Makar Sankranti and Pongal Stories, With Their Sources

Quick answer: The best-known Makar Sankranti story is the descent of the Ganga, told in the Valmiki Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which pilgrims link to Gangasagar. Families also tell of Bhishma waiting for Uttarayana, Andal's wedding on Bhogi, the bull Basava for Mattu Pongal, and Dulla Bhatti at Lohri. Some are scripture; others are folk traditions.

Below, each story is retold in our own words. We name where it comes from and label it plainly, so you can tell a scripture from a temple custom or a folk tale. No verse text is printed; read the passages in a published edition or ask your family priest.

Which stories belong to Makar Sankranti and Pongal?

How did the Ganga come down to earth? (Bhagiratha and Kapila)

Label: scripture. The story is told twice in the great epics, with small differences.

As told in the Valmiki Ramayana

In the Bala Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana (sargas 38–44), the sage Vishvamitra tells the young Rama and Lakshmana the story of their own ancestors. We followed the text and the Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetham translation on IIT Kanpur's Valmiki Ramayana site.

King Sagara of Ayodhya, after long austerities, has sixty thousand sons by one queen and a single son by the other. When he holds a horse sacrifice, Indra steals the horse (sarga 39). The sixty thousand princes dig through the earth looking for it. Far below, they find the horse grazing near the sage Kapila. The text says that Kapila is the god Vasudeva (Vishnu) in the form of a sage, who supports the earth. The princes rush at him with spades and ploughs, shouting, and the fire of his anger burns them to ash (sarga 40).

Sagara's grandson Anshuman finds the ash and brings the horse home (sarga 41). Only the water of the heavenly Ganga can free the dead princes, but neither Sagara nor Anshuman nor his son Dilipa can bring her down. Dilipa's son Bhagiratha does penance until the Ganga agrees. Since the earth could not bear the force of her fall, Shiva catches her in his matted hair (sargas 42–43). Then she follows Bhagiratha's chariot wherever he goes. On the way she floods the sacrifice of the sage Jahnu (sarga 43). At last Bhagiratha leads her to the ocean and down into the lower world, where the ash lies. Her water washes over it, and he performs the funeral rites for his ancestors (sarga 44). Brahma tells him that the river will be known as Bhagirathi, after him, and as Tripathaga, "she who flows in three worlds".

As told in the Mahabharata

In the Vana Parva of the Mahabharata (Tirtha-yatra Parva, sections 106–109 in Kisari Mohan Ganguli's translation), the sage Lomasa tells this story to Yudhishthira during the Pandavas' pilgrimage. Here Sagara's sons are a gift from Shiva. The horse vanishes near the dried-up sea; the princes dig towards the north-east, find it near Kapila, and are burnt. Bhagiratha's penance first wins the Ganga, then Shiva. When the Ganga reaches the sea, she fills it again; the ocean had been empty since the sage Agastya drank it. Bhagiratha offers water to his ancestors there.

Why is this a Makar Sankranti story?

Neither epic gives the story a date or names Sagar Island. The link comes from pilgrim tradition. On Sagar Island in West Bengal, where the Hooghly branch of the Ganga meets the Bay of Bengal, a Kapil Muni temple holds images of Kapila, the Ganga and Bhagiratha. The C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre's sacred-sites record notes that pilgrims bathe at the confluence on Makar Sankranti and then visit the temple. The Gangasagar Mela dates for 2027 are announced by the West Bengal government; check its notice before you travel.

Did Bhishma die on Makar Sankranti?

Label: scripture. No. The Mahabharata says Bhishma chose to wait for Uttarayana, the Sun's northward course. Tradition remembers his passing on Bhishma Ashtami in the month of Magha, which is a different day from Makar Sankranti.

In the Bhishma Parva (section 120 in Ganguli's translation), Bhishma falls in battle, pierced by so many arrows that he lies on a bed of them. Sages come to him in the form of swans and wonder aloud why so great a man should leave the world while the Sun is still on its southern course. Bhishma answers that he will not die until the Sun turns north. He can choose this because his father had granted him the boon of dying only when he wished.

He lies on the arrows through the rest of the war and teaches Yudhishthira on dharma, kingship and duty. In the Anushasana Parva (section 167 in Ganguli's translation), Bhishma says that the Sun has begun its northward course. He says he has lain there for fifty-eight nights, that the lunar month of Magha has come, and that it is the bright fortnight. Only then does he give up his life.

