Makar Sankranti at a glance
Why this date: the sun enters Makar, Capricorn.
- When
- Usually 14 January, sometimes the 15th
- Where
- The rooftops of Jaipur's walled city
- Lasts
- Dawn to dusk, and often a second day
- Best day
- Sankranti itself, from a haveli roof
- Book by
- Several months ahead, it is peak season
- Good for
- Families, photographers, anyone who joins in
- The cry: woh kata, when a kite is cut.
- Taste of the day: til patti, til laddoo and pakodi.
- Our way: a private haveli roof with our family.
A festival of the sun, kept with paper and string
The name: Sankranti means the passage of the sun from one sign of the zodiac into the next, and Makar is Capricorn.
Uttarayan: in the old reckoning the sun began its northward journey on this day, towards spring and longer days.
Bhishma's wait: in the Mahabharata, the warrior Bhishma, on his bed of arrows, waited for this season to die, because it was the most auspicious time to leave the world.
- For farmers: it marks the end of the cold, the ripening of the winter crops and a time to give thanks.
- Many names: Gujarat calls it Uttarayan, Tamil Nadu celebrates Pongal, Punjab lights the bonfires of Lohri the night before, and pilgrims bathe in the Ganga and at the great river meetings.
- In Rajasthan: a day of bathing, giving and sweets made with sesame, til, and jaggery, which warm the body in the coldest weeks.
- Family customs: giving to the poor, feeding cows, and sending sweets to married daughters and their in-laws.
- In Jaipur, kites: nobody can say exactly when the city's passion began.
- What the old families say: kite flying was a pastime of the royal court in the nineteenth century, and kite-loving rulers made it fashionable among nobles and commoners alike.
- What we know: by our grandparents' day the whole walled city flew on Sankranti, and it still does, from every roof, at every age.
- Made for kites: our Jaipur guide explains why a city built on a grid of flat roofs suits it.
When Makar Sankranti falls
Solar, not lunar: because it follows the sun rather than the moon, it falls on 14 January in most years.
Why it shifts: the moment the sun enters Capricorn moves by a few hours each year, and when it falls late in the day, almanacs move the main observance to 15 January.
Why it hardly matters: Jaipur flies kites on both days, and the second, which some families call basi Sankranti, is almost as busy as the first. We confirm the date each year.
- Usual date
- 14 January
- Sometimes
- 15 January, if the sun enters late in the day
- In 2027
- Some almanacs say the 14th, others the 15th
- Second day
- Basi Sankranti, almost as busy
- Kite season
- From late December
- Weather
- Near 8°C at dawn, low twenties by midday
- The build-up: from late December, kite stalls spring up across the old city, children practise on every roof after school, and the sky fills a little more each afternoon.
- In early January: if you are in Jaipur in the first two weeks, you will see it building.
- Mornings: crisp, so bring a warm layer for the early hours on the roof.
- The sky: usually clear and blue, perfect for kites.
- Evenings: they turn cold quickly after sunset.
- Month guide: Rajasthan in January covers the wider month.
Beyond the kites, a day of bathing and giving
If you come with us to Galtaji at dawn, you will see families stepping into the water as the first light reaches the valley, then climbing to the Surya Mandir, the sun temple on the ridge, which seems exactly right for a festival of the sun.
Daan, giving: the old texts say what you give on this day returns to you many times over.
- What families give: sesame, jaggery, rice, lentils, warm blankets and money, at the temple gates and to anyone who asks.
- Cows: fed with green fodder and sweets. In the walled city's lanes, women carry bundles of grass to the cattle that wander there.
- Daughters and brides: married daughters receive gifts from their parents, and new brides keep their first Sankranti with special rituals at their in-laws' home.
- Sacred water: pilgrims bathe in the tanks of Galtaji in the hills east of Jaipur, at the lake in Pushkar, and at the great river meetings of north India.
- The bath: taken early, in the cold, followed by prayers to the sun.
- Then the kites: none of this competes with them. By eight the same families who bathed at dawn are on their roofs.
- Very Jaipur: that mixture of devotion and fun is why we love the day.
Kites, string and the art of the cut
The patang
What it is: a light diamond of thin tissue paper stretched over a frame of split bamboo, with no tail.
- How it flies: fast, nimble and unstable, made to be steered rather than simply flown.
- Choice: every colour and size, some printed with film stars and cricketers, some plain.
- By the dozen: families buy them that way, because many will be lost by noon.
The manjha
What it is: the fighting string, cotton thread coated with a paste of glue and finely ground glass, so it can cut another kite's line.
- Home-made once: families stretched the thread between trees in the lanes and coated it by hand.
- The charkhi: the string is wound on this wooden spool, which someone else holds while you fly.
- Banned string: sharp synthetic and so-called Chinese manjha, which does not break, has injured people and birds. We use only cotton string.
