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Dawn at the Sangam in Prayagraj on a Kumbh Mela bathing day in 2013, with pilgrims along the bank below the fort
Dawn at the Sangam, Kumbh Mela 2013. Photo: Lokankara, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bathing day · Prayagraj

15
FridayJanuary 2027

Makar Sankranti मकर संक्रांति

Tithi: Pausha Shukla Saptami

ExpectedCalendar dates
69 days to go
All dates

Magh Mela 2027 · Bathing day

Makar Sankranti Snan at Magh Mela 2027: Friday 15 January

KumbhMela.info Editorial TeamChecked on Sun 18 Oct 2026

The Makar Sankranti snan, the first main bath of Magh Mela 2027 at the Sangam in Prayagraj, is expected on Friday 15 January 2027. You will also see 14 January: Haridwar's mela administration lists that day for its own Makar Sankranti bath.

ExpectedChecked on Sun 18 Oct 2026

The date and tithi come from the Hindu calendar (Tirth panchang). The date stays expected until the Prayagraj Mela Authority publishes its list of 2027 bathing days; on 18 October 2026 we found no such list from the mela authority, the district or the Uttar Pradesh government. Reporting on the mela administration's first planning meeting, Amar Ujala gave Makar Sankranti as '14/15 January' (27 August 2026).

The difference comes from the calendar. The Sun enters Makara (Capricorn) on the night of Thursday 14 January, after sunset, and many panchangs then keep the festival and its bath on the 15th. For the bath at the Sangam, follow the date the Prayagraj Mela Authority lists.

The day, hour by hour

  1. The evening before

    Saptami tithi begins.

  2. Before sunrise

    2026: the bath ran without a break from late the night before, the mela officer said.1

    In 2026

  3. 2026: the Divisional Commissioner gave the bathing muhurat as 4 am to 1:39 pm.2

    In 2026
  4. Sunrise

    Sunrise. The tithi at sunrise is Saptami.

  5. Morning

    2026: about 24 bathing ghats over 3.69 km in the Arail, Jhunsi and Sangam areas.3

    In 2026

  6. 2026: over 36 lakh had bathed by 10 am, a Magh Mela official told PTI.4

    In 2026

  7. The 2027 ghats, traffic plan and bathing muhurat for 15 January are not yet published.5,6,7

    Not announced yet
  8. Afternoon

    Saptami tithi ends.

  9. Sunset

    Sunset.

  10. Night

    2026: the administration put the day's figure at about 1.03 crore by 8 pm.8

    In 2026

Times in grey type are from the Tirth panchang for the bathing place. Bathing times are set by the mela administration, not by the panchang.

Sources for these rows (8)
  1. Amar Ujala (Amar Ujala Network, Prayagraj): माघ मेला: मकर संक्रांति स्नान पर्व आज (Makar Sankranti bath today) (2026)
  2. Amar Ujala (Amar Ujala Network, Prayagraj): माघ मेला: मकर संक्रांति पर 15 जनवरी को स्नान का शुभ मुहूर्त (Auspicious bathing time on Makar Sankranti is on 15 January; CM's review) (2026)
  3. Amar Ujala (Amar Ujala Network, Prayagraj): प्रयागराज: मकर संक्रांति स्नान की तैयारी, 24 घाट (Preparations for the Makar Sankranti bath; 24 ghats) (2026)
  4. PTI (via Deccan Herald): Magh Mela: Over 36 lakh take dip at Sangam on Makar Sankranti (2026)
  5. Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh: Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 official website (kumbh.gov.in), as it stood on 18 October 2026
  6. Dainik Jagran (Jagran correspondent, Prayagraj): माघ मेला 2027 की तिथियों का एलान: 50 दिन का होगा आयोजन, मकर संक्रांति को होगा पहला स्नान (Magh Mela 2027 dates announced) (2026)
  7. Amar Ujala (Vinod Singh, Amar Ujala Network, Prayagraj): Prayagraj: Magh Mela 2027 first meeting sets the outline of preparations; 54 tenders, mela area to grow (Hindi) (2026)
  8. Amar Ujala (Amar Ujala Network, Prayagraj): माघ मेला: मकर संक्रांति पर करीब एक करोड़ श्रद्धालुओं ने लगाई डुबकी (About one crore bathe on Makar Sankranti) (2026)

14 or 15 January: why calendars differ

WhatPrayagrajHaridwar
DateFriday 15 January 2027 (expected)Thursday 14 January 2027
Why this dayThe Sun enters Makara a little after 9 pm on 14 January, after sunset, so panchangs such as Drik Panchang keep the punya kaal, and the bath, at sunrise on the 15thThe day of the Sun’s entry; the mela administration’s date for the first Kumbh bath
WhereThe Sangam, at the yearly Magh MelaHar Ki Pauri and the Haridwar ghats, at the Kumbh
StatusExpected, until the Prayagraj Mela Authority lists itProvisional
Day pageThis pageMakar Sankranti at Haridwar

Neither date is a mistake; they come from different ways of reckoning the same event. Go by the list the Prayagraj Mela Authority publishes for the Sangam, not by a calendar app.

