Makar Sankranti mantra: Surya mantras for the sunrise arghya
Makar Sankranti mantras for offering water to the Sun, with meaning: Surya Gayatri, the Surya beej mantra and Japa Kusuma. Sankranti is on 15 January 2027.
Makar Sankranti is a festival of the Sun, so its mantras are Surya mantras. The simplest is Om Ghrini Suryaya Namah, said while offering water to the rising sun; many families add the Surya Gayatri or the Japa Kusuma verse. In 2027, Makar Sankranti falls on Friday 15 January.
Dates are for New Delhi; the exact moment of Sankranti shifts slightly by city.
What Makar Sankranti marks
Most Hindu festivals follow the moon. Makar Sankranti follows the sun: it is the day the Sun enters Makara (Capricorn), and it is traditionally taken as the start of Uttarayan, the Sun's northward journey and the turn towards longer, warmer days. That is why its date stays close to 14 or 15 January every year.
It is one festival with many names across India:
- Pongal in Tamil Nadu, where the new rice is boiled with milk and jaggery until it overflows, a sign of plenty.
- Uttarayan in Gujarat, a day of kites from dawn to dusk.
- Lohri in Punjab, the bonfire night just before Sankranti, followed by Maghi.
- Magh Bihu in Assam, a harvest feast.
- Khichdi in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where khichdi is cooked and given.
- Poush Sankranti in Bengal, with pithe sweets and the pilgrimage to Gangasagar.
- Sankranti in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and Tilgul in Maharashtra, with its greeting "tilgul ghya, god god bola" (take this sesame sweet, and speak sweetly).
Across all of them run the same threads: a bath at dawn, prayer to the Sun, sesame and jaggery, the new harvest, and giving to others.
Makar Sankranti mantras
Om Ghrini Suryaya Namah
ॐ घृणि सूर्याय नमः Om Ghrini Suryaya Namah
"I bow to Surya, the radiant one." A short mantra many families say while pouring water to the Sun. Easy to remember, and easy to teach children.
Surya arghya mantra
एहि सूर्य सहस्रांशो तेजोराशे जगत्पते। अनुकम्पय मां भक्त्या गृहाणार्घ्यं दिवाकर॥ Ehi Surya Sahasramsho Tejorashe Jagatpate, Anukampaya Mam Bhaktya Grihanarghyam Divakara
"Come, O Sun of a thousand rays, store of light, lord of the world. Be kind to me, and accept this water I offer with devotion, maker of the day." A traditional verse for the arghya, the water offering at sunrise.
Surya Gayatri
ॐ भास्कराय विद्महे महातेजाय धीमहि तन्नो सूर्य: प्रचोदयात् || Om Bhaskaraya Vidmahe, Mahatejaya Dhimahi, Tanno Suryah Prachodayat
"We know Bhaskara, the maker of light, we meditate on the great radiance: may Surya inspire us." Traditionally chanted in the morning for energy and focus. Listen on Mahakatha.
Surya beej mantra
ॐ ह्राम् ह्रीम् ह्रौम् सः सूर्याय नमः Om Hraam Hreem Hroum Sah Suryaya Namah
"I call on the energy and light of the Sun, and bow to Lord Surya." The Navagraha mantra of the Sun, built on seed sounds, and traditionally chanted at sunrise for vitality and relief from fatigue. Listen on Mahakatha.
Japa Kusuma
ॐ जप कुसुम संकाशम् काश्यपेयम् महा द्युतिम् तमोरिम् सर्व पापघ्नम् प्रणतोऽस्मि दिवाकरम् Om Japa Kusuma Sankasham, Kashyapeyam Mahadyutim, Tamorim Sarva Papaghnam, Pranatosmi Divakaram
"I bow to the maker of the day, red as the hibiscus flower, son of Kashyapa, of great brilliance, foe of darkness, who washes away all wrongs." From the Navagraha Stotra, and one of the best-loved Surya verses. Listen on Mahakatha.
Adityasya Namaskaram
आदित्यस्य नमस्कारं ये कुर्वन्ति दिने दिने। आयुः प्रज्ञा बलं वीर्यं तेजस्तेषां च जायते॥ Adityasya Namaskaram Ye Kurvanti Dine Dine, Ayuh Prajna Balam Viryam Tejastesham Cha Jayate
"Those who bow to the Sun day after day are blessed with long life, wisdom, strength, vigour and radiance." A traditional verse in praise of the daily habit of greeting the Sun, a good thought to carry beyond the festival. Listen on Mahakatha.
How to offer arghya on Makar Sankranti
- Bathe early, before or at sunrise. Many people bathe in a river; at home, some add a few drops of Ganga water and say ॐ गङ्गायै नमः (Om Gangayai Namah).
- Fill a copper or brass pot with water, and add a little kumkum or red sandalwood, unbroken rice and a red flower if you have them.
- Face the rising sun, hold the pot at chest height, and pour the water slowly in a thin stream while saying Om Ghrini Suryaya Namah or the arghya verse.
- Look gently towards the light through the falling water, not straight at the sun. Never stare at the sun directly; it can harm your eyes.
- Chant the Surya Gayatri 11, 21 or 108 times, then offer sesame and jaggery, and give something away: sesame, khichdi, warm clothes or food for someone in need.
Many families also do Surya Namaskar this morning, saying one of the Sun's twelve names with each round. See mantras for yoga and morning mantras for more.
If you are flying kites for Uttarayan, use plain cotton thread rather than glass-coated or nylon manjha, which injures birds and people, and keep off rooftops without railings.
Listen on the day
Mahakatha Radio plays Surya and Navagraha mantras like these, day and night, free and without ads. On Sankranti morning, tune in while you prepare the arghya.
Questions people ask
Which mantra is said during the Makar Sankranti puja?
Om Ghrini Suryaya Namah during the water offering, and the Surya Gayatri for japa afterwards. Many families also recite the Japa Kusuma verse.
Which mantra should I say while offering water to the Sun?
Om Ghrini Suryaya Namah is the simplest. The traditional arghya verse is एहि सूर्य सहस्रांशो तेजोराशे जगत्पते (Ehi Surya Sahasramsho), given in full on this page with its meaning.
Which mantra becomes siddha in one day?
No mantra is mastered in a single day. Makar Sankranti, the start of Uttarayan, is traditionally seen as a good day to begin a practice; keep it going daily and it will deepen.
What is the Surya beej mantra?
ॐ ह्राम् ह्रीम् ह्रौम् सः सूर्याय नमः (Om Hraam Hreem Hroum Sah Suryaya Namah), the Navagraha mantra of the Sun. It is traditionally chanted at sunrise. For more on seed sounds, see bija mantras.
Which is the most powerful beej mantra?
Om is considered the source of every other seed sound, and many teachers would call it the most fundamental. For the Sun specifically, the Surya beej mantra above is the one to chant on Sankranti.
What are the twelve beej mantras of the Sun?
In Surya Namaskar, the Sun is greeted by twelve names, from Om Mitraya Namah to Om Bhaskaraya Namah. Some yoga traditions add one of six seed sounds (Hraam, Hreem, Hroom, Hraim, Hraum, Hrah) before each name, cycling through them twice.