Pongal 2027 (Thai Pongal)
Pongal in 2027: Thai Pongal, the first day of the Tamil month Tai by the Tamil sunset rule at Chennai, with Bhogi, Mattu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal.
Thai Pongal at Chennai
Friday, 15 January
Thai Pongal is in 89 days. The same date holds for every city.
Indian time. The Indian Calendar, Art. 28, p. 12
How the day is fixed
Thai Pongal is the first day of the Tamil solar month of Tai, the Sun’s stay in sidereal Makara. By the Tamil rule, an ingress between sunrise and sunset begins the month that day, and an ingress after sunset or before dawn begins it at the next sunrise. The Indian Calendar, Art. 28, p. 12
This is also the southern usage for the Makara day. Nirṇaya-sindhu p. 326; Dharmasindhu p. 85
In 2027, the Sun enters Makara at 21:10 on Thursday, 14 January, after Chennai’s sunset at 17:59, so Tai begins at the next sunrise, on Friday, 15 January. The date is reckoned at Chennai and holds for every city.
The four days of Pongal 2027
The four days as a set are popular practice.- 14Jan Bhogi, Thursday, 14 January The day before Thai Pongal. Popular practice.
- 15Jan Thai Pongal, Friday, 15 January The first day of Tai, by the Tamil rule.
- 16Jan Mattu Pongal, Saturday, 16 January The day after Thai Pongal: the cattle are worshipped and decked, as Warren describes. Kala Sankalita p. 402
- 17Jan Kaanum Pongal, Sunday, 17 January Two days after Thai Pongal. Popular practice.
The rites
The texts’ Makara rites: the bath, sesame throughout, Śiva worshipped with sesame and rice, and the Sun bathed with milk. Dharmasindhu p. 86
Warren’s account: boiled rice offered to the Sun and scattered on the fields, then the worship of the cow. Kala Sankalita p. 402
Popular practice: the pot boiling over, sugarcane and kolam; Bhogi’s bonfire, Kanu, Jallikattu and Thiruvalluvar Day.
At Chennai, the Makar Sankranti bath and gifts fall on the same day. All sankrantis in 2027. Other years: Pongal 2028, Pongal 2029. All Pongal dates.
Questions
The Tamil rule from Sewell and Dikshit’s The Indian Calendar (1896), with Warren’s Kala Sankalita (1825) for Mattu Pongal.
When is Pongal 2027?
Thai Pongal is on Friday, 15 January 2027, reckoned at Chennai for every city. Bhogi is on Thursday, 14 January, Mattu Pongal on Saturday, 16 January and Kaanum Pongal on Sunday, 17 January. The Indian Calendar, Art. 28, p. 12
How is the Pongal date fixed?
By the Tamil rule for the solar months: when the Sun enters sidereal Makara between sunrise and sunset, the month of Tai begins that day, and when it enters after sunset or before dawn, at the next sunrise. Thai Pongal is the first day of Tai, reckoned at Chennai for every city. The Indian Calendar, Art. 28, p. 12
Why do some years show a second day?
In years when the Sun enters Makara by day but less than three hours before Chennai’s sunset, Pongal is also commonly kept on the next day, as it was on 15 January in 2026. That is popular practice, and the three hours are our reading.
Is Pongal on the same day as Makar Sankranti?
In 2027, yes: at Chennai the Makar Sankranti bath and gifts also fall on Friday, 15 January. Makar Sankranti 2027
What are Bhogi, Mattu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal?
Bhogi is the day before Thai Pongal and Kaanum Pongal the day after Mattu Pongal; both are popular practice. Mattu Pongal, the day after Thai Pongal, is the worship of the cattle, which Warren describes. Kala Sankalita p. 402
How the days are found
Read the methodology- The day
- The first day of Tai: the day of the Makara ingress when it comes before Chennai’s sunset, and the next day when it comes after sunset or before dawn (The Indian Calendar, Art. 28, p. 12). One date for every city.
- Second day
- When the ingress comes by day but less than three hours before sunset, the next day is shown as popular practice; the three hours are our reading.
- The four days
- Bhogi the day before, Mattu Pongal the day after and Kaanum Pongal two days after, counted from Thai Pongal.
- No times
- No time is given for setting the pot, and no Pongal muhurat.
Sunrise and sunset at the centre of the Sun’s disc, with refraction · Lahiri ayanamsa · Indian time (IST), reckoned at Chennai for every city · Swiss Ephemeris · Method