Thai Pongal is celebrated every year on the first day of the Tamil month Thai , which usually falls on January 14 (sometimes January 13 or 15, depending on the solar calendar).

Quick Scoop

  • Thai Pongal is the main day of the four-day Pongal harvest festival celebrated by Tamils in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, and the global Tamil diaspora.
  • It coincides with the Sun’s transition into Capricorn (Makara Sankranti), which is why it almost always falls in mid-January.
  • In 2026, Thai Pongal falls on Wednesday, 14 January, with the key “Sankranti moment” in the afternoon according to traditional panchangam calculations.

How the date is decided

  • The festival is set by the Tamil solar calendar, not the Gregorian one, so the exact date can shift slightly each year.
  • The day is chosen when the Sun enters the zodiac sign Capricorn (Makara), marking the start of the month of Thai and the northward journey of the Sun (Uttarayan).

Mini festival timeline

  • Day 1 – Bhogi Pongal: Cleaning, discarding old things, and preparing homes for the new season.
  • Day 2 – Thai (Surya) Pongal: Main festival day, with special prayers to the Sun and cooking of sweet Pongal.
  • Day 3 – Mattu Pongal: Honouring cattle for their role in agriculture.
  • Day 4 – Kaanum Pongal: Outings, visits to relatives, and community gatherings.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.