Maghe Sankranti (माघे संक्रान्ति) is one of Nepal's most widely observed mid-winter festivals. It falls on 1 Magh every year, the first day of the tenth month of the Bikram Sambat calendar, which lands on 14 or 15 January in the AD calendar. The day marks the sun's transition into Capricorn (Makara rashi), the end of the inauspicious southern-solstice period, and the symbolic start of longer, warmer days. It is observed across Hindu households in Nepal with ritual baths, specific seasonal foods, and family gatherings.

The astronomical event

Sankranti means "transition" in Sanskrit, and refers specifically to the sun's movement from one zodiac sign to the next. There are twelve such sankrantis in a year, one for each zodiac sign. Makara Sankranti — the sun's entry into Capricorn — is considered the most spiritually significant because it marks the start of Uttarayan, the half-year in which the sun travels northward in the sky. In Hindu tradition, Uttarayan is a fortunate, life-affirming period; the preceding Dakshinayan (sun moving south) is associated with inactivity and is less favourable for new beginnings.

Because the BS calendar is sidereal solar, the sun's entry into Makara always falls on 1 Magh by construction. The corresponding AD date is almost always 14 or 15 January, with a one-day variation due to the slight drift between the sidereal and tropical zodiac systems.

The connection between Makara Sankranti and Uttarayan is older than the Bikram Sambat calendar itself — references to the festival appear in ancient Sanskrit texts including the Mahabharata, where the dying warrior Bhishma is said to have waited for Uttarayan to give up his earthly form, believing it the auspicious moment to depart. This deep textual lineage gives the festival a continuity that crosses sectarian and regional boundaries. While details of celebration differ widely, the underlying astronomical event and its religious significance are shared across most Hindu communities.

The traditional foods of Maghe Sankranti

Maghe Sankranti is deeply associated with specific seasonal foods, almost all of which are believed to generate body warmth in the cold of January. A traditional Nepali household will prepare or buy:

Til ko laddu — small balls of sesame seeds bound with jaggery. Sesame is considered warming in ayurveda and is the signature ingredient of the day.
Chaku — hardened molasses candy, a Newar speciality. Often prepared by professional chaku makers who sell it from street stalls in the days before Maghe Sankranti.
Sweet potato (sakharkhanda) and taro root (pidalu/tarul) — boiled or roasted, eaten with ghee or honey.
Yam (ghar tarul) — large root vegetables boiled and shared at family meals.
Ghee (clarified butter) — considered deeply nourishing in the cold season.
Khichari — a mild rice-and-lentil dish, sometimes prepared with a small offering portion for the household deity.

Eating these foods on 1 Magh is more than a tradition — it is part of a folk-medical idea that the body needs warmth-generating food at the peak of winter. The fact that these foods are seasonal (sesame and root vegetables are harvested in late autumn) reinforces the connection between the festival and the agricultural cycle.

Religious rituals

The most common ritual is the holy bath at a river confluence (triveni) or sacred bathing site. The most famous gathering happens at Devghat, where the Trishuli and Kali Gandaki rivers meet near Chitwan — tens of thousands of pilgrims gather here from a week before the festival. Other major sites include Triveni Dham at the southern border, the Bagmati at Pashupatinath, and the various river confluences in the Karnali and Koshi basins.

After the bath, devotees offer prayers (often to Lord Shiva or to the sun) and donate food, clothing or money to the needy. Maghe Sankranti is one of the most active days of the year for charitable giving in Nepal — sesame and rice are the most commonly donated items, in keeping with the seasonal theme.

Regional and community variations

Newar community — Newars call the festival Ghyo Chaku Salhu, literally "ghee and chaku day." Married women receive gifts of ghee and chaku from their parental homes, and families gather for a special meal.
Tharu community — In the western Terai, the Tharu observe Maghi, which is one of the most important festivals of the Tharu year. It is associated with the end of the agricultural-labour contract year, the settling of accounts between households, and the start of a new working cycle. Maghi Mela at Tikapur draws large crowds.
Madhesi community — In the central and eastern Terai, the day is marked with til-and-jaggery sweets and bathing at the Koshi and Bagmati confluences. The festival overlaps with the Makar Mela fairs.
Hill communities — Smaller-scale family gatherings, traditional foods, and visits to local Shiva temples.

