Maghe Sankranti

Maghe Sankranti falls on the first day of the solar month of Magh, usually on 14 or 15 January. It marks the sun's movement into the sign of Capricorn and the beginning of its northward journey — the promise that the cold season will soon end.

Food for warmth

The festival is best known for its foods, believed to warm the body and give strength for the rest of winter: laddus made from sesame and molasses, chaku, ghee, boiled sweet potatoes and yams called tarul, and spinach. Married daughters often visit their parents' homes, and families eat together.

Holy dips

Many people take ritual baths in rivers at dawn. Near Sanothimi, the confluences and ghats along the Hanumante and Manohara rivers draw worshippers, while larger crowds go to famous sites elsewhere in Nepal. In Bhaktapur, some families visit temples of Shiva and Vishnu after their bath.

Across Nepal

For the Magar and Tharu communities, Maghe Sankranti (Maghi) is a major new year festival with dances and feasts. In the Kathmandu Valley it is quieter, but still a warm family occasion and a welcome public holiday.