☀️ Monthly Sankranti (Sun's Zodiac Entry) Puja Vidhi — step by step
The Sankranti method is simple — a punya-kaal bath, Surya-arghya, charity and the month's special worship. At home:
How to do Monthly Sankranti (Sun's Zodiac Entry) — the steps
- Rise before sunrise and bathe — at a tirtha or river if possible, else at home adding Gangajal and sesame to the water.
- Offer arghya to the rising Sun from a copper vessel with water, roli, akshat and a red flower — chanting Om Suryaya Namah or the Aditya-Hridaya.
- Give charity within the punya-kaal — sesame, jaggery, grain (rice-dal), clothes, ghee or dakshina, with your own hands.
- Remembering the ancestors (tarpan) is also traditional — especially on Karka and Makar Sankranti, the two ayana turns.
- Add the month's special worship — Vishwakarma Puja on Kanya Sankranti (tools and machines), Tula-snan on Tula, the Dhanurmas rules from Dhanu (see Home Traditions below).
- Keep the day sattvik; those who fast take one simple meal or fruit — a waterless fast is not the tradition.
Puja samagri checklist
Sankranti is chiefly a bathing-and-charity observance — the list is daan-centred:
- Copper vessel for arghya, roli, akshat, red flowers
- Sesame (black/white) and jaggery — the principal Sankranti daan
- Grain for charity: rice, dal (khichdi provisions), flour
- Season-appropriate clothes or blankets (special in the winter Sankrantis)
- Ghee, lamp, dakshina; flowers and incense for the tools in Vishwakarma Puja (Kanya)
Til-gud, khichdi and seasonal grain — the Sankranti plate
Rules — do's and don'ts
✅ Do
- Bathe and give within the punya-kaal — the hours around the entry moment are best (see the timing card above).
- Offer arghya only to the rising Sun; never stare at the Sun directly.
- Always include sesame in the daan — the foremost Sankranti offering.
- On Kanya Sankranti clean and worship your tools and vehicles (where Vishwakarma Puja is the family tradition).
- After Dhanu Sankranti fix major auspicious events only with proper muhurta (the Kharmas rule).
❌ Don't
- Do not turn away anyone asking for charity on Sankranti — give as you can.
- Avoid quarrels, untruth and tamasik food in the punya-kaal.
- Let the arghya water fall on clean ground or a Tulsi bed — never where feet tread.
- Do not hold weddings or griha-pravesh in Kharmas (Dhanu month) without special muhurta consideration.
Vrat katha
With the Sun's Makar entry begins Uttarayana and with the Karka entry Dakshinayana — the Puranic day and night of the gods; Bhishma waited on his bed of arrows for Uttarayana.… Read the full katha →
Frequently asked questions
When is this month's Sankranti? {Y}
The date card above shows the exact day — computed from the Sun's actual sign-entry (Swiss Ephemeris).
What exactly is the punya-kaal?
The window around the Sun's entry moment — traditionally about 16 ghatis (roughly 6.5 hours) on either side; bathing and charity in it carry the highest fruit.
Is a fast compulsory on every Sankranti?
No — Sankranti is chiefly a day of bathing and charity. Those who observe a vrat take one sattvik meal or fruit.
Where are Makar and Mesha Sankranti covered?
On their own detailed pages — Makar Sankranti (Khichdi/Pongal/Lohri) and Mesha Sankranti (Baisakhi/Vishu/Bihu) — linked below under Also Read.
How is Vishwakarma Puja done on Kanya Sankranti?
Clean the tools, machines, vehicles and computers; worship them with flowers, roli-akshat and incense; give them rest that day; distribute sweets — the simple home-and-shop method.
🏠 Monthly Sankranti (Sun's Zodiac Entry) 2026 — date, muhurat, full page · All vrat & festivals