Makar Sankranti in Maharashtra: Tilgul, Haldi-Kunku and the Three Days

Quick answer: In Maharashtra, Makar Sankranti (often just "Sankrant") is kept over three days: Bhogi the day before, Sankrant itself, and Kinkrant the day after. Families exchange tilgul, a sesame-and-jaggery sweet, with the words "Tilgul ghya ani god god bola", "take tilgul and speak sweetly". Women hold haldi-kunku gatherings, many wear black, and small children have a bornahan.

Makar Sankranti 2027 in Maharashtra: key facts

Makar Sankranti falls on 15 January in India per the panchang; some government lists mark 14 January. The Sun enters Makara (Capricorn) after sunset on Thursday 14 January 2027, so panchangs place the observance on the next day. The moment is the same everywhere in India, including Mumbai and Pune. For the full timetable in India and abroad, see our Makar Sankranti 2027 guide. Confirm the exact timings with your local panchang or temple priest.

What are Bhogi, Sankrant and Kinkrant?

Maharashtra reckons the festival as three days. The Marathi news channel Lokshahi names them as Bhogi, Sankranti and Kinkranti, and other accounts give the same order.

Bhogi: the winter vegetable meal

The Marathi Bhogi is known above all for its food. Writing in Scroll, Priyadarshini Chatterjee describes the Bhogi meal as bajra (pearl millet) bhakri studded with sesame, eaten with bhogichi bhaji, a mixed dish of the season's vegetables and pulses such as carrots, beans, green peas, ber (Indian jujube) and fresh green chickpeas, cooked with coconut, peanuts, roasted sesame and jaggery. Families vary the vegetables to what the market has in January.

Kinkrant: a folk story and a rest day

A popular account says Kinkrant marks the day the Goddess defeated a demon named Kinkarasur. Treat this as a folk story; we have not found it in a named scripture. Many families treat Kinkrant as a day for rest and visits, and some avoid starting new ventures on it. Customs differ by family, so follow your elders.

Why do Maharashtrians exchange tilgul?

Tilgul (also written til-gul) means "sesame and jaggery". It is the heart of Sankrant in Maharashtra. Maharashtra Tourism and Scroll both give the saying that goes with it: "Tilgul ghya ani god god bola", meaning "take tilgul and speak sweetly". You hand a piece of tilgul to a friend, a neighbour or an elder, say the words, and any bitterness from the past year is meant to be left behind.

Tilgul comes in a few forms:

• Tilgul ladoo: roasted sesame bound with jaggery into balls.
• Tilgul vadi: the same mixture set in a tray or mould and cut into pieces, sometimes flavoured with cardamom or nutmeg.
• Sugar-coated tilgul: small sesame seeds coated in hardened sugar syrup, sold loose in shops and handed out by the handful.

Our tilgul ladoo recipe gives a home method. Sesame is a common allergen: tell guests what is in the sweet, especially children.

What do Marathi families cook for Sankrant?

Maharashtra Tourism lists gul poli among the festival's foods, along with sesame ladoos and jaggery eaten with bhakri. See our gul poli recipe. For how other states cook for the festival, start with the Makar Sankranti 2027 guide.

What is haldi-kunku?

Haldi-kunku (haldi is turmeric, kunku is vermilion; also spelt haldi-kumkum) is a gathering hosted by married women. The hostess invites women friends and relatives, applies haldi and kunku to each guest's forehead, offers tilgul, and gives a small gift. Gifts are usually small household items; there is no fixed list.

Haldi-kunku is not held on one day only. Hosts choose a day in the weeks after Sankrant, and the season closes on Ratha Saptami, the Sun's festival in the month of Magha. That is why invitations in Marathi neighbourhoods often arrive through late January and into February.

Why do people wear black on Sankrant in Maharashtra?

Black is usually avoided on Hindu festive days, but Maharashtra is a well-known exception. Many women wear black saris, often with a gold or coloured border, and men may wear black kurtas. Newly married couples keep their first Sankrant in black.

The reasons given vary, and none comes from a named text:

• Sankrant falls in the coldest part of the year, and black holds warmth from the sun. This is a popular explanation.
• Black, on this one day, is said to stand for warmth and protection rather than ill luck.

Keep whichever explanation your family holds; the custom itself is widely observed.

