Each Odia month begins at a Sankranti, the day the Sun enters a new sign, so the twelve fall on nearly the same English dates every year. Here are the twelve of 2026, with the Odia month each begins and its rituals.
| Date | Sankranti | Odia month it begins |
|---|---|---|
| 14 JanuaryWednesday | Makar Sankranti | MaghaSun in Makara |
| 13 FebruaryFriday | Kumbha Sankranti | PhalgunaSun in Kumbha |
| 15 MarchSunday | Mina Sankranti | ChaitraSun in Mina |
| 14 AprilTuesday | Pana Sankranti | BaisakhaSun in Mesha |
| 15 MayFriday | Brusha Sankranti | JyeshthaSun in Brusha |
| 15 JuneMonday | Raja Sankranti | AshadhaSun in Mithuna |
| 17 JulyFriday | Karkata Sankranti | ShravanaSun in Karkata |
| 17 AugustMonday | Simha Sankranti | BhadravaSun in Simha |
| 17 SeptemberThursday | Kanya Sankranti | AshwinaSun in Kanya |
| 17 OctoberSaturday | Tula Sankranti | KartikaSun in Tula |
| 16 NovemberMonday | Bichha Sankranti | MargashiraSun in Bichha |
| 16 DecemberWednesday | Dhanu Sankranti | PaushaSun in Dhanu |
Rituals, date by date
14 January: Makar Sankranti; Shattila Ekadashi
Families soak freshly harvested rice with jaggery, banana, coconut, chhena and milk to make makara chaula, offer it to the Sun and share it, after a holy dip at dawn. It is also Shattila Ekadashi: sesame goes into the bath, the food and the gifts.
Why it matters: The Sun enters Makara and begins its northward journey (Uttarayan). Fixed by the Sun, it falls on 14 January almost every year.
13 February: Kumbha Sankranti; Pankoddhara Ekadashi
The Sun enters a new sign and a new Odia month begins; families bathe at dawn and pray to the Sun. It is also an Ekadashi: families fast from rice and other grains, worship Vishnu, and break the fast after sunrise the next day.
15 March: Mina Sankranti; Papamochani Ekadashi
The Sun enters a new sign and a new Odia month begins; families bathe at dawn and pray to the Sun. It is also an Ekadashi: families fast from rice and other grains, worship Vishnu, and break the fast after sunrise the next day.
14 April: Pana Sankranti (Odia New Year); Hanuman Jayanti
Families make pana, a cool drink of wood apple, curd, jaggery and chhena, offer it and share it. A pot of water with a small hole is hung over the tulsi plant to drip through the hot days. The new panjika is read, Hanuman's birthday is kept, and devotees walk on fire (Jhamu Yatra) at Devi temples.
Why it matters: The first day of Baisakha and of the Odia year.
15 May: Brusha Sankranti
The Sun enters a new sign and a new Odia month begins; families bathe at dawn and pray to the Sun.
15 June: Raja Sankranti; Mala Amavasya
The main day of Raja, and the start of Ashadha: swings, songs, games and pitha continue. The extra month ends with its Amavasya.
17 July: Karkata Sankranti
The Sun turns south (Dakshinayana). The Sun enters a new sign and a new Odia month begins; families bathe at dawn and pray to the Sun.
17 August: Simha Sankranti
The Sun enters a new sign and a new Odia month begins; families bathe at dawn and pray to the Sun.
17 September: Kanya Sankranti; Vishwakarma Puja; Sasthi Osha
Workshops, factories and drivers worship their tools and vehicles for Vishwakarma, the divine craftsman, and mothers keep Sasthi Osha for their children. The Sun enters a new sign and a new Odia month begins; families bathe at dawn and pray to the Sun.
17 October: Durga Puja: Maha Saptami; Tula Sankranti
Towns open their pandals of clay Durga images; Cuttack's silver filigree pandals are the most famous. Farmers keep Garbhana Sankranti, worshipping the paddy in their fields, now filling with grain.
Why it matters: Durga's victory over Mahishasura, and Odisha's biggest public festival.
16 November: Bichha Sankranti; Kartikeya Puja
Kartikeya is worshipped in pandals, Cuttack's above all, with lights and fairs. The Sun enters a new sign and a new Odia month begins; families bathe at dawn and pray to the Sun.
16 December: Dhanu Sankranti; Pahili Bhoga
Families offer dhanu muan, a sweet of rice, jaggery and coconut. Through Dhanu month, Jagannath receives an early-morning offering (Pahili Bhoga). The Sun enters a new sign and a new Odia month begins; families bathe at dawn and pray to the Sun.
Every month, with its rituals
January 2026 · February 2026 · March 2026 · April 2026 · May 2026 · June 2026 · July 2026 · August 2026 · September 2026 · October 2026 · November 2026 · December 2026
Dates from the Kohinoor Press Sankhyepa Panjika 2026, Cuttack.
