Sankranti refers to the transmigration of the sun from one zodiac to another in Indian astronomy. In Saurmana varsha (Hindu Solar year), there are twelve Sankrantis corresponding with twelve months of a year. The Sankrantis can be broadly classified into four main categories: Ayan (Solstice), Vishuva (Equinox), Vishnupadi and Shadshitimukhi sankrantis. Each Sankranti is marked as the beginning of a month in the sidereal solar calendars followed in South Indian states: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka; Himalayan states: Jammu region, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, North Punjab and states of Eastern India: Odisha, Mithila region of Bihar and Nepal. On the other hand, in the sidereal solar Bengali calendar and Assamese calendar, a Sankranti is marked as the end of each month and the day following as the beginning of a new month.

Important Sankrantis