Makar Sankranti: Inside Bengal’s Sweetest Winter Tradition

As winter reaches its peak and the sun begins its northward journey, India celebrates one of its most ancient harvest festivals—Makar Sankranti. This auspicious day marks not just a change in season but a celebration of prosperity, gratitude, and the sweet bonds of togetherness. While the festival is observed across India with different names and traditions, Bengal adds its own delicious twist to this celebration with pithe, puli, and the warmth of community.

What is Makar Sankranti?

Makar Sankranti is a Hindu festival that celebrates the sun’s transition into the zodiac sign of Capricorn (Makara). Unlike most Indian festivals that follow the lunar calendar, Makar Sankranti is based on the solar calendar, making it one of the few Hindu festivals celebrated on a fixed date each year. The word “Sankranti” means transition, and “Makar” refers to Capricorn, marking the beginning of the sun’s six-month northward journey known as Uttarayana.

This day holds deep spiritual significance as it symbolizes the end of the winter solstice and the beginning of longer, warmer days. It’s considered highly auspicious for new beginnings, spiritual practices, and charitable acts.

Devotees taking a holy dip in the river Ganga on Makar Sankranti

When is Makar Sankranti in 2026?

Makar Sankranti in 2026 will be celebrated on January 14th, as it is every year. However, occasionally, due to astronomical variations, the date may shift to January 15th in some years. The festival timing is determined by the precise moment when the sun enters Capricorn, which typically occurs around mid-January.

In Bengal, the festival is known as Poush Sankranti because it falls on the last day of the Bengali month of Poush, marking the transition into the month of Magh.

Why Makar Sankranti is Celebrated

Why Makar Sankranti is celebrated goes beyond astronomical significance—it’s deeply rooted in agricultural traditions and spiritual beliefs. Here are the key reasons:

Harvest Festival: Makar Sankranti coincides with the harvesting of winter crops like rice, sesame, sugarcane, and pulses. Farmers give thanks for a bountiful harvest and pray for prosperity in the coming months.

Solar Transition: The sun’s northward movement (Uttarayana) is considered sacred in Hindu mythology. It’s believed that those who depart during Uttarayana attain moksha (liberation). This belief is mentioned in the Mahabharata, where Bhishma waited for Uttarayana to leave his mortal body.

End of Winter: The festival marks the gradual end of harsh winter and the arrival of longer, warmer days. It’s a celebration of light, warmth, and hope.

Spiritual Cleansing: Taking a holy dip in rivers like the Ganga, Yamuna, or Godavari on this day is believed to wash away sins and bring spiritual merit.

How Makar Sankranti is Celebrated Across India

While Makar Sankranti is a pan-Indian festival, each region celebrates it uniquely:

• Punjab & Haryana: Celebrated as Lohri (a day before), with bonfires, dancing, and festive foods.
• Gujarat & Rajasthan: Kite flying competitions fill the skies with colourful patangs.
• Tamil Nadu: Known as Pongal, a four-day harvest festival with special rice dishes.

• Assam: Celebrated as Magh Bihu with community feasts and traditional games.
• Maharashtra: Families exchange tilgul (sesame and jaggery sweets) saying “Tilgul ghya, god god bola” (eat sweets, speak sweetly).

Bengal’s Sweet Celebration: Pithe Puli Utsav

In Bengal, Makar Sankranti or Poush Sankranti is synonymous with one thing—pithe! This is the day when Bengali households transform into mini sweet factories, with mothers, grandmothers, and daughters coming together to prepare an array of traditional rice cakes and sweets.

The Tradition of Pithe

Pithe (rice cakes) making is an age-old Bengali tradition that has been passed down through generations. The word “pithe” is derived from the Sanskrit word “pistaka,” meaning ground or pounded. These delicacies are made primarily from freshly harvested rice flour, jaggery (gur), coconut, and khejur gur (date palm jaggery)—all winter harvest ingredients.

The tradition symbolizes gratitude for the harvest and brings families together in joyful preparation. In rural Bengal, communities organize pithe utsav (pithe festivals) where neighbours gather to make and share these delicacies.

Popular Bengali Pithe Varieties

Bengali cuisine boasts over 100 varieties of pithe! Here are some beloved ones prepared during Makar Sankranti:

Patishapta: Thin crepe-like pancakes filled with a sweet mixture of coconut and gur, then rolled up. The delicate, melt-in-mouth texture makes it a favourite across all ages.

Puli Pithe: Small dumplings made from rice flour, filled with a sweet coconut and jaggery mixture, then steamed or fried. They resemble momos but are purely sweet!

Chitoi Pithe: Small, spongy rice cakes with a slightly fermented batter, often served with gur or sugar. Their characteristic holes on the surface make them perfect for soaking up sweet syrups.

Dudh Puli: Delicate rice flour dumplings filled with coconut-jaggery mixture, cooked in thickened, sweetened milk. This is winter comfort in a bowl!

