​​Makar Sankranti 2026: 10 traditional foods to celebrate the harvest and the sun

Makar Sankranti marks one of the most important solar transitions in the Indian calendar, when the sun begins its northward journey and winter slowly starts loosening its grip. This year, the festival falls on 14 January. Across India, this shift is welcomed not just with prayers, but with food that carries warmth, sweetness, and deep seasonal wisdom. Almost every dish eaten on Sankranti has a reason behind it: to nourish the body, honour the harvest, and symbolically invite abundance for the coming months. Here are ten traditional foods that bring this festival to life, each rooted in culture, climate, and quiet spiritual meaning.

In Maharashtra and parts of central India, Sankranti is incomplete without til-gud ladoos. Sesame seeds and jaggery come together in small, dense balls that are both warming and grounding. Sesame is believed to cleanse old karmic residue, while jaggery represents sweetness and goodwill. The famous phrase “til-gud ghya, god god bola” captures the spirit of the day, let go of bitterness and speak kindly as the year turns.

This crunchy brittle made from sesame and jaggery is another winter favourite. Unlike ladoos, chikki is thin and crisp, making it easy to share and store. It is rich in natural fats, minerals, and iron, exactly what the body needs during the coldest part of winter. Giving til chikki to friends and neighbours is a small but meaningful way of spreading warmth.

In Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and parts of Delhi, Sankranti is also called Khichdi Parv. On this day, a simple yet powerful meal of rice, lentils, ghee, and vegetables is prepared and offered in temples. Khichdi symbolises balance, grains for energy, lentils for protein, ghee for nourishment. It reflects the idea that prosperity begins with stability and simplicity.

In South India, Sankranti is celebrated as Pongal, and the festival itself is named after the dish. Rice is boiled with milk and jaggery until it overflows, symbolising abundance. The sweet version, Sakkarai Pongal, is flavoured with cardamom, cashews, and raisins, creating a dish that is rich, festive, and deeply comforting.

In Assam’s Magh Bihu celebrations, til pitha takes centre stage. These are rice flour rolls stuffed with roasted sesame and jaggery. Soft on the outside and nutty inside, they represent both the rice harvest and the warming qualities of sesame. Making pitha is a family activity, often done together, turning food into a shared ritual.

In parts of North India, especially Punjab and Haryana, jaggery rice is prepared for Sankranti. Rice cooked with ghee, jaggery, and sometimes coconut creates a gently sweet, fragrant dish. It is simple but festive, reflecting the idea that even basic ingredients become sacred when prepared with intention.

These deep-fried sweets made from rice flour, jaggery, and ghee are a Sankranti speciality in Andhra and Telangana. Ariselu are rich, dense, and indulgent, meant to be eaten slowly and shared generously. They celebrate the rice harvest while honouring the need for warmth and energy during winter.

In western and central India, millet rotis made from bajra or jowar are eaten with sesame chutney, garlic, or jaggery. Millets are grounding grains that grow well in dry winter soil and keep the body warm. Eating them on Sankranti honours both the farmers and the land that sustained them.

Instead of sugar, many homes prepare kheer using jaggery during Sankranti. Rice, milk, and jaggery come together in a slow-cooked dessert that feels both nourishing and symbolic. Jaggery is unrefined and closer to the earth, making it spiritually preferred on this day of renewal.

Fresh sugarcane, peanuts, and seasonal produce are offered and shared across many regions. Sugarcane represents growth and resilience, tall, strong, and sweet inside. Groundnuts, roasted or boiled, are rich in protein and warmth, perfect for winter and symbolic of nourishment from the soil.