Bhogi
When it falls
The date shifts because it tracks the moon, not the Gregorian calendar.
Calculated for India (IST) using precise Panchang astronomy. Dates can shift by a day at locations far to the east or west.
What Bhogi means
Bhogi is kept on the eve of Makar Sankranti, on the last day the Sun stands in Dhanu (Sagittarius) and the close of the Dhanurmaas. The next morning the Sun enters Makara (Capricorn), so Bhogi is a day of preparation and thanksgiving that sets the stage for the larger harvest festival that follows. It is the first of the four days of Pongal in Tamil Nadu, where it is called Bhogi Pongal, and it is also kept in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.
The central act of the day is renewal. Old and unwanted household items are gathered and burned before dawn in a bonfire known as Bhogi Mantalu, a gesture of clearing out the worn and the used to make room for the new as the season turns. Homes are cleaned, freshly whitewashed in many households, and the courtyard is decorated with kolam or rangoli. In some accounts the day gives thanks to Indra, the lord of rain and harvest, for the bounty the fields have yielded.
Regional customs give the day its colour. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Bhogi Pallu, a mix of regi (ber) fruit, coins, and flower petals, is showered over young children as a blessing for their protection and wellbeing. In Maharashtra, the day is marked at the table with sesame (til), a mixed-vegetable bhaji, and bajra bhakri. Across regions the mood is one of letting go of the old year's burdens and welcoming the warmth and harvest that Makar Sankranti brings.
Rituals & observance
Bhogi runs from a pre-dawn bonfire through a day of cleaning, decoration, and family customs that prepare the home for Makar Sankranti. The details vary by region, but the core practices are shared.
- The Bhogi bonfire (Bhogi Mantalu): old and unwanted household items, along with wood and cow-dung cakes, are gathered and burned in a bonfire before dawn, a symbol of discarding the worn-out and beginning afresh.
- Cleaning and decorating the home: houses are swept and cleaned, often freshly painted, and the entrance and courtyard are decorated with kolam or rangoli drawn in rice flour.
- Thanksgiving before the harvest: the day gives thanks for the harvest, in some accounts to Indra, the lord of rain and clouds, before the Sun turns toward Makara the next morning.
- Bhogi Pallu for children: in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, a mix of regi (ber) fruit, coins, and flower petals is showered over young children as a blessing for their protection and wellbeing.
- Festive food: in Maharashtra the day is kept with sesame (til), a mixed-vegetable bhaji, and bajra bhakri, while in the south the kitchen begins preparing for the Pongal days that follow.
Regional variations
How this date is determined
Observed on the sankranti, the day the Sun crosses into a new zodiac sign.
Dates are computed to astronomical precision (NASA/JPL ephemeris), in line with traditional panchang.
