Sankranti 2026 in New Zealand: date and local timings
Makar Sankranti (Sankranthi) 2026 falls on Thursday 15 January 2026 in all 3 New Zealand cities listed here. In India it is on Wednesday 14 January 2026 – the date differs because the deciding tithi reaches the local part of the day on another calendar date. The rule: Sun enters sidereal Makara; ingress in (previous sunset, today's sunset] -> today, after sunset -> tomorrow, in local time. The table gives the date for each city with the deciding window and the tithi in local clock time (daylight saving applied), all computed from the NASA/JPL ephemeris for the city's own sunrise and sunset, never converted from IST.
| Cities | Date | Tithi | Tithi (local time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | Thursday 15 January 2026 | — | Sun enters Makara: 14 January 2026 10:37 PM |
| Wellington | Thursday 15 January 2026 | — | Sun enters Makara: 14 January 2026 10:37 PM |
| Christchurch | Thursday 15 January 2026 | — | Sun enters Makara: 14 January 2026 10:37 PM |
FAQ
When is Sankranti 2026 in New Zealand?
Sankranti 2026 is on Thursday 15 January 2026 in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch.
Is Sankranti on the same day in New Zealand and India?
No, in India it is on Wednesday 14 January 2026. A festival is fixed by a tithi at a part of the local day, and the tithi ends at the same instant everywhere, so a city many hours behind India can reach that part of the day on a different date.
How is the date of Sankranti decided?
Sun enters sidereal Makara; ingress in (previous sunset, today's sunset] -> today, after sunset -> tomorrow, in local time.
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