Pongal 2026: date and meaning
तै पोंगल
This is the 2026 page. The date has passed. See Pongal 2027
In Washington DC, Thai Pongal is on Wednesday, January 14, 2026.
- Washington DC
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Washington DC. Tamil tradition.
The same date in India (New Delhi).
Not in Washington DC? Find your city in the table below.
The days of Pongal 2026
Dates for Washington DC.
- Bhogi, Tuesday, January 13, 2026
- Thai Pongal, Wednesday, January 14, 2026
- Mattu Pongal, Thursday, January 15, 2026
The rule
The first day of the Tamil month Thai: Makara Sankranti before sunset gives that day, after sunset the next day.
The times that decide it (Washington DC): Sun enters Makara 4:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 5:08 PM, 13 Jan
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Thai Pongal 2026 Washington DC: Wednesday, January 14, 2026 Tamil tradition. Each city's date is computed for its own sky and time zone. https://pujadeep.com/festivals/pongal/2026/
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Pongal 2026 in each city
US
| City | Date | Times that decide it | Also |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 4:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 4:51 PM, 13 Jan | – |
| Edison, NJ | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 4:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 4:53 PM, 13 Jan | – |
| Washington DC | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 4:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 5:08 PM, 13 Jan | – |
| Atlanta | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 4:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 5:50 PM, 13 Jan | – |
| Boston | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 4:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 4:34 PM, 13 Jan | – |
| Philadelphia | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 4:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 4:57 PM, 13 Jan | – |
| Chicago | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 3:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 4:42 PM, 13 Jan | – |
| Houston | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 3:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 5:42 PM, 13 Jan | – |
| Dallas | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 3:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 5:42 PM, 13 Jan | – |
| Los Angeles | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 1:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 5:05 PM, 13 Jan | – |
| San Jose, CA | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 1:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 5:11 PM, 13 Jan | – |
| Fremont, CA | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 1:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 5:11 PM, 13 Jan | – |
| Sunnyvale, CA | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 1:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 5:12 PM, 13 Jan | – |
| Cupertino, CA | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 1:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 5:12 PM, 13 Jan | – |
| Seattle | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 1:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 4:42 PM, 13 Jan | – |
UK
| City | Date | Times that decide it | Also |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 9:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 4:19 PM, 14 Jan | – |
| Birmingham, UK | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 9:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 4:21 PM, 14 Jan | – |
| Leicester | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 9:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 4:18 PM, 14 Jan | – |
| Manchester | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 9:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 4:18 PM, 14 Jan | – |
Canada
| City | Date | Times that decide it | Also |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 4:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 5:04 PM, 13 Jan | – |
| Brampton | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 4:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 5:05 PM, 13 Jan | – |
| Vancouver | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 1:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 4:39 PM, 13 Jan | – |
| Calgary | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 2:43 AM, 14 Jan; sunset 4:56 PM, 13 Jan | – |
Australia
| City | Date | Times that decide it | Also |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | Thu 15 Jan | Sun enters Makara 8:43 PM, 14 Jan; sunset 8:09 PM, 14 Jan | In India (New Delhi): Wed 14 Jan |
| Melbourne | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 8:43 PM, 14 Jan; sunset 8:44 PM, 14 Jan Close call | – |
| Brisbane | Thu 15 Jan | Sun enters Makara 7:43 PM, 14 Jan; sunset 6:47 PM, 14 Jan | In India (New Delhi): Wed 14 Jan |
