Uttarayan and Dakshinayan 2024 dates: All you want to know

From date to significance, here's all that you need to know about Uttarayan and Dakshinayan.

It is the festival time of the year. This is the time when people celebrate the harvest festival and bask in the winter sun as they decorate their homes, fly kites, prepare lip-smacking dishes and bask in happiness and hope of a better tomorrow. The sun, at this time of the year, travels from the Sagittarius zodiac to Capricorn zodiac – hence, it is also celebrated as Makar Sankranti. In North India, Uttarayan is observed on Makar Sankranti. Uttarayan means – Uttar and Ayana – referring to north and movement. This day is dedicated to Lord Surya.

Uttarayan and Dakshinayan 2024 dates: All you want to know (Shyamal Maitra)

In North India, devotees wake up early in the morning and take a dip in the holy waters of Ganges. Then they offer their prayers to Lord Surya and seek his blessings for prosperity. Farmers also observe this day to pray for good crops and a good harvest for the season. Uttarayan is a two-day festival celebrated in Gujarat. The International Kite Festival is organised in Ahmedabad during this time. According to Drik Panchang, Uttarayan will be celebrated on January 15. The Uttarayan Sankranti moment is at 2:54 AM on January 14.

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According to Bhagwad Gita, the six months of Uttarayan are considered one of the most auspicious times of the year. It is believed that when people die during this period of time, they directly go to heaven. Auspicious work such as yojna, job, business, vow and weddings can be done on this auspicious day. Millions of people visit Prayag or Sangam or Gangasagar on this day to take a holy dip in Ganga or Yamuna.

Dakshinayan is the exact opposite of Uttarayan. It is referred to the movbement of the sun from the Cnacer zodiac to the Capricorn zodiac. As the sun travels to the South direction, it is called Dakshinayan. Dakshinayan will start on July 16 this year.