Uttarayana

The tradition & historical record

The term Uttarāyaṇa (commonly Uttarayanam) is derived from two different Sanskrit words – "uttaram" (North) and "ayanam" (movement) – thus indicating the northward movement of the Sun. In the Gregorian calendar, this pertains to the "actual movement of the sun with respect to the earth." It is also known as the six-month period that occurs between the winter solstice and the summer solstice (approximately 20 December - 20 June). According to the Indian solar calendar, it refers to the movement of the Sun through the zodiac. This difference occurs because the solstices continually precess at a rate of about 50 arcseconds per year due to the precession of the equinoxes, i.e. this difference is the difference between the sidereal and tropical zodiacs. The Surya Siddhanta bridges this difference by juxtaposing the four solstitial and equinoctial points with four of the twelve boundaries of the rashis. The complement of Uttarayana is Dakshinayana (the southward movement of the Sun). It is the period between Karka Sankranti and Makara Sankranti as per the sidereal zodiac and between the summer solstice and winter solstice as per the tropical zodiac. ¹

The term Uttarāyana is derived from two Sanskrit words: uttara (उत्तर), meaning "north," and ayana (अयन), meaning "movement," "path," or "journey." Together, the term literally means "the northward movement", referring to the northward motion of the sun relative to the Earth. The opposite period is known as Dakshinayana, meaning "the southward movement," referring to the Sun's apparent movement toward the south after the summer solstice. ¹

In astronomical terms, Uttarayana refers to the period during which the Sun appears to move northward relative to the celestial equator, beginning immediately after the winter solstice and continuing until the summer solstice. This period lasts approximately six months, from around 21 December to 21 June. This apparent movement occurs because the Earth is tilted on its axis by about 23.4°, causing the Sun's apparent position in the sky to gradually shift north and south throughout the year. When the Sun begins moving northward after the winter solstice, the period is called Uttarayana; when it begins moving southward after the summer solstice, the period is called Dakshinayana. ¹

Ancient Indian temple architecture includes examples of planned orientation with respect to solar movements, including the winter solstice. Many temples are aligned facing the east, allowing sunlight to enter specific parts of the structure on particular days of the year. The western entrance gate of the Angkor Wat is aligned such that on the winter solstice, the starting of Uttarayana, the rising sun appears in line with the distant temple of Prasat Kuk Bangro located approximately 5.5 kilometres away. On the summer solstice, which marks the end of the Uttarayana period, the sun is seen directly overhead of the Modhera Sun Temple with the light falling directly on the deity without casting any shadows on the temple. ¹

In Ayurveda, the period of Uttarayana is associated with seasonal changes believed to influence human health and bodily balance. Ayurvedic texts describe this six-month period as Adana Kala ("the time of taking away"), referring to the belief that the Sun's increasing intensity gradually draws moisture and strength from living beings and the environment. During this period, the cooling and nourishing qualities of the earth are believed to diminish as solar heat increases. Classical Ayurvedic literature on "Ritucharya" states that tikta (bitter), kashaya (astringent), and katu (pungent) rasas (tastes) become more dominant in nature during this time. These qualities contribute to dryness in the body and a gradual reduction in bala (physical strength or vitality). ¹

Mayasura, the composer of Surya Siddhanta, defines Uttarayana, at the time of composition, as the period between the Makara Sankranti (which currently occurs around January 14) and Karka Sankranti (which currently occurs around July 16). Lātadeva describes this as half revolutions of the Sun, using the terms Uttarayana and Dakshinayana to describe the "northern and southern progress" respectively. Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a scholar and mathematician, proposes an alternative, early vedic definition of Uttarayana as starting from Vernal Equinox and ending with Autumnal Equinox. This definition interprets the term "Uttara Ayana" as "northern movement" instead of "northward movement", i.e. as the movement of the Earth in the region North of the Equator. In support of this proposal, he points to another tradition that the Uttarayana is considered the daytime of the Gods residing at the North Pole which tradition makes sense only if we define Uttarayana as the period between the Vernal and Autumnal equinoxes (when there is Midnight Sun at the North Pole). Conversely, Dakshinaya is defined as the period between the Autumnal and Vernal Equinoxes, when there is midnight sun at the South Pole. This period is also referred to as Pitrayana (with the Pitrus (i.e. ancestors) being placed at the South Pole). ¹

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Uttarayana”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ¹

Uttarayana is period between the Makara Sankranti and Karka Sankranti, according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. ²

The source record links this tradition to 1 external register, which can be verified through the citation. ²