| Perth | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 5:43 PM, 14 Jan; sunset 7:26 PM, 14 Jan | – |
India
| City | Date | Times that decide it | Also |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Delhi | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 3:13 PM, 14 Jan; sunset 5:45 PM, 14 Jan | – |
| Mumbai | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 3:13 PM, 14 Jan; sunset 6:20 PM, 14 Jan | – |
| Kolkata | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 3:13 PM, 14 Jan; sunset 5:12 PM, 14 Jan | – |
| Chennai | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 3:13 PM, 14 Jan; sunset 6:00 PM, 14 Jan | – |
| Bengaluru | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 3:13 PM, 14 Jan; sunset 6:11 PM, 14 Jan | – |
| Hyderabad | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 3:13 PM, 14 Jan; sunset 6:00 PM, 14 Jan | – |
| Ahmedabad | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 3:13 PM, 14 Jan; sunset 6:14 PM, 14 Jan | – |
| Surat | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 3:13 PM, 14 Jan; sunset 6:16 PM, 14 Jan | – |
| Pune | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 3:13 PM, 14 Jan; sunset 6:17 PM, 14 Jan | – |
| Jaipur | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 3:13 PM, 14 Jan; sunset 5:54 PM, 14 Jan | – |
| Lucknow | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 3:13 PM, 14 Jan; sunset 5:33 PM, 14 Jan | – |
| Varanasi | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 3:13 PM, 14 Jan; sunset 5:28 PM, 14 Jan | – |
| Patna | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 3:13 PM, 14 Jan; sunset 5:19 PM, 14 Jan | – |
| Chandigarh | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 3:13 PM, 14 Jan; sunset 5:42 PM, 14 Jan | – |
| Bhopal | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 3:13 PM, 14 Jan; sunset 5:54 PM, 14 Jan | – |
| Thiruvananthapuram | Wed 14 Jan | Sun enters Makara 3:13 PM, 14 Jan; sunset 6:21 PM, 14 Jan | – |
Panchang for Pongal day: Wednesday, January 14, 2026, Washington DC
- Tithi
- Krishna Dwadashi (ends 9:47 AM +1 day)
Krishna Dwadashi holds this sunrise and the next one (vriddhi), so the next day is Dwadashi too. - Nakshatra
- Anuradha (ends 4:34 PM), then Jyeshtha (ends 7:18 PM +1 day) Name letters for this nakshatra
- Yoga
- Ganda (ends 9:26 AM), then Vriddhi (ends 10:09 AM +1 day)
- Karana
- Kaulava (ends 8:37 PM), then Taitila (ends 9:47 AM +1 day)
- Weekday
- Wednesday (बुधवार)
- Month
- Pausha (Amanta) · Magha (Purnimanta)
- Tamil month
- Thai 1 (solar month)
- Year
- Vikram Samvat 2082 (Chaitradi) · Vikram Samvat (Kartikadi, Gujarati) 2082 · Shaka Samvat 1947
- Sunrise
- 7:25 AM
- Sunset
- 5:09 PM
- Moonrise
- 5:17 AM +1 day
- Moonset
- 1:15 PM
- Rahu Kaal
- 12:17 PM – 1:30 PM
- Yamaganda
- 8:38 AM – 9:51 AM
- Gulika Kalam
- 11:04 AM – 12:17 PM
- Abhijit Muhurta
- 11:57 AM – 12:36 PM
Many panchangs do not use Abhijit on Wednesdays. Abhijit and Rahu Kaal overlap from 12:17 PM to 12:36 PM. - Brahma Muhurta
- 5:31 AM – 6:28 AM
Close call The tithi boundary falls 2 minutes before sunrise. Check with your temple or family tradition.
About the festival
Pongal is the harvest festival of Tamil families. It is kept over three or four days around the start of the Tamil month Thai, when the Sun enters Makara, the sign of Capricorn in the sidereal zodiac.
Written for Pujadeep and checked against the sources listed. See the sources
Questions families ask
When is Pongal 2027?
The date follows the Sun’s entry into a new sign, so it falls on or near the same English date each year. In 2027, Pongal is on Thursday, January 14, 2027 in Washington DC. Pongal 2027
How is the date found for my city?
Each city’s date is computed for that city, from its own sunrise and sunset and the moment the Sun enters the new sign, with the rule named below. Find your city in the table above.
Which rule sets the date of Pongal?
The first day of the Tamil month Thai: Makara Sankranti before sunset gives that day, after sunset the next day. How we compute dates
The rule and its sources
Tradition: Tamil.
Rule sources
- Published panchang: Tamil calendar (sunset rule for the month start)
- Wikipedia: Pongal (festival)
- Dershowitz & Reingold, Indian Calendrical Calculations (§4 solar critical times, §8 festival rules, citing Kielhorn 1897)
Related
Computed for 43 cities on Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Rule: The first day of the Tamil month Thai: Makara Sankranti before sunset gives that day, after sunset the next day.
What the words mean: Tamil month · Sankranti
Calculated for your location from NASA JPL's DE440 ephemeris and Astronomy Engine (MIT licence), with the Lahiri ayanamsa. Times can differ by a minute or two from printed panchangs. For vrat and puja timings, follow your family or temple tradition.
Source and licence
- Our explanation
- Written for this site from the sources listed here, and checked against them. Free to quote with credit.
- Checked
- Checked against the sources listed, October 27, 2026.