Malayalam Calendar - Kollam Era 1981
The Malayalam festival calendar (Kollam Era). Kerala festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
November 1981
Kollam Era 1157
Thulam – Vrischikam
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.
Malayalam Calendar 1981 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Malayalam Calendar lists 29 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). The year runs through Kollam Era 1156 – 1157.
January 1981 Dhanu – Makaram
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Jan | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 14 Jan | Wed |
Makaravilakku (Makara Sankranti) The Makara Jyothi and Makaravilakku at Sabarimala on the Sun's entry into Makara. |
Shukla Navami |
February 1981 Makaram – Kumbham
| 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 |
| 20 Feb | Fri |
Attukal Pongala Lakhs of women cook pongala for the Attukal Bhagavathy on the Pooram star of the month of Kumbham. |
Krishna Dwitiya |
March 1981 Kumbham – Meenam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Mar | Wed |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva, with the Aluva Sivarathri on the Periyar sands. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 11 Mar | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
April 1981 Meenam – Medam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Apr | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 14 Apr | Tue |
Vishu The Malayalam astronomical new year; the auspicious Vishukkani is viewed at dawn for a prosperous year. |
Shukla Ekadashi |
| 15 Apr | Wed |
Thrissur Pooram Kerala's grandest temple festival of caparisoned elephants and percussion, on the Pooram star of Medam. |
Shukla Dwadashi |
May 1981 Medam – Edavam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 May | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
June 1981 Edavam – Mithunam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Jun | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
July 1981 Mithunam – Karkidakam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Jul | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 31 Jul | Fri | Karkidaka Vavu Bali Vrat | Krishna Amavasya |
August 1981 Karkidakam – Chingam
| 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 Jayanthi (Ashtami Rohini) The birth of Lord Krishna on the Rohini star of Chingam. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 1981 Chingam – Kanni
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Sep | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 11 Sep | Fri |
Onam (Thiruvonam) Kerala's harvest festival welcoming King Mahabali, with Pookalam, Onasadya and boat races. |
Shukla Dwadashi |
| 29 Sep | Tue |
Navratri (Saraswathi Puja)
The autumn nine nights, culminating in Saraswathi Puja and Vidyarambham. |
Shukla Pratipada |
October 1981 Kanni – Thulam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Oct | Thu |
Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 27 Oct | Tue |
Deepavali The festival of lights. |
Krishna Amavasya |
November 1981 Thulam – Vrischikam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Nov | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 16 Nov | Mon |
Mandala Pooja Begins The 41-day Sabarimala Ayyappa season begins as the Sun enters Vrischika. |
Krishna Panchami |
December 1981 Vrischikam – Dhanu
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Dec | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 3 Dec | Thu |
Subramanya Shashti Lord Subramanya (Kartikeya) is worshipped at Kukke and beyond on Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 7 Dec | Mon | Guruvayur Ekadashi Vrat | Shukla Ekadashi |
| 16 Dec | Wed |
Dhanurmasam Begins The month of dawn Vishnu worship (Tiruppavai / Dhanurmasa) begins as the Sun enters Dhanu. |
Krishna Shashthi |
Months of the Malayalam Calendar in 1981
The Malayalam 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 Kollam Era 1156 – 1157. A month marked part is one the Gregorian year cuts short at its own start or end.
| Month | Begins | Ends | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhanu part | 1 Jan 1981 | 13 Jan 1981 | 13 |
| Makaram | 14 Jan 1981 | 12 Feb 1981 | 30 |
| Kumbham | 13 Feb 1981 | 14 Mar 1981 | 30 |
| Meenam | 15 Mar 1981 | 13 Apr 1981 | 30 |
| Medam | 14 Apr 1981 | 14 May 1981 | 31 |
| Edavam | 15 May 1981 | 14 Jun 1981 | 31 |
| Mithunam | 15 Jun 1981 | 16 Jul 1981 | 32 |
| Karkidakam | 17 Jul 1981 | 16 Aug 1981 | 31 |
| Chingam | 17 Aug 1981 | 16 Sep 1981 | 31 |
| Kanni | 17 Sep 1981 | 17 Oct 1981 | 31 |
| Thulam | 18 Oct 1981 | 16 Nov 1981 | 30 |
| Vrischikam | 17 Nov 1981 | 15 Dec 1981 | 29 |
| Dhanu part | 16 Dec 1981 | 31 Dec 1981 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1981
Beyond the dates the Malayalam Calendar lists, 1981 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 1 was above the horizon somewhere in India. Makaravilakku (Makara Sankranti) fell on 14 January, 1 day earlier in the year than in 1980 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1981
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Malayalam date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jan 1:19 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Makaram Purnima | Not visible |
| 5 Feb 3:38 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Makaram Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 17 Jul 10:16 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Karkidakam Purnima | Not visible |
| 31 Jul 9:15 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Karkidakam 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 Malayalam Calendar 1981
How many festivals and vrats does the Malayalam Calendar list in 1981?
The Malayalam Calendar lists 29 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 Malayalam Calendar for 1981?
The first major observances of 1981 are:
- Makaravilakku (Makara Sankranti) - Wednesday, 14 January 1981
- Ratha Saptami - Wednesday, 11 February 1981
- Attukal Pongala - Friday, 20 February 1981
- Maha Shivaratri - Wednesday, 4 March 1981
- Vishu - Tuesday, 14 April 1981
- Thrissur Pooram - Wednesday, 15 April 1981
Which traditional year does 1981 correspond to in the Malayalam Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1981 spans Kollam Era 1156 – 1157. 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 Malayalam Calendar - Kollam Era opens on the current month.
About the Malayalam Calendar - Kollam Era
The Malayalam festival calendar (Kollam Era). Kerala 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.
