Festival companion · 14–15 January 2027

Makar Sankranti and Pongal

The harvest thanksgiving. Everything for one festival in one place: the story to tell, the puja, a recipe, a craft for children and a shopping list.

Tell the story

The Story of Makar Sankranti

Sankranti marks the day the sun begins its journey north, called Uttarayana. Days grow longer, the harvest is in, and India gives thanks to the sun, the land and the animals that help the farmer.

In the Mahabharata, the great warrior Bhishma waited on his bed of arrows for Uttarayana before leaving his body, because it was considered the most auspicious time.

Each region celebrates in its own way. Tamil Nadu boils pongal and honours cattle on Mattu Pongal. In Karnataka and Maharashtra friends exchange ellu bella and til-gul. Gujarat flies kites for Uttarayan, Punjab sings around the Lohri fire, and Assam feasts for Bhogali Bihu.

How families celebrate

When the sun moves into Capricorn, all of India thanks the sun, the earth and the cattle for the harvest, under many names. In Tamil Nadu it is Pongal, when rice and milk are boiled in a new pot until they overflow. Karnataka shares ellu bella and Maharashtra shares til-gul, both with the words "eat sesame and jaggery, speak sweetly". Gujarat fills the sky with kites for Uttarayan, Punjab lights Lohri bonfires, and Assam feasts for Bhogali Bihu.

Draw a big rangoli or kolam, cook sweet pongal or khichdi, share ellu bella or til-gul, fly kites, sit by a Lohri fire, and give thanks to the sun at sunrise.

At home

The Puja

A simple home puja anyone can follow, plus the full vidhi with Sanskrit mantras.

Simple puja guide (English)

Detailed puja vidhi with Sanskrit mantras: Devanagari · Kannada script · Telugu script

Cook together

Ellu Bella and Til-Gul

More recipes →
Karnataka, Maharashtra, North India · Sankranti

Ellu Bella and Til-Gul

Sesame and jaggery for Sankranti: ellu bella in Kannada, til-gul in Marathi, til ladoo in the north

  • 20 min
  • Serves 10 small bags
Ingredients and method

Ingredients

  • 1 cup white sesame seeds
  • 1 cup roasted peanuts, skins removed
  • 1 cup dry coconut (copra), in small pieces
  • 1 cup jaggery cubes
  • ½ cup roasted gram (hurigadale)

Method

  1. Dry-roast the sesame on low heat until it smells nutty, then cool.
  2. Cut the copra and jaggery into small, even pieces.
  3. Mix everything in a large bowl.
  4. Pack into small bags with a sugar-candy figure (sakkare acchu) if you have one.

Share it with the words "Ellu bella thindu olle maathaadi" or "Tilgul ghya, god god bola": eat sesame and jaggery, and speak sweetly. For til ladoo, melt the jaggery to a soft ball and roll the sesame into it.

For children

Make a paper kite

You need

  • A square of thin paper (40 cm)
  • Two thin bamboo sticks or straws
  • Tape, glue and string
  • Paper streamers for a tail

Steps

  1. Tape one stick from corner to corner.
  2. Bend the second stick into a gentle curve and tape it across the other diagonal.
  3. Tie string where the sticks cross.
  4. Add a streamer tail and fly it on a breezy day.

Get ready

Shopping List

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Shopping list

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