Halwa dagine: sugar jewellery for the first Sankrant

A new bride's first Sankrant after the wedding is a special occasion. She wears halwyache dagine ("halwa jewellery"): necklaces, earrings, bangles and a crown made from tiny white beads of sesame coated in sugar, threaded together. Grooms wear a few pieces too, and babies sometimes wear them at their bornahan. Today many sets are glued onto card with beads and sequins, so not every piece is edible. If you buy a set, ask what holds it together before a child puts it in their mouth.

What is sugad puja?

Sugad are small clay pots that married women worship on Sankrant. Accounts describe the pots being marked with turmeric and vermilion, tied with thread at the neck, set on a decorated base of grain, and filled with the season's produce: pieces of sugarcane, ber, carrot, green chickpeas, sesame and grains. Women offer haldi, kunku, flowers and tilgul, and many give a filled sugad, or grain from it, to other married women. The custom is understood as thanks for the new harvest.

The number of pots, what goes in them and the time of the puja differ between families and towns. Ask the women of your family how they keep it. For a general puja outline, see Makar Sankranti puja at home and the puja samagri checklist.

Safety: an unglazed clay pot that has been heated can crack. Sugad pots are not cooked in, so keep them off the stove.

What is bornahan for small children?

Bornahan (also spelt bornhan; "bor" is the ber fruit and "nahan" means bath) is a playful blessing for children, usually up to about five years old. It is held on a day between Sankrant and Ratha Saptami. The child, often dressed in new black clothes and sometimes in halwa jewellery, sits on a low stool while women of the family pour a shower of small seasonal treats over the head: ber, puffed rice, small pieces of sugarcane and carrot, sugar-coated tilgul, small sweets and coins. Neighbourhood children are invited to gather up what falls.

The custom is traditionally believed to protect the child from the evil eye. It is a close cousin of Bhogi pallu in Telugu homes, but the two are separate customs with their own names and days; see Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Safety for little ones: pour from a low height; avoid hard boiled sweets, whole nuts and anything a toddler could choke on; remove coins from the floor once the children have finished.

Kites in Maharashtra

Children and families fly kites on and around Sankrant, especially in towns. Use plain cotton thread. The National Green Tribunal, in its judgment of 11 July 2017 in Khalid Ashraf v. Union of India (O.A. 384 of 2016), ordered a ban on kite string made of nylon or other synthetic material, or coated with synthetic, non-biodegradable substances, and directed states to stop its manufacture, sale, storage, purchase and use. Such string injures birds, riders and pedestrians and can carry electricity. Fly only from rooftops with railings, keep well away from power lines, and supervise children.

How is Maharashtra's Sankrant different from its neighbours?

• Gujarat keeps the same day as Uttarayan, with all-day kite flying and undhiyu; see our Uttarayan guide.
• Karnataka exchanges ellu-bella, a mix of sesame, jaggery and other ingredients, with its own saying.
• Telangana and Andhra Pradesh keep four days with muggulu, Bhogi fires and Kanuma.

What is particular to Maharashtra is the tilgul saying, the long haldi-kunku season up to Ratha Saptami, sugad puja, black clothes, halwa jewellery and bornahan.

How do Marathi families keep Sankrant abroad?

Abroad, the day of the Sun's entry may fall on a different date: in the USA, Canada and the UK the panchang places Makar Sankranti on Thursday 14 January 2027. See Makar Sankranti and Pongal abroad for city dates.

• Haldi-kunku moves to the weekend. Hosts invite friends to their home on a Saturday or Sunday after Sankrant. Because the season runs to Ratha Saptami, there is time to fit it around work.
• Tilgul from the Indian grocer. Sesame and jaggery are sold in Indian shops; sugar-coated tilgul and halwa jewellery are harder to find and are often brought from India or made at home.
• Bornahan at home. Ber is rarely sold abroad. Families use small seasonal fruit, puffed rice, carrot pieces and sugarcane where available.
• Marathi associations. Many cities have a Marathi mandal (association). In the UK, for example, Maharashtra Mandal London is a registered charity serving Maharashtrians. Check their website for this year's programme.

More practical help for the diaspora: USA guide, UK guide, Canada guide.

Frequently asked questions

What does "Tilgul ghya ani god god bola" mean?

It means "take tilgul and speak sweetly". Tilgul is the sesame-and-jaggery sweet exchanged on Sankrant. The words are a wish that people put aside quarrels and speak kindly to each other in the new season.

Is Makar Sankranti on 14 or 15 January 2027 in Maharashtra?