Go deeperHow a panchang picks the day, and past years1 min read

Most bathing days follow a tithi, a lunar day. Makar Sankranti follows the Sun: it is the moment the Sun enters Makara. In 2027 that moment falls a little after 9 pm on Thursday 14 January, by the Tirth calendar for New Delhi and by Drik Panchang for Prayagraj.

A panchang then has to decide which day carries the festival. Drik Panchang states the rule it follows: when the Sun enters Makara after sunset, the punya kaal, the auspicious window for the bath and for daan, moves to sunrise the next day. For Prayagraj it puts the punya kaal on Friday 15 January, from sunrise, and keeps Makar Sankranti on that day. The Tirth calendar also keeps it on 15 January and notes that dates can differ by a day from place to place.

The Sun’s entry itself falls on 14 January, and some lists use that day. Haridwar’s official Kumbh website gives Thursday 14 January 2027 for its Makar Sankranti bath. At Prayagraj, the report of the mela administration’s first planning meeting gave the day as 14 or 15 January.

  • Kumbh 2019 at Prayagraj: the first bath, Makar Sankranti, was on 15 January 2019, according to PIB.
  • Maha Kumbh 2025 at Prayagraj: the mela authority listed Makar Sankranti on 14 January 2025 as the first Shahi Snan.
  • Magh Mela 2027: Friday 15 January 2027 by the calendar; not yet listed by the mela authority.

What the day means

By tradition, Makar Sankranti marks the Sun’s move into Makara and the start of Uttarayan, its northward journey. Across India the same days are kept under other names; greeting the country in January 2026, the Vice-President named Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Lohri, Magh Bihu and other harvest festivals together, and said they herald the change of seasons and the Sun’s northward journey.

The Prayagraj Mela Authority describes Makar Sankranti as the day charitable giving (daan) begins at the mela, with pilgrims giving as much as they wish. In a Kumbh year it can also be an Amrit Snan, led by the akharas: at the 2025 Maha Kumbh it was the first of three. 2027 is the yearly Magh Mela, not a Kumbh.

Wooden boats with bright cloth canopies moored at the Sangam, with pilgrims on the bank behind.Photo: Ninara, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pilgrims at the Sangam; by tradition, daan begins at the mela on Makar Sankranti

How the day runs

  1. To the waterPilgrims walk across the riverbank to the bathing ghats laid out for the mela, or take a boat from the ghat near the fort out to the point where the Ganga and the Yamuna meet.
  2. At the meeting pointPriests sit on small platforms in the river, the district says, and help pilgrims with puja and the ritual bath.

Read the Sangam guide for the ghats, the boats and the shrines nearby.

Before and after this day

  1. January 2027
    22Fri
    Paush Purnimaपौष पूर्णिमाPausha PurnimaSangamSunrise 6:49 am
    Expected

Sunrise at the bathing place, from the Tirth panchang. Bathing times are set by the mela administration, not by the panchang.

For all six days with their meanings, and the start and end of the season, see the Magh Mela 2027 page.

Plan the visit

  1. Book only what you can cancelUntil the Prayagraj Mela Authority publishes its list, book only what you can cancel, and check who runs a camp before you pay: how to check a Kumbh booking.
  2. Expect to walkAt the 2025 Maha Kumbh, the mela authority kept vehicles out of the mela area from the day before to the day after each main bathing day, and put parking 1 to 2 km from the ghats. The traffic rules for 2027 have not been announced.
  3. Check the dateIf you plan to bathe on 14 January, check the mela authority’s list first: in 2027 the calendar puts the Prayagraj bath on the 15th.
  4. Pack for a cold morningMornings in mid-January are cold at the river. Carry warm layers and a dry change of clothes; our packing list helps.
  5. On the dayMain bathing days usually draw large numbers of pilgrims; follow police and mela instructions on the day.

Where the bathing happens

The bathing happens at the Sangam, where the Ganga and the Yamuna meet. The map also shows the railway stations and the bus stands.

