Sunday, January 14, 2035
ਸੂਰਜ ਮਕਾਰਾ (ਮਖਤਰੂਪ) ਰਾਸ਼ੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਦਾਖਲ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ, ਲੰਬੇ ਦਿਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਸ਼ੁਰੂਆਤ ਅਤੇ ਵਾਢੀ ਦੇ ਮੌਸਮ ਦੀ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨੀ. ਪੂਰੇ ਭਾਰਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਇਸ ਨੂੰ ਤਾਮਿਲਨਾਡੂ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੋਂਗਲ, ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵਿੱਚ ਲੋਹਰੀ, ਅਸਾਮ ਵਿੱਚ ਬਿਹੂ ਅਤੇ ਗੁਜਰਾਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਉੱਤਰਯਾਨ ਵਰਗੇ ਖੇਤਰੀ ਨਾਵਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਮਨਾਇਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਨਦੀਆਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਨਹਾਉਣ ਅਤੇ ਦਾਨ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਕੈਲੰਡਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਧ ਸੁਖਦ ਦਿਨ ਮੰਨਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।
ਸਮਰਪਿਤ Lord Surya (Sun God)
Bathe before sunrise — ideally in a holy river (Ganga, Yamuna, or Godavari) or with Gangajal mixed into your bath water. Sankranti snana is considered one of the most meritorious baths of the year.
Sit facing east or north. Hold water, akshat (unbroken rice), and a flower in your right palm. The Sankalp mantra below is pre-filled with today's panchang (tithi, nakshatra, samvat year, lunar month, and weekday) — only the bracketed cues marked [say "…"] remain for you to fill in: your city, your gotra, and your full name. Women replace गोत्रोत्पन्नः with गोत्रोत्पन्ना. Release the water, akshat, and flower onto a plate as you finish the mantra.
ॐ विष्णुर्विष्णुर्विष्णुः। श्रीमद्भगवतो महापुरुषस्य विष्णोराज्ञया प्रवर्तमानस्य अद्य ब्रह्मणो द्वितीये परार्धे श्वेतवाराहकल्पे वैवस्वतमन्वन्तरे कलियुगे प्रथमचरणे जम्बूद्वीपे भारतवर्षे भरतखण्डे आर्यावर्तान्तर्गते [say "your city name"] नगरे, विक्रम संवत्सरे 2083 (सिद्धार्थी) वत्सरे, पौष मासे, शुक्ल पक्षे, षष्ठी तिथौ, गुरुवासरे, उत्तराभाद्रपदा नक्षत्रे, [say "your gotra, e.g. Kashyapa"] गोत्रोत्पन्नः, [say "your full name"] नामाहम्, सकल दुरित क्षय पूर्वक सकल अभीष्ट सिद्ध्यर्थं श्री सूर्य प्रीत्यर्थं श्री सूर्य पूजनम् दानम् च अहं करिष्ये।
The tithi, nakshatra, lunar month, weekday and samvat year in the mantra above are for Makar Sankranti Surya Puja's upcoming date: ਵੀਰਵਾਰ, 14 ਜਨਵਰੀ 2027. These values auto-update each year.
Worship Lord Ganesha briefly with durva and a red flower before beginning the Surya Puja.
ॐ गं गणपतये नमः॥
Fill a copper lota with water. Add red flowers, akshat, raktachandan, kumkum, and til. Stand facing the rising sun. Raise the lota with both hands above your head and offer the arghya — letting the water flow in a thin stream through your fingers — while chanting the Surya mantra.
ॐ ह्रां ह्रीं ह्रौं सः सूर्याय नमः॥ ॐ घृणि सूर्याय नमः॥
Worship the Surya Yantra or image with the sixteen upacharas — Asana, Padya, Arghya, Achamaniya, Snana, Vastra (red), Gandha (raktachandan), Akshat, Pushpa (red flowers), Dhupa, Deepa, Naivedya (til-gur laddoo, khichdi), Tambula, Pradakshina, Namaskar.
ॐ सूर्याय नमः॥
Recite the Aditya Hridaya Stotra from the Ramayana — the hymn Sage Agastya taught Rama before the battle with Ravana. Alternatively, recite the Surya Ashtakam and chant the Gayatri Mantra 108 times.
आदित्यहृदयं पुण्यं सर्वशत्रु विनाशनम्। जयावहं जपेन्नित्यं अक्षय्यं परमं शिवम्॥
Offer black sesame seeds and jaggery at the feet of Lord Surya. Sesame is said to absorb negativity and sins; jaggery brings sweetness and warmth. This is the most important daan of Makar Sankranti.
तिलतैल्येन सम्मिश्र दापयाम्यहम्। सूर्याय पापहराय प्रीयताम्॥
Perform the Surya Aarti with camphor — singing 'Om Jai Jagdish Hare' or 'Jai Kashyap Nandan Jai Aditya Deva'. Circle the camphor clockwise before the image.
ॐ जय सूर्य भगवान, स्वामी जय सूर्य भगवान।
Offer a handful of red flowers at the feet of Lord Surya. Pray for health, vitality, clarity of intellect, and the prosperity brought by warmth and sunlight.
Donate til, gur, blankets, warm clothes, and rice to the needy — Sankranti dana is said to yield a hundred-fold merit. Share the khichdi and til-gur laddoo as prasad with family and friends. Fly kites in the afternoon — a tradition representing the rising of the soul towards the sun.
ਇਹ ਗਾਈਡ ਕਲਾਸੀਕਲ ਪਰਾਸ਼ਰੀ ਪਰੰਪਰਾ ਨੂੰ ਦਰਸਾਉਂਦੀ ਹੈ। ਖੇਤਰੀ ਭਿੰਨਤਾਵਾਂ ਮੌਜੂਦ ਹਨ-ਵੇਰਵਿਆਂ ਲਈ ਪਰਿਵਾਰਕ ਪੁਜਾਰੀ ਨਾਲ ਸਲਾਹ ਕਰੋ।
