Makar Sankranti Snan in Haridwar 2027: The Date, the Ghats and a Crowd Plan

Makar Sankranti falls on Thursday, 14 January 2027, the day the Sun enters Capricorn and begins its northward journey, Uttarayan. In Haridwar it is always one of the biggest bathing days of the year. In 2027 it matters even more: it is the first snan of the Ardh Kumbh, which runs from 14 January to 20 April 2027. Expect the town to be full from the evening before, and plan your bath, your route and your room around that.

The date, and why some calendars say 15 January

The Sun crosses into Capricorn late on the evening of 14 January 2027. Because the moment falls after sunset in India, some panchangs keep the punya kaal, the auspicious window for the bath and the donations, on the morning of 15 January. The Kumbh administration and the akharas have announced 14 January as the opening snan, and pilgrims bathe on both mornings. If your family follows a particular panchang, check its timing before you fix your travel.

The first snan days of the Haridwar Kumbh 2027

Makar Sankranti is a main snan but not an Amrit Snan: the akharas' processions come on 6 March, 8 March and 14 April. Our Haridwar Kumbh dates guide lists all ten bathing days.

Which ghat to bathe at

Most people want Brahma Kund at Har Ki Pauri, and on Makar Sankranti it is packed from before dawn. The police let people in, bathe and move on in batches, so you will not linger. The water is the same Ganga a few hundred metres either side, and the other ghats along the main stream, such as Vishnu Ghat, Subhash Ghat and Kushavarta Ghat in the old town, or the ghats of Kankhal to the south, are far easier with children and elders. Families staying in Bhupatwala on the Rishikesh road often bathe at the ghats near their hotel instead of travelling into town.

Whichever ghat you choose, stay on the steps and inside the chains, keep one adult on dry land with the bags and phones, and agree on a meeting point that is not "Har Ki Pauri": a named shop, temple or bridge.

Cold water, cold mornings

Mid-January is the coldest part of the Haridwar winter. Mornings are often in single digits Celsius, fog is common until mid-morning, and the river, fed by the mountains, is very cold. A short dip is enough. Carry a towel, a full change of warm clothes and a dry bag, change straight away, and have something hot to drink after. People with heart or blood-pressure conditions should ask their doctor first, and may prefer to bathe a little later in the morning, once the sun is on the ghats. Our winter comfort guide covers warm clothing and bedding for the Kumbh.

Traffic and a crowd plan

• Arrive the day before. Fog slows the Delhi-Haridwar road at night and early in the morning, and roads into the town are diverted from the eve of the snan.
• Expect to walk. On snan days vehicles are stopped at parking areas outside the centre, and the last stretch to the ghats is on foot. The police publish the route and parking plan a few days before; follow it rather than your map app.
• Bathe early or late. The peak is from dawn to about mid-morning. The afternoon is calmer.
• Carry little. ID, a phone, some cash and the warm clothes. Leave valuables at the hotel.
• Plan the way out. Trains and buses leaving Haridwar are crowded in the afternoon; another night is often easier than a same-day return.

Daan and the day's customs

After the bath, people give til (sesame), jaggery, khichdi, blankets and warm clothes to those in need, and many eat khichdi at home that day. Pandas at Har Ki Pauri and Kushavarta Ghat perform the Sankranti puja on request. Elsewhere in Uttarakhand the same day is Ghughutiya in Kumaon, with the Uttarayani fair at Bageshwar, and in Uttarkashi it opens the Magh Mela on the Bhagirathi; see hotels in Uttarkashi if you plan to go there.

Where to stay for Makar Sankranti

A room you can walk from is worth more than a better room you have to drive from. For Har Ki Pauri, stay in the old town or near Railway Road; our guide to staying near Har Ki Pauri compares the areas by walking time. Bhupatwala has easier parking and its own ghats, and Kankhal is quieter. Compare verified stays with real photos on our hotels in Haridwar page, look at the Kumbh Mela camps in Haridwar, or stay in Rishikesh, 25 km upstream, and come down before dawn. Rooms for 13 and 14 January go first, so book well ahead.