Malayalam calendar.html



Malayalam calendar (also known as Malayalam Era or Kollavarsham) is a solar Sidereal calendar used in the state of Kerala in South India. The Era started in the year 825 AD.

Origin

Almost all of the regions in Kerala used Kali abda before the acceptance of Kollavarsham.¹²

The Origin of Kollam Era or Kollavarsham is a subject of contention amongst the scholars. Some scholars including Hermann Gundert believe that consecration of a Shiva temple during the reign of Udaya Marthanda Varma is the beginning of the malayam calendar. There are many other views alternate theories such as one attributed to Nestorian Christian merchants who settled in KorukeNi kollam. But these theories are often termed as "un-historical" by mainstream scholars.

Calendar system and New Year

The astronomical malayalam year (solar calendar) starts on the day of vernal equinox (in mid April), in the month of Medam (Mesham in Sanskrit) when the sun moves from the southern to northern hemisphere.^{citation needed} This coincides with new year festivities elsewhere in India which occur during the same time, such as Bihu (Assam), Baisakhi (Punjab) etc and is traditionally celebrated as Vishu in Kerala. The last month of Malayalam Calendar is "Meenam".

The festivals Andupirapp (ആണ്ടുപിറപ്പ് - new year), celebrated on the 1st of Chingam, Vishu (വിഷു - astronomical new year), celebrated on the 1st of Medam and Onam (ഓണം), celebrated on the star "thiruvONam" in the month of Chingam, are three of the major festivals. The months are named after the constellations through which the Sun. Thus Chingam (from Simham or Lion) is named after the constellation Leo and so on.

Months of Malayalam Calendar

The following are the months of the astronomical Malayalam calendar:

Weeks

Weekdays in the Malayalam calendar are suffixed with Azhcha(ആഴ്ച-Week). Sunday would be njAyaRAzhcha (ഞായറാഴ്ച), Monday thinkaLAzhcha (തിങ്കളാഴ്ച)and so on.

Like the months above, there are twenty seven stars starting from Aswathi (Ashvinī in Sanskrit) and ending in Revathi. The 365 days of the year are divided into groups of fourteen days called Njattuvela, each one bearing the name of a star.

Vishu

Malayalees are celebrating 1st day of Medam as Vishu. People consider Medam 1st as astrological new year and starts vishu in an aspecius way. Vishu kani is seeing good things and god's photo in the morning, and is considers as most auspecias way of begining new year.

Derived names

Many events in Kerala are related to the dates in the Malayalam calendar.

The agricultural activities of Kerala are centred around the seasons. The Southwest monsoon which starts around June 1 is known as Edavappathi, meaning mid- Edavam. The North east monsoon which starts during mid October is called thulavarsham (rain in the month of thulam). The two harvests of paddy are called Kannikkoythu and Makarakkoythu (harvest in the month kanni and makaram) respectively.

The Makaravilakku festival is celebrated in the Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala on the 1st day of month Makaram. This marks the grand finale of the two-month period to the Sabarimala pilgrimage.

Notes

See also

• Hindu calendar
• Bengali calendar

External links

• Commonly used Malayalam Calendar with both normal (Julian) calendar, the Malayalam calendar and other details sun rise and set times, holidays etc.