Bhogi 2025 in India

Bhogi is the first day of the four-day Pongal festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Telangana. It focuses on clearing out old, unwanted items, symbolizing renewal and the start of a fresh chapter. Falling at the end of the Tamil month Margazhi, Bhogi marks the Sun’s transition from its southern path to the northern hemisphere (Uttarayana), signifying seasonal change. Typically observed between January 13 and 16, it involves decluttering homes and performing rituals to purify the soul and living spaces, paving the way for a new beginning.

Traditional Celebrations

Bhogi, the first day of Pongal, marks a fresh start by discarding old belongings and welcoming change as the Sun transitions northwards (Uttarayana). Families light bonfires with wood, cow dung cakes, and discarded items to symbolize purification. Rangolis, colorful patterns made from rice flour, and flower petals adorn homes to bring prosperity. In rural areas, the day celebrates the harvest cycle with prayers to Indra, the rain god, for future blessings and abundance. This blend of renewal, gratitude, and cultural traditions defines Bhogi.

Events

Bhogi is followed by three more days of Makarasankranti festivities with colorful decorations and feasts. Children go from house to house, singing and asking for treats and money. There are dances, kite flying, and bathing in sacred rivers or lakes to give thanks to the sun. Every 12 years, Makarsankranti is marked by a mass pilgrimage, reaching 100 million people to pray to the sun and bathe at the Prayaga confluence of the rivers Ganga and Yamuna.

Pongal & Lohri

Bhogi is also known as the first day of the four-day Pongal festival. It is a harvest celebration commonly associated with Tamil Nadu. The festival includes rituals like discarding old items on bonfires, offering boiled rice and milk to the Sun, and worshipping cows adorned with garlands. Family gatherings, traditional folk dances, and feasts featuring the sweet Pongal dish highlight the celebrations. Northern states of India have a celebration identical to Bhogi called Lohri festival.