When is Mesh Sankranti in 2026?

Tuesday, 14 April 2026 — the Sun leaves Pisces and enters Aries that morning; check the panchang page for the exact time.

What is Mesh Sankranti?

The Sun's entry into the Aries sign; considered the start of the Hindu solar new year.

What's the difference between Mesh Sankranti and Makar Sankranti?

Makar Sankranti is the Sun's entry into Capricorn (around 14 January, marking Uttarayan and til-gul customs); Mesh Sankranti is the Sun's entry into Aries (around 14 April, the solar new year) — two separate sankrantis.

Is Mesh Sankranti the new year? What is the new year in Maharashtra?

In many other regions, this solar transition is celebrated as the new year; in Maharashtra, however, the new year is Gudi Padwa (Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, a lunar date).

Why do Vishu, Puthandu, and Baisakhi all fall on the same day?

Because all of them are new-year observances built around the same solar transition into Aries — though each remains a distinct festival with its own regional religious and cultural identity, not just a different name for the same celebration.

What should be donated on Mesh Sankranti?

By tradition, wheat, rice, jaggery, clothing, and copper items are considered auspicious donations — this is a matter of astrological belief.

Mesh Sankranti

Mesh Sankranti is the day the Sun moves from Pisces into Aries — in the Hindu panchang, this is considered the start of the solar new year. The presiding deity is Surya. In 2026, this sankranti falls on Tuesday, 14 April, with the Sun's entry into Aries that morning — check the panchang page for the exact time.

Deity: Surya (the Sun god)

This year's dates (2026)

Tuesday; Sun enters Aries at 9:34 AM; the same day also carries Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Jayanti (separate)Tuesday, 14 April 2026

This same solar transition is marked across India by Vishu (Kerala), Puthandu (Tamil Nadu), Baisakhi (Punjab), Poila Boishakh (Bengal), and Bihu (Assam) — each of these is a distinct festival with its own religious and cultural identity, not simply a different regional name for one shared celebration. In Maharashtra, however, the Marathi new year is Gudi Padwa (Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, a lunar observance) — not Mesh Sankranti. Here, Mesh Sankranti is regarded mainly as a general transition observance — a day for a ritual bath, charity, and Sun worship.

Significance

"Sankranti" refers to the Sun's transition from one zodiac sign to another; "Mesh" means the Aries sign. Together, this means "the Sun's transition into Aries."

The Sun completes its circuit through all twelve signs and returns to Aries — which is why this is regarded as the first day of the solar year. It marks the new year in the Assamese, Odia, Punjabi, Malayalam, Tamil, and Bengali calendars.

The Sun's entry into Aries (a fire/cardinal sign) is seen as a symbol of new energy and fresh beginnings, which is why it doubles as a harvest and new-year celebration in many regions.

Mesh Sankranti has no connection to Uttarayan — Uttarayan is tied specifically to Makar Sankranti. Til-gul and sugad pots are customs that belong to Makar Sankranti, not Mesh Sankranti.

No independent legend

No distinct, well-established mythological legend exists for Mesh Sankranti. The Sankranti Devi legend or the Bhishma-Uttarayan story associated with Makar Sankranti do not apply here. Mesh Sankranti's core isn't a legend — it's the concept of the "solar new year" itself.

Who observes it, and how

This is primarily a major new-year celebration outside Maharashtra. In Kerala it is Vishu (the auspicious morning viewing called "Vishukkani"), in Tamil Nadu it is Puthandu (Mangai Pachadi), in Punjab it is Baisakhi (a harvest festival and Sikh new year), in Bengal it is Poila Boishakh, and in Assam it is Rongali/Bohag Bihu — each region's own distinct festival, sharing only the same solar transition date.

In Maharashtra, Mesh Sankranti is not established as a major independent household festival — the region's new year is Gudi Padwa. Those who do mark the day tend to be Sun-worshippers and panchang followers — offering arghya to the Sun, a ritual bath, and charity according to one's means.

General observances

Being a solar festival, there is no single fixed puja vidhi the way a vrat would have. The following are generally described practices.

Surya arghya/bath: After a morning bath, offering water (arghya) and salutations to the Sun; some take a bath in sacred rivers.
Charity: Wheat, rice, jaggery, clothing, and copper vessels are considered auspicious donations.
New clothes/temple visits: New clothing and temple visits mark the new year, mainly in regions observing Vishu/Puthandu.

Claims that a particular donation brings a particular benefit, or that it increases the Sun god's blessings or energy, are astrological/traditional guidance — not presented here as universal fact.

This is not a day of mandated fasting. Maharashtra has no distinct naivedya tradition of its own for this day either. Special dishes from other regions are noted only for context — Kerala's Vishu Sadya, and Tamil Nadu's Mangai Pachadi (a raw-mango dish symbolising the six flavours of the new year).

Maharashtra's place in this

The real distinguishing fact about Mesh Sankranti in Maharashtra is this: here, it is not the new year. Maharashtra, Goa, and Marathi-speaking regions mark the new year on Gudi Padwa (Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, a lunar date), which falls on 19 March in 2026. Mesh Sankranti (solar, 14 April) is a separate occasion, without the household significance that Gudi Padwa carries here.

The real difference between Mesh Sankranti and Gudi Padwa is that one is fixed by the solar calendar and the other by the lunar calendar — Makar-specific customs like sugad pots and til-gul don't apply to Mesh Sankranti, since they belong to a separate, Makar-specific tradition.

Good to know

Mesh Sankranti is different from Makar Sankranti — Makar marks the start of Uttarayan (January, til-gul), while Mesh marks the solar new year (April).
Maharashtra's new year is Gudi Padwa (lunar) — not Mesh Sankranti.
Being a solar occasion, the date can fall on 13 or 14 April depending on the year — check that year's panchang for the exact date.
Charity and astrological claims should be understood as traditional/belief-based, not as universal fact.

FAQ

When is Mesh Sankranti in 2026?: Tuesday, 14 April 2026 — the Sun leaves Pisces and enters Aries that morning; check the panchang page for the exact time.
What is Mesh Sankranti?: The Sun's entry into the Aries sign; considered the start of the Hindu solar new year.
What's the difference between Mesh Sankranti and Makar Sankranti?: Makar Sankranti is the Sun's entry into Capricorn (around 14 January, marking Uttarayan and til-gul customs); Mesh Sankranti is the Sun's entry into Aries (around 14 April, the solar new year) — two separate sankrantis.
Is Mesh Sankranti the new year? What is the new year in Maharashtra?: In many other regions, this solar transition is celebrated as the new year; in Maharashtra, however, the new year is Gudi Padwa (Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, a lunar date).
Why do Vishu, Puthandu, and Baisakhi all fall on the same day?: Because all of them are new-year observances built around the same solar transition into Aries — though each remains a distinct festival with its own regional religious and cultural identity, not just a different name for the same celebration.
What should be donated on Mesh Sankranti?: By tradition, wheat, rice, jaggery, clothing, and copper items are considered auspicious donations — this is a matter of astrological belief.