Tamil Calendar
The Tamil calendar is a derivative of the old Hindu solar calendar and is based on the sidereal year (i.e. the time taken for one revolution of the Earth around the sun, or the mean time taken by the sun to return to the same position relative to the background of the fixed stars in the sky). In contrast, most other languages of India (Telugu, Hindi) use lunar calendars.
Days of the Week
The Tamil calendar also follows a seven-day week. The names of the seven days are analogous to those used in most other calendars i.e. they correspond to the same celestial bodies Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn, in that order. The following table lists the days of the week in Tamil:
No. | Tamil Day | English Day |
---|---|---|
1. | Nyaayitru-kizhamai | Sunday |
2. | Thingat-kizhamai | Monday |
3. | Sevvaai-kizhamai | Tuesday |
4. | Budhan-kizhamai | Wednesday |
5. | Vyaazha-kizhamai | Thursday |
6. | Velli-kizhamai | Friday |
7. | Sani-kizhamai | Saturday |
Months
The Tamil new year usually falls in mid-April and the calendar consists of twelve months. Unlike the Gregorian calendar, the number of
days in a given month can vary between years. Moreover, Tamil months may even have 32 days. For example, the month of Vaikasi had 32
days in 1996 and 31 days in 1998. Similarly, Aani had 31 days in 1996 and 32 days in 1998.
The following table shows when the first day of each month occurs:
No. | Tamil | English | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Chiththirai | April | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | ||
2. | Vaikasi | May | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | ||
3. | Aani | June | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | ||
4. | Aadi | July | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | ||
5. | Aavani | August | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | ||
6. | Purattasi | September | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | ||
7. | Aippasi | October | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | ||
8. | Karthikai | November | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | ||
9. | Markazhi | December | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | ||
10. | Thai | January | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | ||
11. | Maasi | February | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | ||
12. | Panguni | March | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 |
The Sixty-Year Cycle
Each year in the Tamil calendar has a name. These names follow a 60-year cycle. (The number 60 represents five Jovian periods
i.e. it takes Jupiter about 12 years to orbit the sun).
The following table lists the cycle of sixty year names:
No. | Tamil | Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Prabhava | 1987--1988 |
2 | Vibhava | 1988--1989 |
3 | Sukla | 1989--1990 |
4 | Pramodhudha | 1990--1991 |
5 | Prajorpati | 1991--1992 |
6 | Angirasa | 1992--1993 |
7 | Srimukha | 1993--1994 |
8 | Bhava | 1994--1995 |
9 | Yuva | 1995--1996 |
10 | Dhatu | 1996--1997 |
11 | Isvara | 1997--1998 |
12 | Vehudhanya | 1998--1999 |
13 | Pramathi | 1999--2000 |
14 | Vikrama | 2000--2001 |
15 | Vishu | 2001--2002 |
16 | Chitrabanu | 2002--2003 |
17 | Subanu | 2003--2004 |
18 | Tarana | 2004--2005 |
19 | Parthiba | 2005--2006 |
20 | Viya | 2006--2007 |
21 | Sarvajit | 2007--2008 |
22 | Sarvadhari | 2008--2009 |
23 | Virodhi | 2009--2010 |
24 | Viruti | 2010--2011 |
25 | Kara | 2011--2012 |
26 | Nandana | 2012--2013 |
27 | Vijaya | 2013--2014 |
28 | Jaya | 2014--2015 |
29 | Manmatha | 2015--2016 |
30 | Dhunmuki | 2016--2017 |
No. | Tamil | Year |
---|---|---|
31 | Hevilambi | 2017--2018 |
32 | Vilambi | 2018--2019 |
33 | Vikari | 2019--2020 |
34 | Sarvari | 2020--2021 |
35 | Plava | 2021--2022 |
36 | Subakrit | 2022--2023 |
37 | Sobakrit | 2023--2024 |
38 | Krodhi | 2024--2025 |
39 | Visuvasuva | 2025--2026 |
40 | Parabhava | 2026--2027 |
41 | Plavanga | 2027--2028 |
42 | Kilaka | 2028--2029 |
43 | Saumya | 2029--2030 |
44 | Sadharana | 2030--2031 |
45 | Virodhikritu | 2031--2032 |
46 | Paridhabi | 2032--2033 |
47 | Pramadhisa | 2033--2034 |
48 | Ananda | 2034--2035 |
49 | Rakshasa | 2035--2036 |
50 | Nala | 2036--2037 |
51 | Pingala | 2037--2038 |
52 | Kalayukti | 2038--2039 |
53 | Siddharthi | 2039--2040 |
54 | Raudri | 2040--2041 |
55 | Dunmati | 2041--2042 |
56 | Dundubhi | 2042--2043 |
57 | Rudhrodhgari | 2043--2044 |
58 | Raktakshi | 2044--2045 |
59 | Krodhana | 2045--2046 |
60 | Akshaya | 2046--2047 |