Tamil calendar

The Tamil Calendar is followed by the Tamil speaking state of Tamil Nadu in India and Sri Lanka. There are a number of festivals in Tamil Nadu based on the Tamil Calendar. The Tamil calendar is based on the solar cycle. It has a sixty years cycle and every year has twelve months. The Tamil New Year follows the vernal equinox.

The Seven Days of the Week

The days of the Tamil Calendar, like the Gregorian Calendar relate to the celestial bodies in the solar system. Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn, in that order. The week starts with Sunday

The following list compiles the days of the week in Tamil Calendar:

No.	Weekday (Tamil)	Weekday (English)	Lord or Planet	Gregorian Calendar equivalent
01.	ஞாயிற்றுகிழைம	Nyaayitru-kizhamai	Sun	Sunday
02.	திங்கட்கிழைம	Thingat-kizhamai	Moon	Monday
03.	ெசவ்வாய்க்கிழைம	Sevvaai-kizhamai	Mars	Tuesday
04.	புதன்கிழைம	Buthan-kizhamai	Mercury	Wednesday
05.	வியாழக்கிழைம	Viyaazha-kizhamai	Jupiter	Thursday
06.	ெவள்ளிக்கிழைம	Velli-kizhamai	Venus	Friday
07.	சனிக்கிழைம	Sani-kizhamai	Saturn	Saturday

The Months of a Tamil Calendar

The Tamil Calendar starts in mid-April of the Gregorian Calendar every year. It consists of twelve months. The number of days in a month can vary between 29 to 32.

The following list compiles the months of the Tamil Calendar.

No.	Month (Tamil)	Month (English)	Gregorian Calendar equivalent
01.	சித்திைர	Chithirai	mid-April to mid-May
02.	ைவகாசி	Vaikaasi	mid-May to mid-June
03.	ஆனி	Aani	mid-June to mid-July
04.	ஆடி	Aadi	mid-July to mid-August
05.	ஆவணி	Aavani	mid-August to mid-September
06.	புரட்டாசி	Purattaasi	mid-September to mid-October
07.	ஐப்பசி	Aippasi	mid-October to mid-November
08.	கார்த்திைக	Kaarthigai	mid-November to mid-December
09.	மார்கழி	Maargazhi	mid-December to mid-January
10.	ைத	Thai	mid-January to mid-February
11.	மாசி	Maasi	mid-February to mid-March
12.	பங்குனி	Panguni	mid-March to mid-April

The Sixty-Year Cycle of Tamil Calendar

There 60 year cycle of Tamil Calendar was inserted into the Tamil Calendar system in the 18th century A.D. It is irrelevant to the Tamil Calendar system! Except few names in the 60 year cycle, the rest are 'sanskrit' names. The Yearly calendar follows a sixty year cycle. After the completion of sixty years, the calendar starts again with the first year.

The following list presents the current 60-year cycle of the Calendar:

No.	Name	Name (English)	Gregorian Year		No.	Name	Name (English)	Gregorian Year
01.	பிரபவ	Prabhava	1987 - 1988		31.	ஹேவிளம்பி	Hevilambi	2017 - 2018
02.	விபவ	Vibhava	1988 - 1989		32.	விளம்பி	Vilambi	2018 - 2019
03.	சுக்ல	Sukla	1989 - 1990		33.	விகாரி	Vikari	2019 - 2020
04.	பிரமோதூத	Pramodhoodha	1990 - 1991		34.	சார்வரி	Sarvari	2020 - 2021
05.	பிரசோற்பத்தி	Prachorpaththi	1991 - 1992		35.	பிலவ	Plava	2021 - 2022
06.	ஆங்கீரச	Aangirasa	1992 - 1993		36.	சுபகிருது	Subakrith	2022 - 2023
07.	ஸ்ரீமுக	Srimukha	1993 - 1994		37.	சோபகிருது	Sobakrith	2023 - 2024
08.	பவ	Bhava	1994 - 1995		38.	குரோதி	Krodhi	2024 - 2025
09.	யுவ	Yuva	1995 - 1996		39.	விசுவாசுவ	Visuvaasuva	2025 - 2026
10.	தாது	Thaadhu	1996 - 1997		40.	பரபாவ	Parabhaava	2026 - 2027
11.	ஈஸ்வர	Eesvara	1997 - 1998		41.	பிலவங்க	Plavanga	2027 - 2028
12.	வெகுதானிய	Vehudhanya	1998 - 1999		42.	கீலக	Keelaka	2028 - 2029
13.	பிரமாதி	Pramathi	1999 - 2000		43.	சௌமிய	Saumya	2029 - 2030
14.	விக்கிரம	Vikrama	2000 - 2001		44.	சாதாரண	Sadharana	2030 - 2031
15.	விஷு	Vishu	2001 - 2002		45.	விரோதகிருது	Virodhikrithu	2031 - 2032
16.	சித்திரபானு	Chitrabaanu	2002 - 2003		46.	பரிதாபி	Paridhaabi	2032 - 2033
17.	சுபானு	Subaanu	2003 - 2004		47.	பிரமாதீச	Pramaadhisa	2033 - 2034
18.	தாரண	Thaarana	2004 - 2005		48.	ஆனந்த	Aanandha	2034 - 2035
19.	பார்த்திப	Paarthiba	2005 - 2006		49.	ராட்சச	Rakshasa	2035 - 2036
20.	விய	Viya	2006 - 2007		50.	நள	Nala	2036 - 2037
21.	சர்வசித்து	Sarvasithu	2007 - 2008		51.	பிங்கள	Pingala	2037 - 2038
22.	சர்வதாரி	Sarvadhari	2008 - 2009		52.	காளயுக்தி	Kalayukthi	2038 - 2039
23.	விரோதி	Virodhi	2009 - 2010		53.	சித்தார்த்தி	Siddharthi	2039 - 2040
24.	விக்ருதி	Vikruthi	2010 - 2011		54.	ரௌத்திரி	Raudhri	2040 - 2041
25.	கர	Kara	2011 - 2012		55.	துன்மதி	Thunmathi	2041 - 2042
26.	நந்தன	Nandhana	2012 - 2013		56.	துந்துபி	Dhundubhi	2042 - 2043
27.	விஜய	Vijaya	2013 - 2014		57.	ருத்ரோத்காரி	Rudhrodhgaari	2043 - 2044
28.	ஜய	Jaya	2014 - 2015		58.	ரக்தாட்சி	Raktakshi	2044 - 2045
29.	மன்மத	Manmatha	2015 - 2016		59.	குரோதன	Krodhana	2045 - 2046
30.	துன்முகி	Dhunmuki	2016 - 2017		60.	அட்சய	Akshaya	2046 - 2047

