Festival · Surya

Mesha Sankranti (Baisakhi)

The Sun enters Mesha (Aries): the solar new year in many regions, including Baisakhi in Punjab, Vishu in Kerala, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu and Pohela Boishakh in Bengal.

Mesha Sankranti (Baisakhi) 2027
Wednesday 14 April 2027
New Delhi

For New Delhi, Wednesday 14 April 2027

Sunrise
5:57 am
Sunset
6:46 pm
Moonrise
12:09 pm
Moonset
2:07 am, 15 Apr

Worked out for your city. Panchangs can differ by a minute or so.

Full panchang for this day →

Puja times

For New Delhi, Wednesday 14 April 2027

Maha Punya Kaal

1:25 pm to 5:42 pm

Punya Kaal
11:17 am to 6:46 pm
The Sun enters the sign
3:34 pm

Worked out for your city. Panchangs can differ by a minute or so.

How it is kept

Customs vary by region and family

  • Visit the temple
  • Celebrate the harvest with family
  • In Kerala, wake to the Vishukkani

What it remembers

Mesha Sankranti is the day the Sun enters Mesha, Aries, in the sidereal zodiac, on 13 or 14 April. It opens the solar year across much of India and beyond: Baisakhi in Punjab, Vishu in Kerala, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu, Pohela Boishakh in Bengal, Bohag Bihu in Assam, Pana Sankranti in Odisha. It is the wheat harvest in the north and a day of new beginnings everywhere.

The Khalsa

On Baisakhi of 1699 at Anandpur Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh asked the gathered Sikhs who would give his head for the faith. Five came forward, one by one; he initiated them as the Panj Pyare, the five beloved, with amrit stirred with a double-edged sword, and founded the Khalsa. Sikhs keep Baisakhi as its birthday.

The Ganga at Haridwar

Tradition holds that the Ganga came down to earth on Mesha Sankranti; the Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh at Haridwar centre on the Sun in Mesha. A dip in the Ganga on this day is among the year’s holiest.

Vishu’s first sight

In Kerala the year begins with the Vishukkani, the first thing seen on waking: Krishna’s image with golden konna flowers, rice, fruit, gold, a mirror and a lamp, arranged the night before. What is seen first is said to shape the year.

The new year

The holy bath and the offering to the Sun are kept in the Punya Kaal, best in the Maha Punya Kaal; the page shows both for your city. The new year is kept in many ways; follow your own tradition where it differs.

  1. Bathe in the Punya Kaal, in a river if you can, and offer water to the Sun.
  2. Visit the temple or gurdwara; in Punjab, hear the Akhand Path and join the nagar kirtan.
  3. In Kerala, wake to the Vishukkani with eyes closed, and after seeing it receive Vishu kaineetam, money from elders.
  4. Give to the needy: water in earthen pots, fans, sattu and fruit, as the hot season begins.
  5. Cook the new year’s meal: in Tamil Nadu mango pachadi with six tastes, in Bengal the first Boishakh feast; in Punjab, celebrate the wheat harvest with bhangra and gidda.

What you need

  • A copper pot of water for the Sun
  • Flowers, rice and fruit for the temple
  • Earthen pots, fans or sattu to give away
  • In Kerala: konna flowers, rice, fruit, a mirror and a lamp for the Vishukkani

Across India

Punjab and Haryana

Baisakhi: the wheat harvest, the Khalsa’s birthday at the Golden Temple and Anandpur Sahib, bhangra and the fairs.

Kerala

Vishu: the Vishukkani at dawn, Vishu kaineetam, crackers and the sadya.

Tamil Nadu

Puthandu: kolam at the door, the new panchangam read, and mango pachadi.

Bengal

Pohela Boishakh: new account books (haal khata), the Mangal Shobhajatra, and the year’s first feast.

Assam

Bohag Bihu (Rongali Bihu): a week of bihu dance and songs, gamosas given, cattle honoured.

Odisha

Pana Sankranti: the sweet drink pana shared, and the new Odia year begins.

When it falls

The day the Sun enters Mesha (Aries) in the sidereal zodiac.

These are the usual rules. A few days can differ by a day in your tradition, so check with your temple.

Mesha Sankranti (Baisakhi) in the coming years

New Delhi, India time

  1. 2027Wednesday 14 April 2027
  2. 2028Thursday 13 April 2028

Questions

When is Mesha Sankranti (Baisakhi) in 2027?

Wednesday 14 April 2027, in New Delhi. In a few places it can fall a day apart, so the date above is worked out for your city.

When does Mesha Sankranti (Baisakhi) fall?

The day the Sun enters Mesha (Aries) in the sidereal zodiac.

How is Mesha Sankranti (Baisakhi) kept?

Families visit the temple, celebrate the harvest with family and in Kerala, wake to the Vishukkani. Customs vary by region and family.

Who is honoured on Mesha Sankranti (Baisakhi)?

Surya. The Sun enters Mesha (Aries): the solar new year in many regions, including Baisakhi in Punjab, Vishu in Kerala, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu and Pohela Boishakh in Bengal.

Why is Baisakhi on 13 April some years?

Baisakhi follows the Sun’s entry into Mesha. When that happens in the evening, before midnight, the day itself is kept; after midnight, the next day. So it falls on 13 or 14 April, as the moment moves.

Is it the new year for everyone?

For those who follow the solar calendar: Punjab, Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, as well as Nepal, Sri Lanka and much of Southeast Asia. The Deccan and Maharashtra begin their year with the lunar new year, Ugadi and Gudi Padwa, a few weeks earlier.

What is the Punya Kaal?

The time for the holy bath and the offering to the Sun: ten ghatis either side of the Sun’s entry into Mesha, within the day. If the moment falls in the evening, the afternoon is used; after midnight, the next morning. The Maha Punya Kaal is the closest five ghatis. The page shows both for your city.

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