Malayalam Calendar - Kollam Era 1997
The Malayalam festival calendar (Kollam Era). Kerala festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
February 1997
Kollam Era 1172
Makaram – Kumbham
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 1997 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Malayalam Calendar lists 29 dates in 1997, opening with Skanda Shashthi on 13 January and closing with Dhanurmasam Begins on 16 December. Of these, 13 are vrats (fasting observances). August is the fullest month with 6 dates. The year runs through Kollam Era 1172 – 1173.
January 1997 Dhanu – Makaram
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jan | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 14 Jan | Tue |
Makaravilakku (Makara Sankranti) The Makara Jyothi and Makaravilakku at Sabarimala on the Sun's entry into Makara. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 24 Jan | Fri |
Thaipusam Devotees of Lord Murugan carry kavadi in penance and thanksgiving on the Pusam star of Thai. |
Krishna Pratipada |
February 1997 Makaram – Kumbham
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Feb | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 13 Feb | Thu |
Ratha Saptami Surya's chariot turns north — devotees bathe at dawn and worship the Sun god on Magha Shukla Saptami. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 23 Feb | Sun |
Attukal Pongala Lakhs of women cook pongala for the Attukal Bhagavathy on the Pooram star of the month of Kumbham. |
Krishna Pratipada |
March 1997 Kumbham – Meenam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Mar | Fri |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva, with the Aluva Sivarathri on the Periyar sands. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 13 Mar | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
April 1997 Meenam – Medam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Apr | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 14 Apr | Mon |
Vishu The Malayalam astronomical new year; the auspicious Vishukkani is viewed at dawn for a prosperous year. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 19 Apr | Sat |
Thrissur Pooram Kerala's grandest temple festival of caparisoned elephants and percussion, on the Pooram star of Medam. |
Shukla Dwadashi |
May 1997 Medam – Edavam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 May | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
June 1997 Edavam – Mithunam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jun | Tue | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
July 1997 Mithunam – Karkidakam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jul | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
August 1997 Karkidakam – Chingam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Aug | Sun | Karkidaka Vavu Bali Vrat | Krishna Amavasya |
| 9 Aug | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 15 Aug | Fri | Varalakshmi Vratham Vrat | Shukla Dwadashi |
| 17 Aug | Sun |
Onam (Thiruvonam) Kerala's harvest festival welcoming King Mahabali, with Pookalam, Onasadya and boat races. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 18 Aug | Mon |
Avani Avittam (Upakarma) Brahmins renew the sacred thread (Yajur Upakarma) on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 25 Aug | Mon |
Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Ashtami Rohini) The birth of Lord Krishna on the Rohini star of Chingam. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 1997 Chingam – Kanni
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Sep | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
October 1997 Kanni – Thulam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Thu |
Navratri (Saraswathi Puja)
The autumn nine nights, culminating in Saraswathi Puja and Vidyarambham. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 11 Oct | Sat |
Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 30 Oct | Thu |
Deepavali The festival of lights. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
November 1997 Thulam – Vrischikam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Nov | Sun |
Mandala Pooja Begins The 41-day Sabarimala Ayyappa season begins as the Sun enters Vrischika. |
Krishna Dwitiya |
December 1997 Vrischikam – Dhanu
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Dec | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 5 Dec | Fri |
Subramanya Shashti Lord Subramanya (Kartikeya) is worshipped at Kukke and beyond on Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 10 Dec | Wed | Guruvayur Ekadashi Vrat | Shukla Ekadashi |
| 16 Dec | Tue |
Dhanurmasam Begins The month of dawn Vishnu worship (Tiruppavai / Dhanurmasa) begins as the Sun enters Dhanu. |
Krishna Tritiya |
Months of the Malayalam Calendar in 1997
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 1997, covering Kollam Era 1172 – 1173. 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 1997 | 13 Jan 1997 | 13 |
| Makaram | 14 Jan 1997 | 12 Feb 1997 | 30 |
| Kumbham | 13 Feb 1997 | 14 Mar 1997 | 30 |
| Meenam | 15 Mar 1997 | 13 Apr 1997 | 30 |
| Medam | 14 Apr 1997 | 14 May 1997 | 31 |
| Edavam | 15 May 1997 | 14 Jun 1997 | 31 |
| Mithunam | 15 Jun 1997 | 16 Jul 1997 | 32 |
| Karkidakam | 17 Jul 1997 | 16 Aug 1997 | 31 |
| Chingam | 17 Aug 1997 | 16 Sep 1997 | 31 |
| Kanni | 17 Sep 1997 | 17 Oct 1997 | 31 |
| Thulam | 18 Oct 1997 | 16 Nov 1997 | 30 |
| Vrischikam | 17 Nov 1997 | 15 Dec 1997 | 29 |
| Dhanu part | 16 Dec 1997 | 31 Dec 1997 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1997
Beyond the dates the Malayalam Calendar lists, 1997 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Makaravilakku (Makara Sankranti) fell on 14 January, 1 day earlier in the year than in 1996 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1997
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Malayalam date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Mar 6:53 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 2 days after Maha Shivaratri | Kumbham Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 24 Mar 10:09 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Meenam Purnima | Not visible |
| 2 Sep 5:33 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Chingam Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 17 Sep 12:16 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Kanni Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1997
Neither of the slow grahas changed sign in 1997: it was a whole year of Guru (Jupiter) in Makara and Shani (Saturn) in Meena. Rahu entered Simha on 24 June 1997, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Malayalam Calendar 1997
How many festivals and vrats does the Malayalam Calendar list in 1997?
The Malayalam Calendar lists 29 dates in 1997, of which 13 are vrats. The first is Skanda Shashthi on Monday, 13 January 1997, and the last is Dhanurmasam Begins on Tuesday, 16 December 1997.
What are the main festival dates in the Malayalam Calendar for 1997?
The first major observances of 1997 are:
- Makaravilakku (Makara Sankranti) - Tuesday, 14 January 1997
- Thaipusam - Friday, 24 January 1997
- Ratha Saptami - Thursday, 13 February 1997
- Attukal Pongala - Sunday, 23 February 1997
- Maha Shivaratri - Friday, 7 March 1997
- Vishu - Monday, 14 April 1997
Which month of 1997 has the most observances in the Malayalam Calendar?
August 1997 is the fullest month with 6 dates, including Karkidaka Vavu Bali, Skanda Shashthi, Varalakshmi Vratham, Onam (Thiruvonam), Avani Avittam (Upakarma), Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Ashtami Rohini).
Which traditional year does 1997 correspond to in the Malayalam Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1997 spans Kollam Era 1172 – 1173. 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 1997 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1997 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 1997?
1997 had 4 eclipses:
- 9 March 1997 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 24 March 1997 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 2 September 1997 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 17 September 1997 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 2 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1997?
No. Neither of the slow grahas crossed a sign boundary in 1997 - it was a full year of Guru (Jupiter) in Makara</strong> and <strong>Shani (Saturn) in Meena.
How do I see the tithi and nakshatra for a specific date in 1997?
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.