Prayagraj: the Sangam and arrival pointsGangaYamuna123456781 kmN
Prayagraj: the Sangam and arrival points
  1. 1Triveni SangamGhat · Bathing place
  2. 2Akshayavat and Bade Hanuman, by the FortTemple
  3. 3Nag Vasuki TempleTemple
  4. 4Prayagraj JunctionRailway
  5. 5Prayag JunctionRailway
  6. 6Prayagraj Sangam stationRailway
  7. 7Civil Lines bus stationBus
  8. 8Zero Road bus standBus

A guide to where places are, not a route plan. During the mela, roads and ghats open and close by the official plan; follow police and mela directions.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Some temple locations from Wikidata (CC0). openstreetmap.org/copyright

The panchang, and a card to share

Fri 15 Jan 2027For the Sangam, Prayagraj, in IST
  • Sunrise6:50 am
  • Tithi at sunriseSaptami until 2:13 pm
  • From 2:13 pmAshtami until 1:42 pm the next day
  • Paksha and monthShukla paksha, Pausha
  • Observed asMakara Sankranti
  • Sunset5:34 pm

Calculated by the Tirth panchang (PyJHora 4.8.7) · open the panchang · checked on Sun 18 Oct 2026

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.

Questions people ask

Magh Mela 2027 mein Makar Sankranti snan kab hai?

On Friday 15 January 2027, by the Hindu calendar. It is the first of the six main bathing days at the Sangam, and it stays expected until the Prayagraj Mela Authority publishes its list.

Why do some lists say 14 January 2027?

The Sun enters Makara a little after 9 pm on 14 January 2027, after sunset. Panchangs such as Drik Panchang then move the punya kaal to sunrise on the 15th, while some lists use the day of the Sun’s entry. Haridwar’s official list gives 14 January. For the Sangam, follow the Prayagraj Mela Authority’s list.

Where next

How to reachTrains, buses, roads and the last stretch
Where to stayAreas, camps and what to check
Ghats and placesWhere the bathing happens

Sources

19 sources · checked 18 Oct 2026
  1. Festivals 2027 (Tirth spiritual calendar): Makara Sankranti, Mauni Amavasya, Vasant Panchami and Maha Shivaratri, re-checked 18 October 2026 · TravNext Tech Private Limited (Tirth.com) ·
  2. Festivals 2027 and festival pages: Makara Sankranti, Maha Shivaratri, Chaitra Navratri, Mesha Sankranti, Rama Navami (Tirth spiritual calendar) · TravNext Tech Private Limited (Tirth.com) ·
  3. Panchang: tithi, sunrise and lunar month · TravNext Tech Private Limited (Tirth.com) ·
  4. Magh Mela 2027 · Incredible India, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India (listing credited to Uttar Pradesh Tourism) ·
  5. Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 official website (kumbh.gov.in), as it stood on 18 October 2026 · Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh ·
  6. District Prayagraj, Government of Uttar Pradesh: home page helplines and links · District Administration, Prayagraj (hosted by National Informatics Centre) ·
  7. Prayagraj Mela Authority · Division Prayagraj, Government of Uttar Pradesh ·
  8. Places of Interest (Sangam, Allahabad Fort, Patalpuri and Akshaya Vat) · District Prayagraj, Government of Uttar Pradesh ·
  9. Traffic Plan (Maha Kumbh 2025 official website) · Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh ·
  10. Makar Sankranti 2027 date and time for Allahabad (Prayagraj): Sankranti moment and punya kaal · Drik Panchang (drikpanchang.com) ·
  11. Snan and Events: Haridwar Kumbh 2027 (official website) · Haridwar Kumbh Mela administration, Government of Uttarakhand ·
  12. Prayagraj: Magh Mela 2027 first meeting sets the outline of preparations; 54 tenders, mela area to grow (Hindi) · Amar Ujala (Vinod Singh, Amar Ujala Network, Prayagraj) ·
  13. All set for Kumbh Mela 2019 at Prayagraj: first Shahi Snan of akharas on 15 January · Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Culture ·
  14. Bathing Dates: Maha Kumbh 2025 · Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh ·
  15. VP Radhakrishnan extends greetings on Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Lohri, Magh Bihu, Kanuma, Uttarayan, Tusu Parab · All India Radio News (News On AIR), Prasar Bharati ·
  16. Bathing Dates: Maha Kumbh 2025, descriptions of Paush Purnima, Makar Sankranti, Maghi Purnima and Maha Shivaratri · Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh ·
  17. Mahakumbh 2025: Over 40 crore Devotees have taken the Holy Dip at the Triveni Sangam at Prayagraj till date · Press Information Bureau, Government of India (Ministry of Information and Broadcasting) ·
  18. The Beginning of Maha Kumbh 2025: A Grand Spiritual Spectacle · Press Information Bureau / Ministry of Culture, Government of India ·
  19. Rituals of Kumbh (Maha Kumbh 2025 official website) · Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh ·