Khichdi Sankranti in Uttar Pradesh: Customs, Food and Fairs

Quick answer: In Uttar Pradesh, Makar Sankranti is widely called Khichdi, or Khichdi Parv. The day begins with a river bath, followed by gifts of rice, dal and black sesame, and a meal of khichdi. In 2027 it falls on 15 January in India per the panchang; some government lists mark 14 January. Gorakhpur's Gorakhnath temple holds its Khichdi Mela.

Khichdi Sankranti 2027 in Uttar Pradesh: key facts

Because the Sun enters Makara after sunset on Thursday 14 January, panchangs place the observance on the next morning, Friday 15 January. The Central Government's restricted-holiday list marks Makar Sankranti on Thursday 14 January. In 2026, Uttar Pradesh kept its Makar Sankranti holiday and the main Magh Mela bath on 15 January, a day after many other states, as the Press Trust of India reported. For the full timetable, see our Makar Sankranti 2027 guide. Confirm timings with your local panchang or temple priest.

Why is Makar Sankranti called Khichdi in Uttar Pradesh?

The name comes from the food and the gift. Khichdi (also spelt khichri) is rice and dal cooked together. The Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur explains on its own website that in Hindi-speaking regions this Sankranti is commonly called Khichdi because the day is tied to giving and eating a mixture of rice and dal. The same temple page lists the gifts the day is known for: rice, dal and black sesame, with wood and warm clothing given to the poor in the cold of January.

You will hear several names:

What do families in Uttar Pradesh do on Khichdi?

The day follows a simple order in most homes. Details vary by family and district.

1. An early bath. Many people bathe in the Ganga, the Yamuna, another river or a temple tank before sunrise. Those who cannot travel bathe at home. The Gorakhnath temple's page says a person who cannot reach a holy river may remember the sacred rivers and bathe in any river or pond.
2. Prayer to the Sun. Families offer water to the rising Sun and pray. Our guide to offering water to the Sun explains how.
3. The gift (daan). Uncooked rice and dal, black sesame, jaggery, and warm clothes or blankets are set aside and given to priests, to the poor, or to the temple. In many homes elders touch the gift first.
4. The khichdi meal. Khichdi is cooked and eaten, often with ghee. Sesame and jaggery sweets are eaten through the day.
5. Kites. In towns such as Lucknow and Varanasi, rooftops fill with kites in the afternoon.

For the steps of a simple home puja, see Makar Sankranti puja at home.

What is the Khichdi Mela at the Gorakhnath temple?

The Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur is the main seat of the Nath tradition of yogis, named after the saint Gorakhnath. On Makar Sankranti, lakhs of devotees come to offer khichdi (uncooked rice and dal) to Baba Gorakhnath, and a fair grows around the temple.

The legend behind the offering

The temple's website tells this as a traditional account. Long ago, Guru Gorakhnath reached the shrine of Jwala Devi in Kangra. The goddess invited him to eat, but he asked only for khichdi gathered as alms. While she heated the water, he set out to beg for rice and dal. He travelled to the region now called Gorakhpur, sat in meditation there, and never returned. His begging bowl, the story says, has never filled, and devotees have been putting khichdi into it ever since. This is a temple legend, and it is told here as one.

What happens at the mela

• The first offering. The temple's head, the Gorakshpeethadheeshwar, makes the first offering in the early hours of Makar Sankranti. News agencies report that khichdi sent by the former royal family of Nepal follows, then Nath yogis and the public.
• The bath and darshan. The temple says pilgrims bathe in the Bhim Sarovar, the tank in the temple grounds, before offering khichdi.
• How long it lasts. The temple calls it a fair that runs for about a month, and says that apart from Devipatan it is the largest religious fair in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The Union Tourism Ministry's festival portal describes a three-day mela, which is likely the main festival days. Check local notices for the year.
• Where the grain goes. A Press Trust of India report from January 2026 says the grain offered at the temple is used through the year to feed the needy.
• Who comes. Pilgrims come from eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Nepal.

The Gorakhnath temple publishes its contact details and announcements on its website, gorakhnathmandir.in. Check there for this year's programme.

Where do people bathe on Khichdi?

Prayagraj and the Magh Mela

Prayagraj holds the Magh Mela each year at the Triveni Sangam, where the Ganga and Yamuna meet and the hidden Saraswati is believed to join them. Makar Sankranti is one of its main bathing days. Many pilgrims keep Kalpavas, a month of simple living by the river. In 2026, police estimated over nine lakh people had bathed by 6 am on the first Makar Sankranti morning, PTI reported. The 2027 bathing dates have not been announced; the Magh Mela administration in Prayagraj publishes them. Our Magh Mela 2026 guide describes the mela itself.

Varanasi

In Varanasi (Kashi), large numbers of people bathe in the Ganga at the ghats on Makar Sankranti morning. The Gorakhnath temple's page names Kashi and Prayag among the places where a bath at Sankranti is held to be especially meritorious.

Other rivers

People also bathe at river ghats in many other towns. If you go, follow police and mela instructions, keep children close in crowds, and do not enter deep or fast water.

What food is made on Khichdi?

