Sarva PanchangSarva Panchang
Sankranti

Meena Sankranti

Also called: Meena Sankramana

The twelfth and concluding solar transit of the Hindu zodiac cycle. The Sun transitions into Pisces (Meena). Classified as a Shadashitimukha Sankranti, where the Punya Kaal extends for 16 ghatis following the ingress moment. It prepares the cosmos for the renewal of the solar new year.

Key facts

Paksha
Shadashitimukha Class
Lunar month
Sun enters Meena (Pisces) in late Phalguna / Chaitra
Observed on
The day the Sun enters Meena Rashi (~March 14-15)
Deities
Surya Dev, Lord Vishnu

The story

Classical texts describe Meena as a sign of spiritual completion, introspection, and dissolution of the old cycle before the rebirth of spring in Aries.

Practices

  • Bathing in sacred rivers at sunrise
  • Donation of land, gold, or grains according to one's capacity
  • Quiet meditation reflecting on the achievements and lessons of the past solar year

Regional variations

  • Observed as the final month (Panguni in Tamil Nadu, Meenam in Kerala) of the traditional solar calendar

Common questions

What is a Shadashitimukha Sankranti?
Shadashitimukha Sankrantis occur when the Sun enters mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces), where Punya Kaal is observed after the ingress.

Types of Sankranti