Makar Sankranti (Sanskrit: मकरसङ्क्रान्ति), also referred to as Uttarayana, Makara or simply Sankranti, is a Hindu observance and mid-winter harvest festival celebrated across India and Nepal. The occasion marks the transition of the sun from the zodiac of Sagittarius (Dhanu) to Capricorn (Makara). As this transition coincides with the sun's movement from south to north, the festival is dedicated to the solar deity Surya and is observed to mark a new beginning. It is typically celebrated on 14 January annually, and on 15 January in a leap year.
On Makar Sankranti, Surya is worshipped along with Vishnu and the goddess Lakshmi in various parts of India. The festival is associated with social festivities such as colourful decorations, melas (fairs), folk dances, kite flying, bonfires and community feasts. In some regions, rural children go house to house singing and asking for treats, while elsewhere ritual baths in rivers and offerings of sesame, jaggery and rice form part of the observance.
Across India, the occasion is known by many regional names and is celebrated with multi-day festivities. It is called Sankranthi or Peddha Panduga in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Khichari in the Bhojpuri region, Magh Bihu in Assam, Maghi Saaji in Himachal Pradesh, Makaravilakku in Kerala, Makara Sankranti in Karnataka, Maghi Sangrand in Punjab, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Maghi Sangrand or Uttarain in Jammu, Sakrat in Haryana, Sakraat in Rajasthan, Sukarat in central India, Uttarayana in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, Ghughuti in Uttarakhand, Dahi Chura in Bihar, Til Sakraat in Mithila, and Shishur Senkrath in Kashmir. In West Bengal, it is also called Poush Sankranti or Mokor Sonkranti; in Uttar Pradesh, also Khichidi Sankranti; and in Uttarakhand