About This Festival
Makar Sankranti is one of the most important solar festivals of India, celebrated when the Sun enters Makara (Capricorn), marking Uttarayana — the traditional period associated with the Sun's northward journey. Unlike many Hindu festivals that follow the lunar calendar, Makar Sankranti is based on the solar calendar, which is why it generally falls around 14 January every year (occasionally 15 January depending on astronomical timing). The festival is dedicated particularly to Surya, the Sun God. People visit sacred rivers and traditionally take a holy bath, offer water to the Sun and pray for prosperity and well-being. In Jaipur, Rajasthan celebrates with the International Kite Festival: rooftops across the entire city become launching pads for kite-fighters, and the sky above the Pink City is thick with paper kites of every colour from dawn until dark. The sound of string-cutting and the sight of hundreds of defeated kites spiralling down is a spectacle that belongs entirely to Jaipur on this one day. Kite flying is particularly spectacular in Gujarat and Rajasthan. The festival is also considered an auspicious time for charity and acts of generosity.
Where to Celebrate
Plan Your Visit
Jaipur's rooftops fill with 10,000 kites on 14 January — a spectacle visible from Amber Fort.
View JourneyCatch Jaipur's International Kite Festival on 14 January — the entire sky above the Pink City turns to colour.
View Journey
October "“ March
Delhi · Neemrana · Jaipur · Bharatpur · Agra · Delhi
October – March
Delhi · Agra · Jaipur · Delhi
Om will design your itinerary to arrive at the perfect moment.
