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What to Wear for Pongal and Makar Sankranti: A Handloom Saree Guide
Buying Guide · Pongal & Sankranti
Harvest season:
in handloom.
What to wear for Pongal and Makar Sankranti: handloom cottons, Kanjivaram silk, and traditional harvest colours for the four days of Pongal, Lohri, and kite season.
7-minute read · Buying Guide
Mid-January is India’s harvest festival, and it goes by many names: Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Makar Sankranti across much of the country, Lohri in Punjab, Uttarayan in Gujarat. If you are wondering what to wear for Pongal, the short answer is something traditional, comfortable, and rooted in the colours of the harvest.
01 — The harvest palette
What to wear for Pongal: the colours of the harvest
Pongal’s colours come straight from the fields: the gold of ripe rice, the green of sugarcane, turmeric yellow, and the red of kumkum. A cream or off-white saree with a gold border is a long-loved festive combination in the south, and mustard, orange, and leaf green all sit comfortably beside it. When you are choosing what to wear for Pongal, start from one of these and let the weave do the rest.
The festival takes its name from the Tamil word for “to boil over”, which describes the central moment of the day: a pot of fresh rice and milk bubbling over in the courtyard at sunrise. You will be standing, cooking, and bending near an open flame, so the best Pongal saree is one you can move in, with a pallu you can pin back.
02 — Four days of Pongal
Four days, four looks
Bhogi
Clear out the old, keep it simple
The first day is for clearing out the old, often with a small bonfire at dawn. Wear something light and washable that you do not mind getting a little smoky: a handloom cotton in a soft colour is ideal.
Thai Pongal
The main day, dressed in silk
This is the day for your best silk. A Kanjivaram in cream, gold, yellow, or a deep temple red suits the puja and the boiling pot. Pin the pleats and the pallu well before you go near the stove.
Mattu Pongal
A day for family, comfortable and bright
Mattu Pongal honours the cattle that work the fields, and it is usually spent with family. A silk-cotton or a soft handloom in a bright but easy colour lets you move between rituals and the table.
Kaanum Pongal
Visiting and outings, light and printed
The last day is for visiting relatives and going out. A block print in a fresh colour is cheerful, relaxed, and photographs well in daylight.
03 — Makar Sankranti and Lohri
Sankranti, Lohri, and kite season
Pongal falls on the same days as Makar Sankranti, which the rest of India celebrates in its own way: Lohri bonfires in Punjab the night before, kite flying for Uttarayan in Gujarat, and tilgul sweets exchanged in Maharashtra. In Maharashtra, women traditionally wear black on Sankranti, so a black or deep indigo saree with a contrast border is exactly right there.
In Delhi and the north, mid-January is properly cold, so what to wear for Pongal or Sankranti also has to include a shawl. Pick a silk or woollen shawl a shade deeper than the saree, so it frames the weave instead of hiding it.
Kite flying and cooking tip
If you will be on a terrace with a kite, or near a stove, choose a cotton or silk-cotton and tuck the pallu firmly at the waist. A safety pin at the shoulder saves a lot of fuss, and pleats pinned at the waist will survive wind.
04 — Putting it together
Blouse, jewellery, and the finishing touches
For the main day, a contrast blouse in gold or deep red gives a classic look, and our guide to blouse designs for handloom sarees explains which style suits which weave. Temple jewellery and fresh jasmine in the hair are traditional with silk; what jewellery goes with a Kanjivaram covers the metal-and-zari matching. If a wedding falls in the same week, our wedding guest saree guide covers the same winter silks.
05 — Common questions
Quick answers
What should I wear for Pongal if I am not from Tamil Nadu?
Anything traditional and comfortable works. A silk or silk-cotton saree in a harvest colour such as cream, gold, yellow, or green is a safe and respectful choice.
What colour saree is best for Pongal?
Cream with a gold border, yellow, mustard, orange, and green are the most common. Red is also welcome on the main day.
Can I wear black on Makar Sankranti?
Yes. In Maharashtra black is the traditional colour for Sankranti, especially for women, so a black saree is not only fine but customary there.
What is a good saree to wear for kite flying?
A cotton or silk-cotton that is not too heavy, with the pallu tucked at the waist and pleats pinned. Avoid very sheer or very slippery fabrics in the wind.
More festival guides
Planning around the festive calendar? See what to wear for Navratri, Durga Puja, Karva Chauth, Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj, Diwali parties and Christmas and New Year. Coming up next: Holi, Eid, Basant Panchami, summer weddings.
Planning your Pongal look?
Tell us the day, the colour you have in mind, and your budget over WhatsApp, and we will suggest ready handloom pieces for what to wear for Pongal.
