Festivals

Paush Purnima (3 Jan 2026) is the full moon of Paush month — the first major Purnima of the calendar year. It marks the START of the month-long Magh Mela at Prayag Sangam and the beginning of Kalpavas (the month of ascetic austerity by riverside). Per Padma Purana, the holy bath at Sangam on this Purnima begins a 30-day spiritual journey that concludes on Magha Purnima.

Sakat Chauth (6 Jan 2026) — also called Magha Krishna Chaturthi, Sankat Chaturthi, or Tilkuta Chauth — is the most powerful Sankashti Chaturthi of the year. Mothers fast from sunrise to moonrise for their children's long life, success, and obstacle-removal. Worship is dedicated to Lord Ganesha with the special offering of til-gur ladoos (tilkuta).

Uttarayan (the sun's northward journey) is Gujarat's most celebrated festival, coinciding with Makar Sankranti on January 14 each year. The entire sky of Gujarat — from Ahmedabad to Surat, from Bhavnagar to Vadodara — turns into a tapestry of colorful kites. The festival begins at sunrise and kite-flying continues through the night ('Raat-ni Patang'). Families fly maanja-stringed kites, cut competitors' strings ('pech ladata'), and shout 'Kai Po Che!' on a successful cut. The International Kite Festival in Ahmedabad (Sabarmati riverfront) draws over a million participants. Traditional Uttarayan foods include chikki (sesame-jaggery brittle), undhiyu (mixed vegetable casserole), and jalebi. Uttarayan also marks the sun entering Capricorn — an auspicious time for sacred dips (especially in the Mahakumbh context), ancestor rites (tarpan), and beginning new endeavors.

Shattila Ekadashi (14 Jan 2026, same day as Makar Sankranti) falls on Magha Krishna Ekadashi. The name 'Shat-tila' means 'six-sesame' — devotees engage with til (sesame) in six different ways: bathe with til-water, apply til-paste, offer til-homa, eat til-prasad, donate til, and chant. Per Bhavishya Purana, observing this Ekadashi destroys all 5 mahapatakas (great sins) and grants Vishnu-loka.

Makar Sankranti (14 Jan 2026) marks the sun's transit into Makara (Capricorn) — beginning of Uttarayana (the sun's six-month northward journey). It is one of the rare solar (not lunar) Hindu festivals, falling on a fixed Gregorian date. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala it is the 4-day Pongal harvest festival; in Punjab Lohri (eve); in Gujarat the kite-flying day; in Bengal Poush Sankranti; in Karnataka Suggi. Til-gud (sesame-jaggery) is the universal prasad.

Magh Bihu (14 Jan 2026) — also called Bhogali Bihu (Bhog = feast) — is the second of Assam's three Bihu festivals, coinciding with Makar Sankranti. It marks the end of the harvest season and the granary is full. Communities build temporary bamboo huts (Meji and Bhelaghar), enjoy night-long community feasts and traditional games on Uruka (eve), and burn the Meji at dawn on Bihu day as offerings to Agni.

Monthly Shivratri observed on the 14th day (Chaturdashi) of the Krishna Paksha in Paush month. Devotees fast and worship Lord Shiva through the night.

Mauni Amavasya (18 Jan 2026) is the new moon at the heart of the Magh month — the spiritual climax of the month-long Magh Mela. Devotees observe Maun Vrat (complete silence from sunrise to noon at minimum) and bathe at Sangam. Per the Vishnu Purana, the rishi Manu was born on this Amavasya; hence 'Maun-i' is etymologically linked to Manu (the silent sage) + maun (silence) both.

Vasant Panchami (23 Jan 2026) is celebrated on Magha Shukla Panchami — the day Goddess Saraswati emerged from the mouth of Lord Brahma per the Brahmavaivarta Purana. It also marks the formal arrival of Vasant (spring) ritu. Yellow is the day's colour. Schools, students, and musicians worship Saraswati; many initiate children's first lessons (Akshar Abhyasam / Vidyarambham) on this auspicious day.

Ratha Saptami (25 Jan 2026, Sunday) falls on Magha Shukla Saptami. Per Markandeya Purana, this is the day Surya Dev first mounted his 7-horse chariot — symbolic of the sun's renewed northward journey gaining strength after Uttarayan. 2026's Ratha Saptami is ALSO a Bhanu Saptami (Sunday + Saptami coincidence), making it doubly powerful. Tirumala (Tirupati) Brahmotsavam reaches its climax on this day with the Surya-Prabha Vahana procession.

Jaya Ekadashi (29 Jan 2026) falls on Magha Shukla Ekadashi. Per Padma Purana, this Ekadashi grants 'jaya' (victory) over the cycle of birth-death; the vrat liberates one from pishacha/preta yonis (ghost rebirths). The katha tells of celestial dancer Pushpavanti and Gandharva Malyavan who, under sage Pulastya's curse, became Pishachas and were liberated only by observing this Ekadashi.