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 panchangs keep the festival on Friday 15 January. Maharashtra's 2027 holiday list has not yet been published.

Why do women wear black on Sankrant?

It is a Maharashtrian custom, especially for women and for newly married couples at their first Sankrant. The common explanation is that black holds the winter sun's warmth; this is a popular explanation, not a rule from a named text. Families who do not wear black are not breaking any requirement.

When is haldi-kunku held?

Any day from Sankrant up to Ratha Saptami. The hostess picks a convenient day, which is why haldi-kunku invitations continue for several weeks.

What is bornahan and at what age is it done?

Bornahan is a "ber bath" for small children, usually up to about five years old, held between Sankrant and Ratha Saptami. Seasonal treats such as ber, puffed rice and sugarcane pieces are poured over the child's head as a blessing against the evil eye.

What is Kinkrant?

Kinkrant is the day after Sankrant. A folk story links it to the Goddess's victory over a demon called Kinkarasur. Many families keep it as a quiet day of rest and visits.

What goes inside a sugad?

Seasonal produce and grain: commonly sugarcane pieces, ber, carrots, green chickpeas, sesame and grain. The contents vary by family and town, so ask your elders.

Sources

• Lokshahi English, "Why is the Makar Sankranti festival celebrated? Learn about the tradition and significance of the three-day festival" (three days, sugad as exchange of grain, black saris, haldi-kunku until Ratha Saptami): https://english.lokshahi.com/latest-news/makar-sankranti-2025-why-is-the-festival-of-makar-sankranti-celebrated-know-the-geographical-significance (accessed 12 November 2026).
• Maharashtra Tourism (Government of Maharashtra), "Makar Sankranti" (tilgul and its saying, haldi-kumkum, gul poli, kites): https://maharashtratourism.gov.in/festivals/makar-sankranti/ (accessed 12 November 2026).
• Priyadarshini Chatterjee, "On Makar Sankranti, the one thing that ties festivities across India is seasonal eating", Scroll, 14 January 2018 (Bhogi meal, tilgul saying, tilgul vadi, tilachi poli): https://scroll.in/magazine/864777/scroll_in (accessed 12 November 2026).
• Free Press Journal, "Makar Sankranti 2026: Why do people wear black on this day?" (black clothing and explanations): https://www.freepressjournal.in/lifestyle/makar-sankranti-2026-why-do-people-wear-black-on-this-day-cultural-significance-or-myth-know-here (accessed 12 November 2026).
• The Better India, 12 January 2022, on halwa dagine (materials; brides, grooms and babies; black clothes): https://www.thebetterindia.com/273046/sweet-jewellery-halwa-dagine-tradition-carried-on-in-maharashtra-khauwale-patankar/ (accessed 12 November 2026).
• Sonal Tiwari, "The undocumented Indian tradition of candied jewellery for Makar Sankranti", Gulf News, 14 January 2022 (first Sankranti of new brides; black saris; haldi-kunku; non-edible adhesives): https://gulfnews.com/food/the-undocumented-indian-tradition-of-candied-jewellery-for-makar-sankranti-1.1642156994271 (accessed 12 November 2026).
• Lokmat Times, "Makar Sankranti 2026: What is Sugad Puja?" (sugad rituals) and "Bornahan ceremony" (age, period, items poured): https://www.lokmattimes.com/lifestyle/makar-sankranti-2026-what-is-sugad-puja-know-rituals-auspicious-time-and-significance-a510 and https://www.lokmattimes.com/lifestyle/bornahan-ceremony-a-unique-celebration-for-babies-and-children-from-makar-sankranti-to-rathsaptami-2025 (accessed 12 November 2026).
• Lokmat Times, "Makar Sankranti 2026: Why is Kinkrant considered an inauspicious day?" (Kinkrant belief, rest day): https://www.lokmattimes.com/lifestyle/makar-sankranti-2026-why-is-kinkrant-considered-an-inauspicious-day-know-the-mythological-reasons-a510 (accessed 12 November 2026).
• National Green Tribunal, Principal Bench, judgment of 11 July 2017 in Khalid Ashraf v. Union of India, O.A. 384 of 2016 with O.A. 442 of 2016, copy hosted by the Government of Puducherry: 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).
• Drik Panchang, Makar Sankranti 2027 (moment of the Sun's entry into Makara), via our 2027 date data (accessed November 2026).
• Maharashtra Mandal London, official website: https://www.mmlondon.co.uk/ (accessed 12 November 2026).

Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.

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