Paush (पौष): December-January

Paush—the season when the Sun shifts northward—invites Hindus to trade monsoon lamps for winter dawn baths. The month begins with success-seeking Saphala Ekadashi, greets Sagittarius on Dhanu Sankranti, and deepens ancestral gratitude on Paush Amavasya. As the waxing moon peaks, families fast for progeny on Putrada Ekadashi and celebrate Goddess Shakambhari’s bounty on Paush Purnima. Fire circles of Lohri blaze the night before the harvest-sun festival of Makar Sankranti, sealing Paush with warmth and renewal.