Sankranti Dates 2028
Makar Sankranti (the Sun's entry into Capricorn) is the most widely celebrated, marking the start of Uttarayan. Each Sankranti is traditionally considered an auspicious time for charity, holy baths, and worship, with the effect said to be strongest during the Punya Kaal window around the exact transition moment.
All times shown in: Asia/Kolkata
| Date | Time | Sankranti | Sign Transition | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15-Jan-2028 Saturday | 03:24 AM | Makar Sankranti | Sagittarius → Capricorn |
|
| 13-Feb-2028 Sunday | 04:23 PM | Kumbha Sankranti | Capricorn → Aquarius |
|
| 14-Mar-2028 Tuesday | 01:15 PM | Meena Sankranti | Aquarius → Pisces |
|
| 13-Apr-2028 Thursday | 09:44 PM | Mesha Sankranti | Pisces → Aries |
|
| 14-May-2028 Sunday | 06:36 PM | Vrishabha Sankranti | Aries → Taurus |
|
| 15-Jun-2028 Thursday | 01:13 AM | Mithuna Sankranti | Taurus → Gemini |
|
| 16-Jul-2028 Sunday | 12:06 PM | Karka Sankranti | Gemini → Cancer |
|
| 16-Aug-2028 Wednesday | 08:28 PM | Simha Sankranti | Cancer → Leo |
|
| 16-Sep-2028 Saturday | 08:21 PM | Kanya Sankranti | Leo → Virgo |
|
| 17-Oct-2028 Tuesday | 08:15 AM | Tula Sankranti | Virgo → Libra |
|
| 16-Nov-2028 Thursday | 08:01 AM | Vrishchika Sankranti | Libra → Scorpio |
|
| 15-Dec-2028 Friday | 10:40 PM | Dhanu Sankranti | Scorpio → Sagittarius |
|
Note: the exact transition instant is shown above; traditional Punya Kaal (auspicious window) duration around this moment varies by Sankranti and region and is not calculated on this page yet.
Sankranti โ Significance & Details
Makar Sankranti (15-Jan-2028)
Makar Sankranti marks the Sun's entry into Capricorn and the start of Uttarayan, the Sun's northward journey. It is one of the few Hindu festivals tied to a fixed solar date rather than the lunar calendar, traditionally observed on 14th or 15th January. Celebrated as Makar Sankranti across much of India, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri (the eve, in Punjab), Bihu in Assam, and Uttarayan in Gujarat, it is marked by kite-flying, sesame-jaggery sweets, and holy river baths.
Kumbha Sankranti (13-Feb-2028)
Kumbha Sankranti marks the Sun's entry into Aquarius, in mid-February. It falls close to Ratha Saptami and, in the broader astrological framework used to time the Kumbha Mela, is one of several planetary positions (alongside Jupiter's transit) considered when determining the Mela's timing at different pilgrimage sites.
Meena Sankranti (14-Mar-2028)
Meena Sankranti marks the Sun's entry into Pisces, in mid-March -- the final solar transit before the cycle completes with Mesha Sankranti. In some Odia traditions, the days immediately preceding this Sankranti are treated as Panchaka, a five-day window considered less auspicious for major new undertakings.
Mesha Sankranti (13-Apr-2028)
Mesha Sankranti marks the Sun's entry into Aries, the first sign of the sidereal zodiac, and is celebrated as the solar new year in several regional traditions -- including Vishu in Kerala, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu, and Pana Sankranti in Odisha.
Vrishabha Sankranti (14-May-2028)
Vrishabha Sankranti marks the Sun's entry into Taurus, in mid-May. It doesn't carry a single major named festival the way Makar or Mesha Sankranti do, but it is still observed as a routine monthly solar transition -- a day for charity, holy baths, and Sun worship in regions that mark every Sankranti rather than only the more prominent ones.
Mithuna Sankranti (15-Jun-2028)
Mithuna Sankranti marks the Sun's entry into Gemini, in mid-June. It is especially significant in Odisha as the start of Raja Parba, a three-to-four-day festival celebrating womanhood and the onset of the monsoon, during which the earth (Bhudevi) is believed to menstruate and agricultural work is paused out of respect.
Karka Sankranti (16-Jul-2028)
Karka Sankranti marks the Sun's entry into Cancer and the start of Dakshinayana, the Sun's southward journey -- traditionally considered a more introspective, spiritually inward-turning half of the year compared to Uttarayan.
Simha Sankranti (16-Aug-2028)
Simha Sankranti marks the Sun's entry into Leo, in mid-August. In Odisha it is observed with rituals honouring the Sun God, and it falls close to Onam season in Kerala, whose Malayalam calendar month of Chingam roughly corresponds to the Sun's transit through Leo.
Kanya Sankranti (16-Sep-2028)
Kanya Sankranti marks the Sun's entry into Virgo, in mid-September. In Bengal and parts of eastern India, this day is traditionally associated with Vishwakarma Puja, when artisans, craftsmen, and factory workers worship Vishwakarma, the divine architect, along with their tools and machinery.
Tula Sankranti (17-Oct-2028)
Tula Sankranti marks the Sun's entry into Libra, in mid-October. In Odisha, Bengal, and Assam, it traditionally marks the start of a month-long period of holy bathing and austerity observances leading up to and through the Kartik month, considered especially favourable for devotion to Vishnu.
Vrishchika Sankranti (16-Nov-2028)
Vrishchika Sankranti marks the Sun's entry into Scorpio, in mid-November. In Kerala, this roughly coincides with the start of the Malayalam month Vrishchikam and the beginning of Mandala Kalam, the 41-day fasting period observed by Ayyappa devotees ahead of the Sabarimala pilgrimage.
Dhanu Sankranti (15-Dec-2028)
Dhanu Sankranti marks the Sun's entry into Sagittarius, in mid-December, beginning the month traditionally known as Kharmas or Dhanurmasam -- considered inauspicious for weddings and new beginnings in much of India. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana it's marked by early-morning Vishnu worship and recitation of the Tiruppavai, while in Odisha it opens the famous month-long Dhanu Yatra open-air theatre in Bargarh, depicting the life of Krishna.