Ayana (Uttarayana and Dakshinayana)
Ayana is the Sun’s half-yearly course. In Uttarayana the Sun moves northward through the sky; in Dakshinayana it moves southward. Traditional panchangs mark the change at Makar and Karka Sankranti.
Also known as: Ayanam
Over a year, the Sun’s rising point drifts north along the horizon and then south again. Uttarayana is the northward half, traditionally the more auspicious, and Dakshinayana is the southward half. The Bhagavad Gita and many traditions honour Uttarayana as a time of light, and it is preferred for ceremonies such as griha pravesh and upanayana.
Panchangs mark the turn in two ways. The traditional sidereal reckoning starts Uttarayana at Makar Sankranti, when the Sun enters sidereal Capricorn in mid-January, and Dakshinayana at Karka Sankranti in mid-July. The astronomical turns happen at the solstices, around 21 December and 21 June, and some panchangs follow those instead.
The two reckonings coincided about 1,700 years ago. Precession has since pulled them about 24 days apart, which is why Makar Sankranti is not the winter solstice. Our Panchang shows both: the Vedic ayana from Makar Sankranti and the tropical one from the solstice.