Significance of Tamil Calendar

The Hindu peoples of the Indian subcontinent, is known to have developed a system of calendrics accounting for such vast periods of time. For computing the age of the earth and various geological and other epochs, as well as the age of mankind, they still employ a Tamil calendar derived from ancient astronomical data, known as the "Tirukkanda Panchanga" (cf. The Secret Doctrine, 2:49-51).

This calendar contains a calculation of something over three hundred millions of years for the age of the present earth since sedimentation occurred, and a period of somewhat more than eighteen million years since the first appearance of our mankind.

The months of the Tamil Calendar gains more significance and are deeply rooted to the faith of the Tamil People. Some months are considered very auspicious while a few are considered inauspicious as well.

The 10th Tamil month called Thai, falls in the mid-January every year. It is celebrated with much enthusiasm among the Tamil Community all over the world. It is marked by gifting new dresses for the family members and giving prayers to God wishing for prosperity among the people for the coming year. The month of Thai and the fifth month of Aavani are considered very auspicious and most of the marriages usually happens during those months than the other months of the year.

The fourth month of Aadi is considered inauspicious that usually marriages do not happen in the month. Addi is also the month of preparation for next crop cycle by farmers. Hence, farming communities avoid major events like marriages in this month. On the contrary (or as advantage) the communities that don't actively contribute/participate in farming - take the advantage of having important functions like marriage in this month. For example, the business community prefers this month for marriage. It is usually the worst month for thriving businesses and recently this situation has changed a lot, as the businesses started providing discount shopping during that particular month.

The fifth month of Aavani is considered auspicious among the Tamil orthodox people, and the special occasion of Aavani Avittam marks the month.

The sixth month of Purattaasi is auspicious to the effect that, most of the non-vegetarian Tamil people do not eat meat during the month. This faith can be considered much similar to the fasting by Muslims during the month of Ramzan.

The full moon days and the new moon days have considerable importance among the Tamil people. One of the famous festivals, the Deepavali, is celebrated on the new moon day, in the seventh month of Aippasi. The month of Aippasi is usually characterised bythe North-East Monsoon in Tamil Nadu, which has given birth to a phrase, Aippasi Adai Mazhai meaning the 'Non-stop Downpour'.

The Festival of Thirukaarthigai is celebrated during the eighth month of Kaarthigai. The ninth month of Maargazhi is characterised by the winter in Tamil Nadu, and considered auspicious for maiden women to find their groom.

The tenth month of Thai is the month of Harvest in Tamil Nadu. The festival of Pongal is celebrated to mark the harvest in the first day of that month.

Festivals of Tamil Nadu

The Tamil Calendar gains so much significance in the life of the Tamil-speaking people that most of the Festivals of Tamil Nadu are based on it. Some of Festivals include, Pongal, Tamil New Year, Deepaavali, Panguni Uthiram, Thirukaarthigai, Aadiperukku, etc.

External links

• English Date to Tamil Date Conversion
  • Dynamic Tamil Calendar