Makar Sankranti, known in Nepal as Maghe Sankranti, marks the sun's move into Capricorn and the end of the coldest month. Bathing at a holy confluence on this day is considered especially meritorious, and Devghat draws pilgrims from across Nepal and northern India. Families arrive in the dark to bathe at first light, then offer prayers at the temples and share festive food.
The fair spreads along both banks with stalls selling sweets made from sesame and molasses, boiled yam and sweet potato, ghee, religious items, toys and clothes. Sadhus set up camps, bhajan groups sing, and local authorities run first-aid posts and crowd control. The atmosphere is joyful but intensely crowded, especially between dawn and midday.
If you want to experience it, go with a guide, arrive before dawn, agree a meeting point, and keep valuables to a minimum. Roads from Narayangarh are jammed, and parking is far from the ghats. The same day is also the Tharu new year, Maghi, celebrated with dances and feasts in villages around Chitwan, which you can see in the afternoon.
Good for
- Pilgrims
- Photographers
- Groups
Questions travellers ask
When is Makar Sankranti at Devghat?
On the first day of the Nepali month of Magh, usually 14 or 15 January. Bathing begins before dawn and the fair continues through the day, with smaller crowds on the following days. Check the exact date in the Nepali calendar each year.
How crowded is Devghat on Makar Sankranti?
Very crowded. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are reported in big years, with jammed roads and long queues at the ghats. Arrive before dawn, keep children and seniors close, and agree a meeting point. Visiting a day later gives a calmer experience of the same rituals.
What else happens in Chitwan on Makar Sankranti?
The same day is Maghi, the Tharu new year, celebrated in villages around Chitwan with dances, feasts and visits to relatives. After a morning at Devghat, an afternoon in a Tharu village near Sauraha shows a very different side of the festival.
