Thai Pongal
Tamil harvest festival on the first day of the solar month Thai. Dated by the drik (Thirukanitha) reckoning of the Government of India almanac; the Tamil Nadu government and temple calendar (Vakya) can keep it a day later, as on 15 January 2026.
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- CategoryFestival
- DeitySurya Dev
- RegionRegional observance: Tamil Nadu
- Defining tithi / momentExact moment:
Timings on Friday, 15 January 2027
- Punya Kaal to 10 h 53 min · 15/01/2027 (Fri)
- Maha Punya Kaal to 1 h 49 min · 15/01/2027 (Fri)
Rule applied: Smarta — Makara Sankranti at night: the Punya Kaal moves to the next day, from sunrise. (Setting: Sankranti Punya Kaal: classical ghati spans per Sankranti type (as in most North Indian Panchangs))
Why this date?
- Makara Sankranti at night: the Punya Kaal moves to the next day, from sunrise.
Questions about Thai Pongal
When is Thai Pongal 2027?
Thai Pongal 2027 is on Friday, 15 January 2027.
What is the muhurat for Thai Pongal 2027?
The timings for Thai Pongal on Friday, 15 January 2027: Punya Kaal 06:19–17:13, Maha Punya Kaal 06:19–08:08.
Which deity is Thai Pongal dedicated to?
Thai Pongal is dedicated to Surya Dev.
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How this festival is celebrated in different regions, with the regional names and each date's rule.
How the date is determined
- It is the moment the Sun enters sidereal Makara (Capricorn).
- The day and Punya Kaal follow the classical ghati spans for each kind of Sankranti (ghati = 1/30 of the daytime): Makara 40 after, Karka 30 before, Mesha and Tula 10 before and after, Vrishabha, Simha, Vrishchika and Kumbha 16 before, Mithuna, Kanya, Dhanu and Meena 16 after, kept within sunrise–sunset; Maha Punya Kaal is 5 ghatis. A Sankranti at night before midnight counts in the same day's afternoon, after midnight in the next morning (Makara always the next day).
- Sidereal positions use the ayanamsa of your calculation profile; a different ayanamsa can shift the moment by several minutes.
Traditional variation
The Tamil Nadu government and HR&CE temple calendar follow the Tamil (Vakya) almanac, whose month starts fall on the drik day or one day later: the HR&CE invitations start Aippasi on 18 October in 2024 and 2025, where the drik ingress gives 17 October. For Thai 2026 the drik Makara ingress (15:13 IST on 14 January, before sunset) gives 14 January, the date here, the Rashtriya Panchang’s and DoPT’s; the Tamil Nadu list kept 15 January. The date here uses the drik (Thirukanitha) ingress with the ayanamsa of your calculation profile.
This is the date given by the rule shown above for the selected place. It is not the only valid date: regional Panchangs, family customs and sampradayas may observe it on a different day.
Rule source: Tamil solar calendar: Thai 1 = the day of the sidereal Makara ingress if it falls before sunset, otherwise the next day (Tamil month-start rule; drik / Thirukanitha ingress). This coincides with the Makar Sankranti day rule used here: a daytime Makara Sankranti stays on its day and one at night moves to the next day. The page follows the Rashtriya Panchang (India Meteorological Department), "Pongal (South India)": 15 Jan 2024, 14 Jan 2025, 14 Jan 2026, 15 Jan 2027 (Saka 1946-1948), the days of the Government of India (DoPT) holiday lists. Government of Tamil Nadu holiday lists: Pongal 15 Jan 2024 (G.O.(Ms.) No.692) and 14 Jan 2025 (G.O.(Ms.) No.792) agree; G.O.(Ms.) No.708 gives 15 Jan 2026, where the drik Makara ingress (15:13 IST on 14 Jan, before the Chennai sunset) gives 14 Jan: a difference of the state list recorded in the variation note, not followed.
Traditions may vary by region and Panchang convention. Times are shown for the selected place, time zone and calculation profile.
Calculated with profile north-lahiri-calibrated · ayanamsa Lahiri (calibrated) · Asia/Kolkata
Dates in 2026
| Date | Defining tithi / moment | Time windows | Decision notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14/01/2026 (Wed) | Exact moment: |
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Dates in 2027
| Date | Defining tithi / moment | Time windows | Decision notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15/01/2027 (Fri) Next | Exact moment: |
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