The pech, the duel
The duel: two kites cross lines, and the fliers pull or release to saw through each other's string.
- The shout: when one is cut and drifts away, the roof that cut it shouts woh kata, there it goes, or woh maara, and the whole neighbourhood joins in.
- Finders keepers: children race through the lanes and across the roofs to catch the falling kite, which becomes theirs by right.
The kite market
Where: around Haldiyon ka Rasta and in pop-up stalls across the walled city, in the weeks before Sankranti.
- The sight: kites stacked in great bright piles and spools of manjha hanging in rows.
- When to go: in the evening with your guide, when families are buying, to pick out your own.
Kite day, hour by hour
Dawn, the bath and the giving
The bath: ideally in sacred water. Pilgrims come to the tanks of Galtaji, the temple valley in the hills east of the city, for a holy dip.
- The giving: sesame, jaggery, blankets and grain to the poor, and green fodder for cows at the temple gates.
- Come with us: walk to Galtaji early if you would like to see it.
Morning, up to the roof
By eight: kites, spools, a speaker playing film songs, a flask of chai and plates of til sweets.
- Your lesson: our family's cousins show you how to launch a patang, which is harder than it looks, and how to hold the line when the wind catches it.
- The sky: it fills by the minute.
Midday, the battles
The wind: it usually rises late in the morning, and that is when the real duels begin.
- The noise: every roof shouting, music from a thousand speakers, kites falling into the lanes.
- Lunch on the roof: dal ki pakodi, crisp lentil fritters, with chutney, and hot gajak. Nobody goes downstairs if they can help it.
Afternoon, the long light
- The colour: as the sun lowers, the light over the walled city turns gold and pink, and the kites become silhouettes.
- Photographs: the best hour for them. Our photography tips explain how to capture the sky without losing the rooftops.
Dusk and night, lanterns and fireworks
When the wind drops: the kites come down and the night begins.
- Lanterns and fireworks: paper lanterns float up over the city, and fireworks burst over the rooftops.
- The rules: they change from year to year because of the fire risk, and we follow them.
- Dinner: late, on the roof, wrapped in shawls.
Where to spend Sankranti
A haveli roof in the walled city
- Why: every neighbour is flying, and the duels come to you.
- What we arrange: a private roof with a family we know, or a terrace at a heritage hotel inside the old city, with chai, lunch and a cousin or two to teach you.
Hawa Mahal and the bazaars
The busiest roofs: around Hawa Mahal and Badi Chaupar.
- The view: a terrace there gives you the kites against the pink facade.
- The bazaars: quiet on the day, because everyone is upstairs.
Nahargarh at sunset
The view: from the walls of Nahargarh Fort, the whole grid of Jaipur spreads below with kites rising from every roof.
- When: the last hour of light and the first lanterns.
- The catch: it is busy on the day.
Elsewhere in Rajasthan and beyond
Other towns: kites fly in Jodhpur and elsewhere too, though nowhere with Jaipur's passion.
- Bikaner: keeps its own kite day on Akha Teej in spring instead.
- Gujarat: Ahmedabad celebrates Uttarayan with an equally fierce kite day, if you want to compare.
The sweets and food of Sankranti
Til patti: a thin, crackling brittle of sesame and sugar or jaggery.
Til laddoo: round balls of toasted sesame bound with jaggery.
Gajak: a flaky, layered sweet of sesame and jaggery beaten until it is light.
- Shared everywhere: eaten on the roof, given to visitors and sent in boxes to married daughters.
- Why sesame: sesame and jaggery are said to warm the body in the cold, and in a Jaipur January you will believe it.
- Dal ki pakodi: crisp fritters of ground lentils with green chutney, fried and made for sharing on a roof.
- Also on the roof: kachori from the old sweet shops and endless cups of chai.
- Feeni: in the colder weeks, a nest of fine fried threads eaten soaked in warm milk.
- Khichdi: many families cook rice and lentils on the day, and give rice, lentils and sesame to the poor.
- Our favourites: our food of Jaipur guide and our Rajasthani sweets guide.
Birds, safety and kind kite flying
Cut hands: glass-coated manjha cuts hands.
On the roads: stray lines across roads have injured motorcyclists.
Birds: pigeons, kites and other raptors that share the January sky are caught and hurt in the strings every year.
- Rescue camps: volunteer groups and vets run them across Jaipur on the festival days.
- The worst string: synthetic and nylon manjha, which does not break, and is banned.
- How we fly: only with cotton string, on supervised roofs, and not in the very early morning or at dusk, when birds are most active.
- An injured bird: tell your guide, who will know the nearest rescue camp.
- Finger guard: wear one, or tape your fingers. Even cotton manjha can cut.
- Children: keep them away from roof edges, and make sure every roof has a proper parapet.