Bhapa Pithe: Steamed rice cakes filled with coconut and jaggery. “Bhapa” means steamed, and these soft, pillowy treats are often made in special earthen pots.

Teler Pithe: Fried rice flour fritters, crispy on the outside and soft inside, often shaped like flowers or spirals and dipped in sugar syrup.

Chandrapuli: Crescent-shaped sweet dumplings filled with coconut and jaggery, resembling the shape of the moon (chandra).

Nakshi Pithe: Decoratively shaped pithe with intricate patterns, often made during special occasions.

Traditional Rules and Rituals

Bengali pithe-making follows certain traditional practices that have been preserved for centuries:

Aauni Bauni Tradition: In rural Bengal, Poush Sankranti is also celebrated as Aauni Bauni or Bauni, a special day dedicated to honouring Goddess Lakshmi, the deity of wealth and prosperity. On this day, families perform rituals invoking the goddess’s blessings for abundance in the coming year. The term “Auni Bauni” reflects the communal spirit of the festival, where neighbours exchange homemade pithe and seasonal treats, strengthening bonds of togetherness. People spread rice flour in their house gate, it’s called Aalpona.

Notun Gur (New Jaggery): Fresh jaggery from the winter sugarcane and date palm harvest is essential. The quality of gur determines the taste of pithe.

Fresh Rice Flour: Rice is often ground at home or bought freshly milled. The texture must be fine and smooth for perfect pithe.

Morning Preparation: Traditionally, pithe-making begins early in the morning. The fresh morning air is believed to enhance the fermentation process for certain varieties like chitoi pithe.

Community Cooking: Women of the household gather together, with elder members teaching younger ones the techniques. This transfer of knowledge is as important as the food itself.

Naivedya (Offering): The first batch of pithe is offered to deities and ancestors before the family consumes it.

Sharing with Neighbours: It’s customary to share pithe with neighbours, relatives, and even the less fortunate, embodying the spirit of community and gratitude.

Read More: Bohag Bihu, Assam’s Vibrant New Year Festival and Its Traditional Musical Instruments!

The Role of Khejur Gur (Date Palm Jaggery)

Winter in Bengal brings the special khejur gur or date palm jaggery, extracted from date palm trees. Gachis (tree tappers) climb tall date palms early in the morning to collect the sap in earthen pots. This sap is then boiled down to create the most aromatic, flavorful jaggery—liquid (jhola gur) or solid (patali gur).

Khejur gur is the soul of Bengali winter sweets. Its unique caramel-like flavour and aroma are irreplaceable in pithe preparation. Many Bengalis wait all year for this season just to taste pithe made with fresh khejur gur!

Modern Celebrations

While traditional practices continue in villages and many urban households, modern Bengal has adapted the celebration in interesting ways:

• Pithe Melas (Fairs): Cities like Kolkata organize large pithe festivals where vendors sell various types of pithe, allowing people who can’t make them at home to enjoy the tradition.
• Fusion Pithe: Contemporary cooks experiment with flavours—chocolate-filled patishapta, cheese chitoi, and other creative variations while maintaining the essence.
• Commercial Availability: Sweet shops now sell popular varieties year-round, though the authentic homemade taste during Poush Sankranti remains unmatched.
• Social Media Celebrations: Young Bengalis share their pithe-making experiences on social media, keeping the tradition alive and spreading awareness among new generations.

The Cultural Significance

Makar Sankranti in Bengal is more than just a food festival. It represents:

Seasonal Transition: Celebrating the gradual end of winter and welcoming the harvest season

Family Bonds: Multi-generational cooking sessions strengthen family ties and preserve culinary heritage

Gratitude: Thanksgiving for nature’s bounty—the rice harvest, sugarcane, coconuts, and date palm jaggery

Community Spirit: Sharing food with neighbours and the needy reinforces social bonds

Cultural Identity: The unique pithe tradition distinguishes Bengali culture and connects Bengalis worldwide to their roots

At the End

As the sun makes its celestial journey northward, Bengal celebrates Makar Sankranti with warmth, sweetness, and tradition. While kites fill the skies elsewhere, Bengali kitchens fill with the aroma of steaming pithe, coconut, and fresh jaggery. Every bite of these rice cakes carries centuries of tradition, the love of generations, and the sweetness of gratitude.

Whether you’re a Bengali celebrating your heritage or someone discovering this beautiful tradition, Poush Sankranti reminds us that festivals are not just about rituals—they’re about coming together, sharing joy, and preserving the cultural threads that connect us to our past while nourishing our future.

This Makar Sankranti, as you savour the delicious pithe and the golden gur, remember you’re partaking in a tradition that has sweetened Bengali winters for countless generations.

Subho Poush Sankranti! May your year be filled with sweetness, prosperity, and warmth!