Do You Know Makar Sankranti Was Celebrated on 17th December in the Year 0001?

What is Makar Sankranti? Makar Sankranti is a Hindu festival which marks the entry of Sun in the astrological sign of Makara aka Capricorn Constellation. This marks the beginning of Uttarayana i.e. the Northward journey of Sun. The festival celebrates transition from darkness to light, from cold to warmth, from stagnation to motion. Kites rise into the sky as if mirroring the Sun’s own ascent. Sesame seeds and jaggery are shared to remind us that life, like nature, balances bitterness with sweetness. Across India, the names change — Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Uttarayana in Jammu, Magh Bihu in Assam, etc — but the idea remains the same.

**BUT WAIT!! **It was not always celebrated on 14th Jan.

In the year 0001 (1 CE), Makar Sankranti was celebrated on somewhere around 17th December. Does this intrigue you like how it is possible? Why did it shifted to 14th Jan from 17th Dec?

The answer is: EARTH’S PRECESSION!

Explanation

Sun’s Entry in Capricorn The Sun does not move around the Earth. What we really track is the direction of the Earth–Sun line relative to distant stars.

There are two ways to measure the Sun’s Longitude:

a) Sidereal System: Here we keep a background star as our reference and measure the entry of sun with repsect to this background star. The chosen background star makrs our zero point i.e. Zero Longitude. The Sun’s apparent position along the ecliptic is tracked day by day against the background stars. When the Sun’s sidereal longitude reaches 270°, it is said to enter Makara (Capricorn). So, we have λ_sidereal ​= 270º

b) Tropical System: Here we keep Vernal Equinox as our reference point. Measure the Sun’s angular position along the ecliptic from this point. When the Sun reaches 270° from the vernal equinox, it is said to enter Tropical Capricorn. So, we have λ_tropical​ = 270º This always occurs near 22–23 December and is independent of background stars.

Why do these two systems disagree?

Because the Earth’s rotation axis slowly precesses, like a spinning top

• The equinox point drifts westward along the ecliptic.
• The tropical system moves with this drift.
• The sidereal system stays fixed to stars.

This causes the two longitude systems to separate with time.

Makar Sankranti is defined as Sun’s Longitude λ=270∘ Because of axial precession, the longitude reference point moves by a small angle each year. Therefore, the sun must travel slightly more angular distance to reach the same Sidereal Longitude. That extra angle is Precessional Shift.

PRECESSION shifts angle à Sun must travel extra angle à Extra angle needs extra time

“Since Makar Sankranti is defined by a fixed angular position of the Sun, any precessional shift in that angular reference translates directly into a delay in time proportional to the Sun’s angular speed along the ecliptic.”

Tropical Capricorn entry ≈ 22nd Dec

Sidereal Capricorn entry ≈ 14th Jan

This produces a time delay of 23–24 days and this delay is termed as Ayanamsa

1) Earth’s Axial Precession Rate is: Ωp ​≈ 50.3′′/year

2) Converting to degrees: 50.3′′ = 0.01397º/year This means Equinox shifts by 0.01397º/year

3) For 1º, we just invert it: Time taken for 1º shift of equinox ≈ 71.6 years

This means that Precession shifts longitude by 1º every 71–72 years

4) Time elapsed since 0001 till 2025 is 2024 years: Angular shift = Precession rate x Elapsed Time Δλ = (0.01397º /year) × (2024 years) Δλ = 28.3º

5) Sun completes 360º in 365.24 days, therefore its angular speed can be given as: ≈ 0.9856 º/day This means Sun moves approximately 1º/day on the ecliptic.

So, if Sun moves 1º/day on ecliptic and since 1CE angular shift is of 28.3º, meaning the equinox has drifted that much along the ecliptic

Thus, 28.3º← →28.3 days

This means time has shifted by 28–29 days since 1CE.

If Makar Sankranti is on 14th Jan today i.e. 2025, then in 1CE:

14th Jan — 29days ≈ 16- 17 December

Therefore, in the year 0001 (1CE), Makar Sankranti was celebrated on 17th December.