On the day of Makar Sankranti , the sun starts its journey towards northward and transitions into the capricorn zodiac sign, marking the commencement of Uttarayan. Considered to be a significantly auspicious period in hindu tradition, this day is a symbol of prosperity, spiritual awakening and growth. In Hindu calendar there are total twelve Sankranti in a year. All twelve Sankranti can be divided into four categories. Makar Sankranti and Karka Sankranti are two Ayan (अयन) Sankranti which are also known as Uttarayana Sankranti and Dakshinayana Sankranti respectively. As per Hindu Panchang, Sankranti (संक्रांति) means movement of the Sun from one Rashi to the next. In some parts of India, each Sankranti is marked as the beginning of a month. Next Sankranti festival schedule on Sunday, 16 November 2025. Hence, Makar Sankranti and Uttarayana occur on different days. On the Gregorian calendar, Makar Sankranti occurs on 14 or 15 January; Uttarayana starts on 21 December. Due to the precession of the equinoxes the tropical zodiac (i.e. all the equinoxes and solstices) shifts by about 1° in 72 years.
