Festival Calendar 2027 · Tamil Nadu
Pongal 2027: The Four Days, Dates and Meaning
Quick answer: Pongal 2027 runs from Thursday 14 January to Sunday 17 January. Bhogi is on 14 January, Thai Pongal — the main day — on Friday 15 January, Mattu Pongal on Saturday 16 January and Kaanum Pongal on Sunday 17 January. Thai Pongal is the first day of the Tamil month of Thai, which begins when the Sun enters Makara; that ingress is at 21:10 IST on 14 January, after sunset, so Thai 1 is the 15th.
The four days of Pongal 2027
| Day | Date (2027) | What is done |
|---|---|---|
| Bhogi | Thursday 14 January | Old things discarded, homes cleaned, the Bhogi fire at dawn; Indra honoured for the rains |
| Thai Pongal (Surya Pongal) | Friday 15 January | The new rice is boiled in milk in a new pot facing east as the Sun rises; "Pongalo Pongal!" as it overflows |
| Mattu Pongal | Saturday 16 January | Cattle bathed, horns painted, garlanded and fed; jallikattu in the villages |
| Kaanum Pongal | Sunday 17 January | Family visits, outings and the ritual of the elders' blessing |
Why Thai Pongal is on 15 January in 2027
The Tamil solar calendar begins the month of Thai at the Sun's entry into Makara. In 2027 that moment is 21:10 IST on 14 January — after sunset — and the Tamil rule places the new month on the following sunrise, Friday 15 January. The same computation gives north India's Makar Sankranti on the 15th and Lohri on the evening of the 14th; the Makar Sankranti 2027 page shows the ingress and punya kaal in detail.
The Sun, the harvest and your chart
Pongal is the Sun's festival — Surya, the karaka of vitality, authority and the father. The rice boiled to overflowing is gratitude for a Sun that has turned north and grown stronger. In the birth chart, a strong Sun (own sign Simha, exalted in Mesha) gives confidence and steady health; a weak or combust Sun answers to exactly the observances of these four days — the sunrise offering, the east-facing pot, gratitude given in daylight. See where your Sun sits in the free kundli.
Common questions
When is Pongal in 2027?
Thai Pongal, the main day, is Friday 15 January 2027. Bhogi is Thursday 14 January, Mattu Pongal Saturday 16 January and Kaanum Pongal Sunday 17 January.
Why is Thai Pongal on 15 January and not 14?
The Sun enters Makara at 21:10 IST on 14 January 2027, after sunset, so the Tamil month of Thai — and Pongal — begins at the next sunrise, on the 15th.
What time is the Pongal boiling done?
At sunrise on 15 January (about 6:35 AM in Chennai), the pot facing east, so that the rice overflows as the Sun rises; the auspicious window continues through the morning.
Is Pongal the same as Makar Sankranti?
Yes in origin — both mark the Sun's entry into Makara. Pongal is the Tamil four-day form; Makar Sankranti is the north Indian observance on the same day; Lohri is the eve in Punjab.
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