This year Makar Sankranti is on sunday ,the 15th of January. Why is it not on the 14th? What has changed the date or pushed it forward to the next day?
We need to know a minor time calculation process to understand why it is so.
Normally, Makar Sankranti or Pongal Festival should fall on 14th of January every year.
Most of us, since childhood, have been observing it on the 14th of January every year.
In fact, from the year 1935 onwards, till 2007, Pongal was falling on the 14th January every year.
(Prior to that, between 1862 and 1934, it was falling on the 13th January every year).
But from 2008 onwards, Pongal has been falling on 15th of January every year. Till the Year 2080, it will fall on 15th of January only every year. From the year 2081 onwards, it will fall on 16th of January every year for the next 72 years, that is, till 2153.
As per the Indian Almanac's Time calculation, Sun enters the Zodiac sign of Makara Raasi (from Dhanur Raasi), 20 minutes late every year, as compared to the English time or the World Time.
Thus, once in 3 years, Sun enters the Makar Raasi late by one hour. That means, in every cycle of 72 years, Sun enters Makar Raasi late by one day.
(Also know that Indian Almanac Time is calculated so precisely that our Pundits can accurately tell you today when exactly solar or lunar eclipse will take place after 5,000 years. That also means that the universe works strictly as per precision timings which is why we can confidently calculate today when exactly the eclipse will occur after 5,000 years.)