Exact dates for the next few BS years

Maghe Sankranti 2082 BS — 15 January 2026 AD
Maghe Sankranti 2083 BS — 15 January 2027 AD
Maghe Sankranti 2084 BS — 14 January 2028 AD

To confirm any other 1 Magh date in the future or past, use the BS to AD converter.

Public holiday status

Maghe Sankranti is a gazetted public holiday in Nepal. Government offices, banks and most private businesses close for the day. Schools also typically take the day off; in some districts the closure extends into the second day if local fairs are held. Public transport runs but is heavier than usual on routes leading to Devghat, Triveni Dham and other pilgrimage sites.

Maghe Sankranti and the wider Indian sub-continent

The same astronomical event — the sun entering Capricorn — is celebrated under different names across South Asia: Makar Sankranti in northern India, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri the day before in Punjab, Uttarayan in Gujarat, and Magh Bihu in Assam. The shared date reflects the shared sidereal-solar calendar tradition. In Nepal, however, the festival has its own distinct flavour — particularly the central role of til ko laddu, chaku and root vegetables, and the prominence of the Tharu Maghi celebrations.

Why the date doesn't shift like Dashain or Tihar

Many people notice that Dashain and Tihar shift by a few days each year in the AD calendar — sometimes early October, sometimes late October. Maghe Sankranti does not. The reason is that Dashain and Tihar are tied to lunar tithis (specific phases of the moon), which drift relative to the solar year, while Maghe Sankranti is tied directly to the solar event of the sun entering Capricorn. Solar events repeat at the same AD date almost exactly each year, with only a single-day variation due to leap years.

Practical takeaway

If you are planning to travel in Nepal in mid-January, treat 14 and 15 January as a public-holiday window. Pilgrimage routes to Devghat will be busy; chaku stalls will be set up on every major street in Kathmandu Valley a few days before. For visa, school or government deadlines, remember that 1 Magh is closed — push deadlines to 2 Magh or later.

How Maghe Sankranti fits into the year

Maghe Sankranti is the first major festival of the Nepali winter half-year. The festivals that precede it (Dashain, Tihar, Chhath) are concentrated in autumn; after Maghe Sankranti the calendar shifts to a different rhythm of Sonam Lhosar, Gyalpo Lhosar, Maha Shivaratri and Holi in late winter, then a slow build toward the new year in Baisakh. Each of these festivals has its own community and seasonal logic, but Maghe Sankranti stands out for being one of the most universally observed across regions, communities and language groups in Nepal.

For families with mixed traditions — say, a Brahmin parent and a Tharu parent, or a Newar parent and a Madhesi parent — Maghe Sankranti is often the festival where the children learn about both sides of their heritage at the same dinner table. Til ko laddu from one tradition, chaku from another, fish curry from a third all appear together. That layered, plural observance is itself a feature of how the festival is lived in modern Nepal.

For more on the BS calendar and Nepal's other festivals, see our 2083 BS calendar guide or the complete public holidays list.

Frequently asked questions

When is Maghe Sankranti 2083?

1 Magh 2083 BS, which is 15 January 2027 AD.

Is Maghe Sankranti the Nepali winter solstice?

It is close to the astronomical winter solstice but not exactly the same. The actual solstice is on 21 or 22 December; Maghe Sankranti is the day the sun enters Capricorn in the sidereal zodiac, about three weeks later.

What is the traditional food on Maghe Sankranti?

Til ko laddu (sesame balls), chaku (molasses candy), sweet potato, taro and ghee — all considered warming foods for winter.

Is Maghe Sankranti a public holiday?

Yes, it is gazetted across Nepal. Government offices, banks and most private businesses close.

Why do people bathe in rivers on Maghe Sankranti?

A ritual bath at a sacred river confluence is believed to bring spiritual merit and mark the auspicious turn from Dakshinayan to Uttarayan. Devghat is the most famous bathing site for the day.