- Don't chase: never chase a falling kite across roofs or into the road. Leave that to the local boys, who know every step.
- Sun: wear sunglasses and a hat. You will spend hours looking up into the winter sun.
Etiquette on the rooftops
Join in: if a neighbour's kite crosses yours, the duel has begun, and everyone expects you to try.
Shout and laugh: woh kata when you cut a kite, and laugh when yours is cut. Nobody takes it personally.
- Fallen kites: one that falls onto a roof belongs to whoever catches it. Don't ask for yours back.
- Share til: accept the sweets you are offered, and offer yours in return.
- Shoes off: if you are invited into a home on the way up to the roof.
- Give alms: generously to those who ask on Sankranti. It is the day of giving, and a little goes a long way.
- One greeting: khamma ghani, the Rajasthani hello. On a crowded roof it makes instant friends.
How we plan your Sankranti
The roof: a private haveli roof inside the walled city, with kites, cotton string, a family member to teach you, lunch, chai and shawls.
Arrive early: we bring you there before the lanes fill.
- Lead time
- Several months ahead
- Nights
- Three in Jaipur
- Day before
- The kite market and bazaars
- Day after
- Something quiet
- Pack
- A warm layer, sunglasses, hat, sunscreen
- On foot: your chauffeur drops you outside the walls and our guide walks you in, because driving in the old city is slow and dangerous on the day.
- Peak season: the kite festival, the literature festival, the wedding season and the winter holidays all fill the city's best rooms in mid-January.
- Why three nights: the kite market, the festival and a calm day after.
- Other times of year: our page on kite flying explains how we arrange kite days then too.
Where to stay
Samode Haveli: Samode Haveli, a nobleman's townhouse inside the walled city, puts you among the rooftops.
- The Raj Palace: The Raj Palace, an old haveli palace near the walls, is another characterful base.
- Space and calm: Rambagh Palace and The Oberoi Rajvilas, with the kites still visible over their gardens.
- Compare: our guide to luxury hotels in Jaipur.
Journeys and festivals to combine with Sankranti
The Jaipur Literature Festival
When: the Jaipur Literature Festival is held in January, often within days of Sankranti.
- In 2027: it is announced to open on 14 January, the same week as the kites.
- A Jaipur day: a morning of debate and an afternoon on a roof.
Jaipur in three nights
- What: Amber at first light, the bazaars, the City Palace and a day on the roof.
- The journey: our Jaipur in three nights bends easily around the kite festival.
Bikaner Camel Festival
- When: also in January.
- What: the Bikaner Camel Festival, with decorated camels, races and folk music in the red city of the desert.
Winter in Rajasthan
The season: cold mornings, clear skies, polo, fireside dinners and the desert at its best.
- The journey: our winter in Rajasthan is built for these weeks.
- Polo: the Jaipur polo season is often still under way.
Kite day for families, couples and returning friends
For families
Quick learners: children take to kite flying faster than anyone.
- The roof: one with high parapets, small kites and spools of their own, and our guide beside them as they race for the fallen ones.
- Read more: our family journeys and our guide to travelling with children.
For couples
The morning: a lively roof in the walled city.
- The afternoon: a late lunch in the gardens of your palace hotel.
- At dusk: a private dinner on a terrace with a view of the old city as the lanterns rise. Our private palace dinners page has ideas.
For photographers
The roof: one with a clear view of a landmark, such as Hawa Mahal or the ridge of Nahargarh.
- The pictures: kites against the setting sun and the first lanterns in the blue hour.
- Kit: bring a long lens for the duels.
For repeat visitors
Make manjha: learn the old way with a family that still does it.
- A kite maker: visit a workshop in the week before.
- Compare cities: spend the festival in Ahmedabad for Uttarayan. Our Rajasthan and Kutch journey can be timed to include both.
What we tell our cousins before Sankranti
Buy extra kites: most beginners lose a dozen before lunch.
- Wind and sun: fly with the wind at your back and the sun to one side, and never look straight into the sun to follow a kite.
- Chai and a shawl: keep both on the roof. Mornings are colder than you expect, and the afternoon can be hot.
- Stay inside the walls: if you can. Driving in on the day is slow, and the strings across the roads make it risky.
Who will love kite day, and who won't
You will love it if: you enjoy joining in rather than watching, and like families, music and friendly competition.
A holiday in itself: a day on a roof with tea and sweets.
- Unforgettable for: children, grandparents, photographers and anyone who loves a city at play.
- Not for you if: you want the monuments at their quietest, or dislike loud music and crowds.
- What to expect: much of the city stops for the day, and the old city's roads are best avoided.
- The calm alternative: spend Sankranti at a country palace such as Samode Palace, where the village flies its own kites, and see Jaipur on the days around it.