Hemanta Ritu हेमंत
The gentle early winter - a serene, devotional turn of the year.
- Season
- Pre-winter
- Lunar months
- Margashirsha & Pausha
- Around
- mid-November to mid-January
The season
Hemanta, pre-winter, spans Margashirsha and Pausha (roughly mid-November to mid-January). A serene, devotional season, it ends with Makar Sankranti as the Sun turns to its northward course (Uttarayana).
Hemanta is early winter, cool and clear, the most temperate of the cold seasons. Krishna calls its first month, Margashirsha, the best of months; it is a quiet, devotional time as the year turns toward the Sun's return.
Ritucharya - the seasonal regimen
With digestion strong in the cold, the regimen nourishes: unctuous, sweet, sour and salty foods, ghee, warm drinks, oil massage and warm clothing to build strength through the winter.
Festivals of Hemanta
Gita Jayanti (Mokshada Ekadashi) and Datta Jayanti; and, at the season's close, Makar Sankranti - the Sun's northward turn and the great harvest festival.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Hemanta ritu?
Hemanta, pre-winter, spans Margashirsha and Pausha (roughly mid-November to mid-January). A serene, devotional season, it ends with Makar Sankranti as the Sun turns to its northward course (Uttarayana).
Which months are in the Hemanta season?
Hemanta spans the two lunar months of Margashirsha and Pausha, roughly mid-November to mid-January.
What festivals fall in Hemanta?
Gita Jayanti (Mokshada Ekadashi) and Datta Jayanti; and, at the season's close, Makar Sankranti - the Sun's northward turn and the great harvest festival.
What is the ritucharya (regimen) for Hemanta?
With digestion strong in the cold, the regimen nourishes: unctuous, sweet, sour and salty foods, ghee, warm drinks, oil massage and warm clothing to build strength through the winter.
Last updated 26 July 2026