Malayalam Calendar - Kollam Era 1988
The Malayalam festival calendar (Kollam Era). Kerala festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
May 1988
Kollam Era 1163
Medam – Edavam
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 1988 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Malayalam Calendar lists 30 dates in 1988, opening with Makaravilakku (Makara Sankranti) on 15 January and closing with Thiruvathira on 24 December. Of these, 12 are vrats (fasting observances). August is the fullest month with 5 dates. The year runs through Kollam Era 1163 – 1164. 1988 carries an Adhik Maas (Jyeshtha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several festivals later than usual.
January 1988 Dhanu – Makaram
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan | Fri |
Makaravilakku (Makara Sankranti) The Makara Jyothi and Makaravilakku at Sabarimala on the Sun's entry into Makara. |
Krishna Ekadashi |
| 24 Jan | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 25 Jan | Mon |
Ratha Saptami Surya's chariot turns north — devotees bathe at dawn and worship the Sun god on Magha Shukla Saptami. |
Shukla Saptami |
February 1988 Makaram – Kumbham
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Feb | Tue |
Thaipusam Devotees of Lord Murugan carry kavadi in penance and thanksgiving on the Pusam star of Thai. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 16 Feb | Tue |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva, with the Aluva Sivarathri on the Periyar sands. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 22 Feb | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
March 1988 Kumbham – Meenam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Mar | Fri |
Attukal Pongala Lakhs of women cook pongala for the Attukal Bhagavathy on the Pooram star of the month of Kumbham. |
Krishna Pratipada |
| 23 Mar | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
April 1988 Meenam – Medam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Apr | Wed |
Vishu The Malayalam astronomical new year; the auspicious Vishukkani is viewed at dawn for a prosperous year. |
Krishna Dwadashi |
| 21 Apr | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 27 Apr | Wed |
Thrissur Pooram Kerala's grandest temple festival of caparisoned elephants and percussion, on the Pooram star of Medam. |
Shukla Ekadashi |
May 1988 Medam – Edavam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 May | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
June 1988 Edavam – Mithunam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jun | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
July 1988 Mithunam – Karkidakam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Jul | Tue | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
August 1988 Karkidakam – Chingam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Aug | Fri | Karkidaka Vavu Bali Vrat | Krishna Amavasya |
| 18 Aug | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 26 Aug | Fri |
Onam (Thiruvonam) Kerala's harvest festival welcoming King Mahabali, with Pookalam, Onasadya and boat races. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 26 Aug | Fri | Varalakshmi Vratham Vrat | Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 27 Aug | Sat |
Avani Avittam (Upakarma) Brahmins renew the sacred thread (Yajur Upakarma) on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
September 1988 Chingam – Kanni
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Sep | Sat |
Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Ashtami Rohini) The birth of Lord Krishna on the Rohini star of Chingam. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 17 Sep | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
October 1988 Kanni – Thulam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Oct | Tue |
Navratri (Saraswathi Puja)
The autumn nine nights, culminating in Saraswathi Puja and Vidyarambham. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 20 Oct | Thu |
Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
November 1988 Thulam – Vrischikam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Nov | Wed |
Deepavali The festival of lights. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 16 Nov | Wed |
Mandala Pooja Begins The 41-day Sabarimala Ayyappa season begins as the Sun enters Vrischika. |
Shukla Saptami |
December 1988 Vrischikam – Dhanu
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Dec | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 14 Dec | Wed |
Subramanya Shashti Lord Subramanya (Kartikeya) is worshipped at Kukke and beyond on Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 15 Dec | Thu |
Dhanurmasam Begins The month of dawn Vishnu worship (Tiruppavai / Dhanurmasa) begins as the Sun enters Dhanu. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 19 Dec | Mon |
Vaikunta Ekadashi
The Margazhi Ekadashi when the gates of Vaikuntha are said to open; Vishnu devotees fast and keep vigil. |
Shukla Ekadashi |
| 24 Dec | Sat |
Thiruvathira Women keep the Thiruvathira vrat for marital bliss on the Ardra star of Dhanu. |
Krishna Pratipada |
Months of the Malayalam Calendar in 1988
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 1988, covering Kollam Era 1163 – 1164. 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 1988 | 14 Jan 1988 | 14 |
| Makaram | 15 Jan 1988 | 13 Feb 1988 | 30 |
| Kumbham | 14 Feb 1988 | 14 Mar 1988 | 30 |
| Meenam | 15 Mar 1988 | 13 Apr 1988 | 30 |
| Medam | 14 Apr 1988 | 14 May 1988 | 31 |
| Edavam | 15 May 1988 | 14 Jun 1988 | 31 |
| Mithunam | 15 Jun 1988 | 16 Jul 1988 | 32 |
| Karkidakam | 17 Jul 1988 | 16 Aug 1988 | 31 |
| Chingam | 17 Aug 1988 | 16 Sep 1988 | 31 |
| Kanni | 17 Sep 1988 | 16 Oct 1988 | 30 |
| Thulam | 17 Oct 1988 | 15 Nov 1988 | 30 |
| Vrischikam | 16 Nov 1988 | 15 Dec 1988 | 30 |
| Dhanu part | 16 Dec 1988 | 31 Dec 1988 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1988
Beyond the dates the Malayalam Calendar lists, 1988 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 4 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Jyeshtha, running from 16 May 1988 to 14 June 1988. Makaravilakku (Makara Sankranti) fell on 15 January, 1 day later in the year than in 1987 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1988
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Malayalam date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Mar 9:42 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day before Attukal Pongala | Kumbham Purnima | Penumbral only |
| 18 Mar 7:28 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Meenam Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 27 Aug 4:34 PM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Avani Avittam (Upakarma) | Chingam Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 11 Sep 10:13 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Chingam Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 3 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 1988
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Feb 2:40 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Meena → Mesha |
| 19 Jun 11:10 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Mesha → Vrishabha |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Kumbha on 6 March 1988, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Malayalam Calendar 1988
How many festivals and vrats does the Malayalam Calendar list in 1988?
The Malayalam Calendar lists 30 dates in 1988, of which 12 are vrats. The first is Makaravilakku (Makara Sankranti) on Friday, 15 January 1988, and the last is Thiruvathira on Saturday, 24 December 1988.
What are the main festival dates in the Malayalam Calendar for 1988?
The first major observances of 1988 are:
- Makaravilakku (Makara Sankranti) - Friday, 15 January 1988
- Ratha Saptami - Monday, 25 January 1988
- Thaipusam - Tuesday, 2 February 1988
- Maha Shivaratri - Tuesday, 16 February 1988
- Attukal Pongala - Friday, 4 March 1988
- Vishu - Wednesday, 13 April 1988
Which month of 1988 has the most observances in the Malayalam Calendar?
August 1988 is the fullest month with 5 dates, including Karkidaka Vavu Bali, Skanda Shashthi, Onam (Thiruvonam), Varalakshmi Vratham, Avani Avittam (Upakarma).
Which traditional year does 1988 correspond to in the Malayalam Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1988 spans Kollam Era 1163 – 1164. 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 1988 have an Adhik Maas?
Yes. 1988 carried an Adhik Maas (Jyeshtha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month inserted roughly every third year to keep the lunar calendar in step with the solar one. Festivals falling after it shift later in the Gregorian year, which is why 1988 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.
Were there any eclipses in 1988?
1988 had 4 eclipses:
- 3 March 1988 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 18 March 1988 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 27 August 1988 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 11 September 1988 - Annular 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 3 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1988?
Yes - 2 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1988:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Mesha on 3 February 1988
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Vrishabha on 19 June 1988
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 1988?
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.
