Kannada Calendar 1981
The Kannada festival calendar (Yugadi new year). Karnataka festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
January 1981
Shaka Samvat 1902 (Raudra)
Pausha – Magha
Timings shown for New Delhi (IST) at sunrise - use the city box at the top to change it. Solar months begin by each tradition's own Sankranti rule (same-day, next-day, sunset or aparahna). Era years and lunar month names follow standard Vedic calculations and may differ slightly from regional almanacs around an Adhik Maas.
Kannada Calendar 1981 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Kannada Calendar lists 42 dates in 1981, opening with Skanda Shashthi on 11 January and closing with Dhanurmasam Begins on 16 December. Of these, 14 are vrats (fasting observances). September is the fullest month with 7 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1902 – 1903.
January 1981 Pausha – Magha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Jan | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 14 Jan | Wed |
Makara Sankranti (Suggi) The harvest festival on the Sun's entry into Makara, with ellu-bella. |
Shukla Navami |
February 1981 Magha – Phalguna
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Feb | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 11 Feb | Wed |
Ratha Saptami Surya's chariot turns north — devotees bathe at dawn and worship the Sun god on Magha Shukla Saptami. |
Shukla Saptami |
March 1981 Phalguna – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Mar | Wed |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 11 Mar | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 20 Mar | Fri |
Kamana Habba (Holi) The burning of Kama (Holika Dahan) on the full moon of Phalguna. |
Shukla Purnima |
April 1981 Chaitra – Vaishakha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Apr | Sun |
Yugadi (Kannada New Year) The Kannada new year on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, with bevu-bella. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 9 Apr | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 12 Apr | Sun |
Sri Rama Navami The birth of Lord Rama on Chaitra Shukla Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
| 19 Apr | Sun |
Karaga Bengaluru's centuries-old Karaga festival honours Draupadi Devi (Shakti) on the Chaitra full moon. |
Shukla Purnima |
May 1981 Vaishakha – Jyeshtha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 May | Wed |
Akshaya Tritiya Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, among the most auspicious days of the year. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 6 May | Wed |
Basava Jayanti The birth of Basaveshwara on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 8 May | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 17 May | Sun |
Narasimha Jayanti The advent of Lord Narasimha on Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
June 1981 Jyeshtha – Ashadha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Jun | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 17 Jun | Wed |
Kara Hunnime Farmers worship their cattle on the full moon of Jyeshtha. |
Shukla Purnima |
July 1981 Ashadha – Shravana
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Jul | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 17 Jul | Fri |
Guru Purnima The full moon of Ashadha honouring teachers and sage Veda Vyasa. |
Shukla Purnima |
August 1981 Shravana – Bhadrapada
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Aug | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 14 Aug | Fri | Varalakshmi Vratham Vrat | Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 15 Aug | Sat |
Avani Avittam (Upakarma) Brahmins renew the sacred thread (Yajur Upakarma) on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 23 Aug | Sun |
Sri Krishna Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 1981 Bhadrapada – Ashwina
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Sep | Tue |
Gowri Habba Goddess Gauri is welcomed and worshipped on Bhadrapada Shukla Tritiya, the day before Ganesha Chaturthi. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 2 Sep | Wed |
Varasiddhi Vinayaka Vrata The birth of Lord Ganesha on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi. |
Shukla Chaturthi |
| 3 Sep | Thu | Rishi Panchami Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 4 Sep | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 13 Sep | Sun | Ananta Chaturdashi Vrat | Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 27 Sep | Sun |
Mahalaya Amavasya The new moon closing Pitru Paksha. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 29 Sep | Tue |
Sharad Navratri
The autumn nine nights of Devi worship begin. |
Shukla Pratipada |
October 1981 Ashwina – Kartika
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Oct | Wed |
Ayudha Puja / Mahanavami The worship of weapons and tools on Mahanavami. |
Shukla Navami |
| 8 Oct | Thu |
Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 26 Oct | Mon |
Naraka Chaturdashi The abhyanjana snana marking the slaying of Narakasura. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 28 Oct | Wed |
Balipadyami (Deepavali) The Bali Padyami and Lakshmi worship of Deepavali. |
Shukla Pratipada |
November 1981 Kartika – Margashirsha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Nov | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 8 Nov | Sun |
Utthana Ekadashi (Tulsi Vivah)
The awakening of Vishnu and the Tulsi marriage on Kartika Shukla Ekadashi. |
Shukla Ekadashi |
| 11 Nov | Wed |
Kartika Purnima The Kartika full moon, lit with lamps. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
December 1981 Margashirsha – Pausha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Dec | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 3 Dec | Thu |
Champa Shashti A six-day festival to Lord Khandoba (Martand Bhairav, a form of Shiva) concludes on Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi, worshipped by farmers and warriors. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 3 Dec | Thu |
Subramanya Shashti Lord Subramanya (Kartikeya) is worshipped at Kukke and beyond on Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 10 Dec | Thu |
Dattatreya Jayanti The advent of Lord Dattatreya on Margashirsha Purnima. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 16 Dec | Wed |
Dhanurmasam Begins The month of dawn Vishnu worship (Tiruppavai / Dhanurmasa) begins as the Sun enters Dhanu. |
Krishna Shashthi |
Months of the Kannada Calendar in 1981
The Kannada Calendar does not begin its year on 1 January, so each of its months straddles two Gregorian ones. These are the months that ran through 1981, covering Shaka Samvat 1902 – 1903. A month marked part is one the Gregorian year cuts short at its own start or end.