The translation uses the words "northern solstice". Today Makar Sankranti and the winter solstice fall about three weeks apart, because the two have drifted over many centuries. Our Uttarayana explainer covers this. For the observance itself, see our Bhishma Ashtami guide, and for children, our Mahabharata story for kids.

Why is Andal's wedding celebrated on Bhogi?

Label: temple and regional tradition. Andal, also called Goda or Kothai, is the woman saint among the twelve Alvars of the Tamil Vaishnava tradition. The Government of India's Incredible India page on the Srivilliputtur Andal temple gives the story as the temple tells it. The poet-saint Periyalvar found a baby girl under a tulasi (holy basil) plant in the temple garden and raised her. She grew up devoted to Krishna. She would put on the garland meant for the god before offering it. When her father objected, Vishnu told him in a dream to offer only the garlands she had worn. So she is remembered as the girl who gave the Lord the garland she had worn first. She married Ranganatha of Srirangam and merged with his image there. Her garlands are still sent from Srivilliputtur to Tirumala and to the Kallazhagar temple at festival times.

Her thirty-verse Tiruppavai is sung each morning of Margazhi (Dhanurmasam), the solar month before Makara. Many Vishnu temples close that month with Goda Kalyanam, the wedding of Goda and Ranganatha. Because Dhanurmasam ends when the Sun enters Makara, the wedding usually falls on Bhogi. Deccan Chronicle reported Goda Kalyanam at Vishnu temples across Telangana on 13 January 2025, the Bhogi of that year, ending a month of daily Tiruppavai recitation. Ask your temple for its 2027 time. Read more on our Bhogi guide, our page on Andal, the poet-saint, and our Koodaravalli guide.

What is the Basava (Nandi) story of Mattu Pongal?

Label: folk tradition told in Tamil Nadu. We know of no scriptural source for it. DT Next tells the story this way. Shiva sent his bull, Basava, to tell people on earth to have an oil bath every day and eat once a month. Basava muddled the message and told them to bathe once a month and eat every day. Shiva said the mistake would leave people short of grain, and he sent Basava to live on earth and help them plough the fields. So on Mattu Pongal, families thank their cattle for that work. Read about the day itself in our Mattu Pongal guide.

Who was Dulla Bhatti, and why is he sung at Lohri?

Label: folk tradition told in Punjab, around a historical figure. Dulla Bhatti was a Muslim Rajput rebel of the Bhatti clan from Pindi Bhattian, in today's Pakistani Punjab. The Quint's account, drawing on historians and folklorists, says his father and grandfather were executed for resisting Mughal revenue collectors. Dulla raided officials' caravans and shared the loot with the poor. Akbar's officers hanged him at Lahore in 1599.

Folklore adds the part sung at Lohri. A poor Hindu girl, often named Mundri (in some tellings two sisters, Sundri and Mundri), was to be taken by a powerful man. Dulla rescued her and arranged her marriage himself, acting as her father. Some say this happened on the night of Lohri. Lohri songs that children sing door to door retell this rescue.

Historians differ. Persian chronicles call him a bandit. The folklorist Nahar Singh, quoted by The Quint, says Dulla was real but his role as a rescuer of women is probably folk legend, and that Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs all honour him. Lohri itself is a Punjabi festival kept by Hindus and Sikhs alike. See our Lohri guide.

What is the Kinkrant story told in Maharashtra?

Label: popular telling, with no scriptural source known to us. In Maharashtra the festival runs over three days: Bhogi, Sankrant and Kinkrant. Lokmat Times (January 2026) reports the popular explanation: the goddess Sankranti killed a demon named Sankrasur on Sankranti, and another demon, Kinkar, on the next day, which is why that day is called Kinkrant. Many families avoid starting new work on Kinkrant. We found no Purana or other text that tells this story, so treat it as a household telling. See our Makar Sankranti in Maharashtra guide.

Another story often heard at Sankranti says that Surya visits his son Shani. It is a popular telling, and we have not found a scriptural source for it.

How can families tell these stories well?

• Say where each story comes from: "the Ramayana says", "in our temple", "Punjabi folk tales say".
• Keep scripture and folk tale apart, and let children know both are worth hearing.
• For the epics, read from a published translation together rather than a retelling online.
• Tell one story a day across the festival: Andal on Bhogi, the Ganga on Sankranti, Basava on Mattu Pongal.

Our Makar Sankranti and Pongal for kids page has very short versions to read aloud.

Frequently asked questions

Is the descent of the Ganga really a Makar Sankranti story?

The story is scripture, told in the Ramayana's Bala Kanda and the Mahabharata's Vana Parva. Neither text dates it to Makar Sankranti. The link comes from the Gangasagar pilgrimage, where pilgrims bathe at the Ganga's meeting with the sea on Makar Sankranti and visit the Kapil Muni temple.

Did Bhishma die on Makar Sankranti?

No. The Mahabharata says he waited for the Sun's northward course and died in the bright fortnight of Magha, after fifty-eight nights on the bed of arrows. Tradition marks his passing on Bhishma Ashtami in Magha.

Who was Kapila in the Ganga story?

In the Valmiki Ramayana, Kapila is Vasudeva (Vishnu) in the form of a sage, who supports the earth. In the Mahabharata he is a great sage whose anger burns the sixty thousand princes. Both texts say that only the Ganga's water could free them.

Is the Basava story in the scriptures?

We know of no scriptural source for it. It is a Tamil folk story told to explain why cattle are honoured on Mattu Pongal.

Was Dulla Bhatti a real person?

Yes. Historians accept that he was a rebel hanged at Lahore in 1599. The story of his rescuing a bride, sung at Lohri, is folklore, and scholars differ on how much of it is true.

Is there a scriptural source for Surya visiting Shani on Sankranti?

We have not found one. It is a popular telling. Enjoy it as a family story, but do not present it as scripture.

Sources

• Valmiki Ramayana, Bala Kanda, sargas 38–44, with English translation (Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetham, Tirupati), IIT Kanpur Valmiki Ramayana site; verses 1.40.2, 1.40.25–26, 1.43.33–34, 1.44.1, 1.44.5–6 checked: https://heritage.iitk.ac.in/valmiki/sloka?field_kanda_tid=1&language=dv&field_sarga_value=40 (accessed 12 November 2026).
• The Mahabharata, translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, Vana Parva, Tirtha-yatra Parva, sections CVI–CIX (sacred-texts.com text, SriPedia mirror): https://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia/ebooks/mb/m03/m03107.htm (accessed 12 November 2026).
• The Mahabharata, Ganguli translation, Bhishma Parva, section CXX (SriPedia mirror): https://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia/ebooks/mb/m06/m06120.htm (accessed 12 November 2026).
• The Mahabharata, Ganguli translation, Anushasana Parva, section CLXVII (Wisdom Library edition): https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-mahabharata-mohan/d/doc826492.html (accessed 12 November 2026).
• C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre, Eco Heritage, "Ganga Sagar" (Kapil Muni temple; Makar Sankranti bath): https://ecoheritage.cpreec.org/ganga-sagar/ (accessed 12 November 2026).
• Ministry of Tourism, Government of India (Incredible India), "Srivilliputtur Andal Temple": https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/tamil-nadu/madurai/srivilliputtur-andal-temple (accessed 12 November 2026).
• Deccan Chronicle, "Goda Kalyanam performed at Vishnu avatar temples of city", 13 January 2025: https://deccanchronicle.com/southern-states/telangana/goda-kalyanam-performed-at-vishnu-avatar-temples-of-city-1853997 (accessed 12 November 2026).
• DT Next, "Legends of the festival", 13 January 2018 (Basava story): https://www.dtnext.in/news/tamilnadu/legends-of-the-festival (accessed 12 November 2026).
• The Quint, "Dulla Bhatti, the Robin Hood of Punjab", updated 13 January 2026: https://www.thequint.com/news/india/dulla-bhatti-robinhood-of-punjab-lohri-song-sundar-mundriye (accessed 12 November 2026).
• Down To Earth, "Lohri 2023: There is an agrarian backstory to the legend of Dulla Bhatti", 12 January 2023: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/agriculture/lohri-2023-there-is-an-agrarian-backstory-to-the-legend-of-dulla-bhatti-87109 (accessed 12 November 2026).
• Lokmat Times, "Makar Sankranti 2026: Why Is Kinkrant Considered an Inauspicious Day?", 14 January 2026: https://www.lokmattimes.com/lifestyle/makar-sankranti-2026-why-is-kinkrant-considered-an-inauspicious-day-know-the-mythological-reasons-a510/ (accessed 12 November 2026).

Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.

Related guides

• Makar Sankranti 2027: date, Punya Kaal and meaning
• Pongal: the four days explained
• Bhogi
• Mattu Pongal
• Lohri
• Makar Sankranti and Pongal for kids