Maghe Sankranti kahile ho? When is Maghe Sankranti 2027?

It is the first day of Magh, in mid-January, and is set by the sun, so it falls on nearly the same day each year. The exact day is confirmed each year from the Nepal government calendar.

What do you eat on Maghe Sankranti?

Ghee, chaku, sesame laddu, sweet potato, yam, spinach and khichadi, all believed to keep the body warm in winter.

Maghi is the name the Tharu give to the day. It is their new year, kept for several days with feasts, fairs, dress and dance.

Is Maghe Sankranti the same as Makar Sankranti?

It is the same day. Makar Sankranti is the name used in India and on the plains, and Maghe Sankranti is the Nepali name, after the month of Magh.

Culture · Makar Sankranti · Maghi · Ghee Chaku Sahnu

What is Maghe Sankranti?

माघे संक्रान्ति

Maghe Sankranti is the first day of Magh and the end of Poush's cold: ghee, molasses, sesame laddu and yam, oil massages, and the Tharu new year.

What Maghe Sankranti is

Maghe Sankranti is the first day of Magh, the month after Poush, the coldest of the Nepali year. Like Nepali New Year it is set by the sun, not the moon, so it lands in mid-January every year. The sun is said to begin moving north, and the days to grow longer and warmer.

On the plains and in India the same day is Makar Sankranti. In Nepal it is a day for eating well, resting and being with family.

Foods to keep you warm

The day is known by its food: ghee, chaku (hardened molasses), sesame laddu, boiled sweet potato, yam (tarul), spinach and khichadi. They are eaten because they are believed to keep the body warm through the rest of winter. Because so much sesame is eaten, some people call the day Tilauri Sankranti.

Many families also massage the body with mustard or sesame oil and bathe before the meal.

How communities keep it

Newar families call it Ghee Chaku Sahnu and eat chaku dipped in ghee with sweet potato and yam. Married daughters visit their parents for a blessing, a feast and a family reunion.

For the Tharu of the Terai, Maghi is the new year. It is kept for several days with family gatherings, fairs, feasts, traditional dress and dance.

Maghe Sankranti away from home

Mid-January is mid-winter in most of the US, so a family dinner is the natural way to keep the day: khichadi, a spoonful of ghee, a few sesame laddu. Community groups hold gatherings on the nearest weekend, and Tharu associations hold Maghi programmes with food and dance.

Common questions

Maghe Sankranti kahile ho? When is Maghe Sankranti 2027?: It is the first day of Magh, in mid-January, and is set by the sun, so it falls on nearly the same day each year. The exact day is confirmed each year from the Nepal government calendar.
What do you eat on Maghe Sankranti?: Ghee, chaku, sesame laddu, sweet potato, yam, spinach and khichadi, all believed to keep the body warm in winter.
What is Maghi?: Maghi is the name the Tharu give to the day. It is their new year, kept for several days with feasts, fairs, dress and dance.
Is Maghe Sankranti the same as Makar Sankranti?: It is the same day. Makar Sankranti is the name used in India and on the plains, and Maghe Sankranti is the Nepali name, after the month of Magh.