| Month | Begins | Ends | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pausha part | 1 Jan 1981 | 13 Jan 1981 | 13 |
| Magha | 14 Jan 1981 | 12 Feb 1981 | 30 |
| Phalguna | 13 Feb 1981 | 14 Mar 1981 | 30 |
| Chaitra | 15 Mar 1981 | 13 Apr 1981 | 30 |
| Vaishakha | 14 Apr 1981 | 14 May 1981 | 31 |
| Jyeshtha | 15 May 1981 | 14 Jun 1981 | 31 |
| Ashadha | 15 Jun 1981 | 16 Jul 1981 | 32 |
| Shravana | 17 Jul 1981 | 16 Aug 1981 | 31 |
| Bhadrapada | 17 Aug 1981 | 16 Sep 1981 | 31 |
| Ashwina | 17 Sep 1981 | 17 Oct 1981 | 31 |
| Kartika | 18 Oct 1981 | 16 Nov 1981 | 30 |
| Margashirsha | 17 Nov 1981 | 15 Dec 1981 | 29 |
| Pausha part | 16 Dec 1981 | 31 Dec 1981 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1981
Beyond the dates the Kannada Calendar lists, 1981 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 1 was above the horizon somewhere in India. Yugadi (Kannada New Year) fell on 5 April, 18 days later in the year than in 1980 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1981
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Kannada date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jan 1:19 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Magha Purnima | Not visible |
| 5 Feb 3:38 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Magha Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 17 Jul 10:16 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Guru Purnima | Shravana Purnima | Not visible |
| 31 Jul 9:15 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Shravana Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 1 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1981
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Oct 1:30 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Kanya → Tula |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Mithuna on 24 December 1981, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Kannada Calendar 1981
How many festivals and vrats does the Kannada Calendar list in 1981?
The Kannada Calendar lists 42 dates in 1981, of which 14 are vrats. The first is Skanda Shashthi on Sunday, 11 January 1981, and the last is Dhanurmasam Begins on Wednesday, 16 December 1981.
What are the main festival dates in the Kannada Calendar for 1981?
The first major observances of 1981 are:
- Makara Sankranti (Suggi) - Wednesday, 14 January 1981
- Ratha Saptami - Wednesday, 11 February 1981
- Maha Shivaratri - Wednesday, 4 March 1981
- Kamana Habba (Holi) - Friday, 20 March 1981
- Yugadi (Kannada New Year) - Sunday, 5 April 1981
- Sri Rama Navami - Sunday, 12 April 1981
Which month of 1981 has the most observances in the Kannada Calendar?
September 1981 is the fullest month with 7 dates, including Gowri Habba, Varasiddhi Vinayaka Vrata, Rishi Panchami, Skanda Shashthi, Ananta Chaturdashi, Mahalaya Amavasya, Sharad Navratri.
Which traditional year does 1981 correspond to in the Kannada Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1981 spans Shaka Samvat 1902 – 1903. The traditional year does not begin on 1 January, so one Gregorian year usually covers the end of one era year and the start of the next.
Did 1981 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1981 had twelve lunar months with no Adhik Maas, so its festival dates fall in their usual Gregorian window rather than being pushed later by an intercalary month.
Were there any eclipses in 1981?
1981 had 4 eclipses:
- 20 January 1981 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 5 February 1981 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 17 July 1981 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 31 July 1981 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 1 of these was kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1981?
Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 1981:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Tula on 27 October 1981
Jupiter takes about a year to cross one sign and Saturn about two and a half, so these transits colour the whole year rather than a single week.
How do I see the tithi and nakshatra for a specific date in 1981?
Use the month grid above: pick a month from the selector, then tap any day to open its full panchang - tithi with start and end times, nakshatra, yoga, karana, sunrise and sunset, and the inauspicious periods (Rahu Kalam, Yamaganda, Gulika Kalam). Set your city in the box at the top first, because these timings are sunrise-based and shift with location. The Kannada Calendar opens on the current month.
About the Kannada Calendar
The Kannada festival calendar (Yugadi new year). Karnataka festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
Each day lists its tithi and paksha, the nakshatra, the weekday (vaar) and any festivals or vrats. Tap any day to see the full panchang for that date - tithi start and end times, nakshatra, yoga, karana, sunrise and sunset, and the inauspicious periods (Rahu Kalam, Yamaganda, Gulika Kalam). Use the month and year selectors to browse any year in the archive or plan ahead into the coming years.
This calendar names the tithi and festivals for each day. For sunrise, Rahu Kalam and muhurat windows on a chosen date, open the Panchang. Other regional calendars are on the Calendars index. Fast stories live under Vrat Katha.
