Haridwar Kumbh 2027 · Bathing day
Makar Sankranti Snan: Thursday 14 January 2027
Haridwar Kumbh 2027 opens with the Makar Sankranti snan on Thursday 14 January 2027, the first of eleven bathing days on the official Haridwar Kumbh website. It is a main bathing day, not an Amrit Snan.
January mornings in the region are cold. India Meteorological Department figures for nearby Dehradun give a January average minimum of 6 °C, with the day's lowest temperature around 7 am. Plan clothing for before and after the bath.
The day at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Date | Thursday 14 January 2027 |
| Festival | Makar Sankranti, when the Sun enters Makara (Capricorn) |
| Tithi at sunrise | Pausha Shukla Shashthi |
| Type | Main bathing day (snan), not an Amrit Snan |
| Main place | Har Ki Pauri and the Haridwar ghats |
| Status | Provisional |
Why Makar Sankranti matters
Makar Sankranti is one of the most widely kept bathing days in the Hindu calendar, at rivers across India. In a Kumbh year in Haridwar it is also the opening bathing day of the mela, although the akharas do not take their Amrit Snan on it.
Prayagraj’s calendars give Makar Sankranti on 15 January 2027, a day later, because calendar makers differ on which day to keep it when the Sun’s entry into Makara falls late in the day. For Haridwar, the mela administration’s date is 14 January.
What happens on the day
- Before the day: Haridwar police publish a traffic and parking plan shortly before each big bathing day. For a bathing festival in spring 2026, the plan barred heavy vehicles from the city and sent traffic to set parking areas by the direction it came from. The plan for 14 January 2027 has not been published.
- The tithi: Pausha Shukla Shashthi at sunrise, until 1:58 pm, then Saptami, by the Tirth panchang for Haridwar. The Tirth calendar puts the Sun’s entry into Makara at 9:10 pm on 14 January (New Delhi time), which is why some calendars keep Makar Sankranti on 15 January.
- From early morning: pilgrims bathe at Har Ki Pauri and the other ghats. The official Haridwar Kumbh website calls Makar Sankranti the first major bathing day of the Kumbh.
- The Juna Akhara’s peshwai: the Juna Akhara’s own calendar, released in July 2026, plans its peshwai for 14 January, with the palanquin of Lord Dattatreya, the akhara’s insignia, kettle drums and flags. A peshwai is an akhara’s formal procession into the mela; read what a peshwai is. The route and time are not announced.
- At sunrise and sunset: Shri Ganga Sabha holds the Ganga aarti at Har Ki Pauri every day, the Mangala aarti at sunrise and the Shringar aarti at sunset. No special timing has been published for 14 January; see the Ganga aarti at Har Ki Pauri.
Planning for January
- Carry warm layers, a woollen cap and a towel, and keep dry clothes ready for after the bath.
- Use the packing checklist; set it to Haridwar for the winter items.
The day by the panchang
Sunrise, the tithi and when it changes, and sunset at the bathing place, calculated by the Tirth panchang.
- Sunrise7:14 am
- Tithi at sunriseShashthi until 1:58 pm
- From 1:58 pmSaptami until 2:13 pm the next day
- Sankrantithe Sun enters Makara at 9:10 pm
- Paksha and monthShukla paksha, Pausha
- Sunset5:39 pm
The panchang gives the day's timings by tradition; it does not set bathing times. The mela administration decides when each ghat opens and the order of the akhara processions. Follow its plan, the police and mela instructions on the day.
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Questions people ask
When is the first bathing day of Haridwar Kumbh 2027?
Makar Sankranti, Thursday 14 January 2027, according to the mela administration as reported by PTI. It is provisional until a government notice lists it.
Is Makar Sankranti an Amrit Snan in Haridwar 2027?
No. The four Amrit Snans are 6 March, 8 March, 15 March and 14 April 2027. Makar Sankranti is a main bathing day.