Khichdi. Rice and dal cooked together and eaten hot, often with a spoon of ghee. The dal, the spices and the side dishes vary from family to family, so cook it the way your elders do. For a simple method, see our khichdi recipe.

Sesame and jaggery. Sesame is the other food of the day. It is given as daan, and sesame-and-jaggery sweets are eaten and shared.

Next door in Bihar, the morning meal is flattened rice with curd (dahi-chura). Our Bihar and Jharkhand guide explains that custom.

Allergy note: sesame is a common allergen. Label til sweets when you share them.

Kites on Khichdi: safety and the law

Kite flying is part of the afternoon in many Uttar Pradesh towns. Keep it safe:

• Use plain cotton thread. In its order of 11 July 2017 (O.A. No. 384 of 2016), the National Green Tribunal directed states to prohibit the manufacture, sale, storage, purchase and use of synthetic and nylon manja. Glass-coated thread also injures birds and people.
• Keep away from power lines and never climb on parapets or water tanks.
• Watch children on rooftops at all times.
• If a bird is caught in thread, call a local animal rescue rather than pulling it free.

How do families from Uttar Pradesh keep Khichdi abroad?

Abroad, the day is usually kept at home. Families cook khichdi on the Sankranti date for their city, offer water to the Sun at sunrise, and set aside rice, dal and sesame for a gift. Many give the gift to a temple kitchen or a food bank, since few people abroad can give to a priest at a river. Children can help pack sesame sweets for neighbours. Your local date may be 14 January: check our Makar Sankranti dates abroad page.

How is Uttar Pradesh different from its neighbours?

Frequently asked questions

Why is Makar Sankranti called Khichdi?

Because the day is tied to giving and eating khichdi, a dish of rice and dal. The Gorakhnath temple says this is the common name in Hindi-speaking regions. Families gift uncooked rice and dal and eat khichdi at home.

When is Khichdi in 2027?

Makar Sankranti falls on 15 January in India per the panchang; some government lists mark 14 January. The Sun enters Makara at 9:14 PM IST on Thursday 14 January 2027, after sunset, so the observance moves to Friday 15 January. Uttar Pradesh had not published its 2027 holiday list when we checked.

What is offered at the Gorakhnath temple on Makar Sankranti?

Devotees offer khichdi, which here means uncooked rice and dal, to Baba Gorakhnath. The temple's head makes the first offering in the early morning. The temple says the grain is used to feed people through the year.

What is donated on Khichdi Sankranti?

Rice, dal and black sesame are the usual gifts. Jaggery, warm clothes and blankets are also given, because the festival falls in the cold season. Give to people who need it, or to a temple kitchen.

When is the Magh Mela Makar Sankranti bath in 2027?

It has not been announced yet. The Magh Mela administration in Prayagraj publishes the bathing dates, usually a few weeks before the mela begins. Check the official announcement before you travel.

Is khichdi eaten for lunch or dinner on Sankranti?

It depends on the family. In many Uttar Pradesh homes khichdi is the main meal of the day. Follow your own family's custom.

Sources

• Gorakhnath Mandir, Gorakhpur, "Makar Sankranti parv (Gorakhpur ka Khichdi Mela)": https://gorakhnathmandir.in/makarsankrani.aspx (accessed 12 November 2026)
• District Gorakhpur (Government of Uttar Pradesh), Gorakhnath Temple: https://gorakhpur.nic.in/tourist-place/gorakhnath-temple/ (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Ministry of Tourism, Utsav portal, Khichdi Mela, Gorakhpur: https://utsav.gov.in/view-event/khichdi-mela (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Press Trust of India via The Week, "Preparations completed for annual 'Khichdi Mela' at Gorakhnath temple", 6 January 2026: https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/national/2026/01/06/preparations-completed-for-annual-khichdi-mela-at-gorakhnath-temple.html (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Press Trust of India via The Week, "Magh Mela: Over nine lakh devotees take dip in Sangam", 14 January 2026: https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/national/2026/01/14/magh-mela-over-nine-lakh-devotees-take-dip-in-sangam.html (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Republic World, "Makar Sankranti 2020: places in Uttar Pradesh to fly kites", 14 January 2020: https://www.republicworld.com/lifestyle/makar-sankranti-2020-instagram-pics-you-take-while-in-uttar-pradesh (accessed 12 November 2026)
• National Green Tribunal, order of 11 July 2017 in O.A. No. 384 of 2016, copy published by the Puducherry Pollution Control Committee: https://dste.py.gov.in/ppcc/pdf/Legal/Hon%E2%80%99ble%20NGT%20Orders/384%20of%202016%20dt.%2011.07.2017.pdf (accessed 12 November 2026)
• HinduTone Makar Sankranti 2027 date data (Drik Panchang ingress and New Delhi Punya Kaal): Makar Sankranti 2027

Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.

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• Makar Sankranti 2027: date and Punya Kaal timings
• Makar Sankranti in Bihar and Jharkhand
• Uttarayani and Ghughutiya in Uttarakhand
• Makar Sankranti puja at home
• Magh Mela 2026 at the Triveni Sangam
• January 2027 festivals, state by state