Meena Sankranti 2028: Date, Rituals & Significance

Krishna Chaturthi runs 13 Mar, 20:40 → 14 Mar, 18:23.

The fortnight or so around the Sun's passage through the end of Pisces and the start of Aries is the Meena–Mesha 'kharmas' — a period the tradition keeps free of weddings, thread ceremonies and housewarmings. Panguni in the Tamil calendar is, by contrast, rich in temple weddings: Panguni Uthiram marks the marriages of Shiva–Parvati, Murugan–Deivanai and Rama–Sita.

The bar on auspicious ceremonies while the Sun is in Pisces (and the tail of Sagittarius, the Dhanu kharmas) is stated in the muhurta texts; Panguni Uthiram's temple kalyana-utsavas are old festival practice across Tamil Shaiva and Vaishnava shrines.

Source: Muhurta Chintamani — the Meena and Dhanu kharmas

The muhurta digests (Muhurta Chintamani and others) rule the Sun's transit of Pisces out for marriage and samskara; Panguni Uthiram, on the Uttara-phalguni star near the Panguni full moon, is a major kalyanotsava day at Madurai, Tiruchendur, Srirangam and Thiruvidaimarudur.

• Muhurta Chintamani — the Meena and Dhanu kharmas
• Wikipedia — Meena Sankranti

1. The Sun enters Pisces in mid-March, the last sign of the zodiac, opening the Tamil month of Panguni.
2. In North India a second kharmas begins, lasting until Mesha Sankranti, when weddings and griha pravesh are avoided.
3. A bath and daan are given, and in the South the Panguni temple festivals begin.

• North India. The Meena malamasa / kharmas — weddings, mundan and griha-pravesh are avoided until Mesha Sankranti.
• Tamil Nadu. The first of Panguni — Panguni Uthiram, when the divine marriages of Shiva–Parvati, Murugan and Rama–Sita are celebrated.

• Seasonal daan — Grain, new-harvest wheat and jaggery given to the poor.

Meena Sankranti falls on Tuesday, 14 March 2028. Sun's sidereal ingress into Pisces (Meena); Meenam; a second Kharmas period, Holi season.

at sunrise

Meena Sankranti is the moment the Sun enters sidereal Pisces (Lahiri), near 14 March. The Sun then completes the zodiac at Mesha Sankranti about thirty days later, closing the solar year. The sidereal date is nearly fixed against the Gregorian calendar.

Fixed to a solar ingress — the Gregorian date barely moves (a day either way as the ingress instant drifts against the civil day).