In Gujarat Makar Sankranti is called Uttarayan, marked by kite flying and the International Kite Festival in Ahmedabad. In the Deccan region, such as in Maharashtra, it is Til Sankranti, where sesame (til) and jaggery sweets are shared. People in West Bengal know it as Poush Sankranti, celebrated with new rice sweets. In Punjab Lohri is celebrated the day before with bonfires and offerings. People in Tamil Nadu celebrate Pongal on the same date by heating rice, sugar, and other ingredients in a pot until it boils over. Keralan devotees of the god Ayyappan observe Makaravilakku on the same date with a pilgrimage to the Sabarimala Temple.
The Ganges River is considered an especially auspicious place to bathe on this holiday, particularly off Sagar Island in West Bengal, where the Ganges River system meets the sea at the Bay of Bengal. Many pilgrims come to Prayagraj, to bathe where the Ganges meets the Yamuna River and the mythical Saraswati River at the Magh Mela festival and, every 12 years, at the Kumbh Mela.