Sankranti that is a major pan-India public and bank holiday. It marks the Sun's entry into Makar (Capricorn), the 10th zodiac sign, and the beginning of Uttarayana (the sun's northward journey), considered the most auspicious six-month period in the Hindu calendar.

Why Makar Sankranti is astronomically unique: It is the only major Hindu festival observed on a fixed solar date (around 14 January every year) rather than a variable lunar date. Because the Earth's orbit is not perfectly circular, the exact moment of solar ingress into Capricorn falls on 14 January in most years, occasionally shifting to 15 January in leap years.

Bank holiday status: Makar Sankranti is a gazetted bank holiday in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Odisha, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu (as Pongal), and Telangana. In Punjab, the eve, Lohri (13 January), is the primary observance; Sankranti itself may or may not be a formal bank holiday depending on state notification. Check with your specific branch.

Mithuna Sankranti, June 2026 (Raja Sankranti in Odisha)

Date: Monday, 15 June 2026

"june mahine ki sankranti kab hai"

Mithuna Sankranti marks the Sun's entry into Mithuna (Gemini). In Odisha, this is known as Raja Sankranti, the most celebrated day of the Odisha Sankranti festival:

Raja Parba in Odisha: Raja is a three-day fertility festival in Odisha celebrating the Earth Goddess (Bhudevi). Raja Sankranti (15 June) is the central day of this celebration. It is a bank holiday in Odisha. Girls swing on swings, play games, sing folk songs, and abstain from touching the earth as a symbolic mark of respect for the menstruating Earth.

Note: BankBazaar lists Mithuna Sankranti as "14 to 16 June", Sankranti is a single astronomical moment, not a date range. The Sankranti itself is on 15 June 2026. The Raja Parba celebration spans 14–16 June, which is why the range appears, but the bank holiday is specifically on 15 June (Raja Sankranti).

What Is Sankranti?, The Astronomical Explanation

In Hindu astronomy, Sankranti (Sanskrit: Saṅkrānti, meaning "transition" or "movement") refers to the moment the Sun (Surya) crosses from one zodiac sign (Rashi) to the next. There are 12 zodiac signs, so there are 12 Sankrantis per year, one per month.

The Hindu solar calendar (Surya Siddhanta) tracks these solar transits as the basis for:

• Calculating auspicious times (Muhurats)

• Setting ritual bath and charity occasions

• Marking the seasons and agricultural calendar

• Determining the start of each solar month

Why does Sankranti matter? The day of Sankranti is considered auspicious for charitable acts (Daan), ritual bathing in sacred rivers, prayers to the Sun God (Surya Deva), and the beginning of new ventures. Even Sankrantis that are not bank holidays carry cultural and religious significance.

Uttarayana vs Dakshinayana:

• Makar Sankranti (January) begins Uttarayana, the Sun's six-month northward journey. Considered the most auspicious period.

• Karka Sankranti (July) begins Dakshinayana, the Sun's six-month southward journey.

Poush Sankranti 2026, The Bengali Answer

"poush sankranti 2026"

In Bengali tradition, months are named differently from the standard Hindu calendar. Poush is a winter month in the Bengali calendar, and Poush Sankranti marks the end of Poush, which coincides with Makar Sankranti.

In West Bengal, Poush Sankranti (= Makar Sankranti) on 14 January 2026 is observed with:

• Pithe-puli festival, traditional rice-flour sweets cooked in jaggery, coconut, and sesame

• Gangasagar Mela, one of the largest pilgrimages in India at Sagar Island where the Ganga meets the Bay of Bengal; millions gather for a ritual bath on Makar Sankranti/Poush Sankranti

Is Poush Sankranti a bank holiday in West Bengal? Makar Sankranti / Poush Sankranti (14 January) is a public holiday in West Bengal, though bank holiday status may vary, verify with your specific West Bengal branch.

All 12 Sankranti: Bank Holiday Status Summary