Malayalam Calendar - Kollam Era 2008
The Malayalam festival calendar (Kollam Era). Kerala festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
May 2008
Kollam Era 1183
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 2008 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Malayalam Calendar lists 30 dates in 2008, opening with Skanda Shashthi on 13 January and closing with Dhanurmasam Begins on 16 December. Of these, 14 are vrats (fasting observances). August is the fullest month with 5 dates. The year runs through Kollam Era 1183 – 1184.
January 2008 Dhanu – Makaram
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jan | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 15 Jan | Tue |
Makaravilakku (Makara Sankranti) The Makara Jyothi and Makaravilakku at Sabarimala on the Sun's entry into Makara. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 23 Jan | Wed |
Thaipusam Devotees of Lord Murugan carry kavadi in penance and thanksgiving on the Pusam star of Thai. |
Krishna Pratipada |
February 2008 Makaram – Kumbham
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Feb | Tue | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 13 Feb | Wed |
Ratha Saptami Surya's chariot turns north — devotees bathe at dawn and worship the Sun god on Magha Shukla Saptami. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 22 Feb | Fri |
Attukal Pongala Lakhs of women cook pongala for the Attukal Bhagavathy on the Pooram star of the month of Kumbham. |
Krishna Pratipada |
March 2008 Kumbham – Meenam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Mar | Thu |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva, with the Aluva Sivarathri on the Periyar sands. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 12 Mar | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
April 2008 Meenam – Medam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Apr | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 13 Apr | Sun |
Vishu The Malayalam astronomical new year; the auspicious Vishukkani is viewed at dawn for a prosperous year. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 17 Apr | Thu |
Thrissur Pooram Kerala's grandest temple festival of caparisoned elephants and percussion, on the Pooram star of Medam. |
Shukla Dwadashi |
May 2008 Medam – Edavam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 May | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
June 2008 Edavam – Mithunam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jun | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
July 2008 Mithunam – Karkidakam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jul | Tue | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
August 2008 Karkidakam – Chingam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Aug | Fri | Karkidaka Vavu Bali Vrat | Krishna Amavasya |
| 6 Aug | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 15 Aug | Fri | Varalakshmi Vratham Vrat | Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 16 Aug | Sat |
Avani Avittam (Upakarma) Brahmins renew the sacred thread (Yajur Upakarma) on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 24 Aug | Sun |
Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Ashtami Rohini) The birth of Lord Krishna on the Rohini star of Chingam. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 2008 Chingam – Kanni
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Sep | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 12 Sep | Fri |
Onam (Thiruvonam) Kerala's harvest festival welcoming King Mahabali, with Pookalam, Onasadya and boat races. |
Shukla Dwadashi |
| 30 Sep | Tue |
Navratri (Saraswathi Puja)
The autumn nine nights, culminating in Saraswathi Puja and Vidyarambham. |
Shukla Pratipada |
October 2008 Kanni – Thulam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Oct | Thu |
Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 28 Oct | Tue |
Deepavali The festival of lights. |
Krishna Amavasya |
November 2008 Thulam – Vrischikam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Nov | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 16 Nov | Sun |
Mandala Pooja Begins The 41-day Sabarimala Ayyappa season begins as the Sun enters Vrischika. |
Krishna Chaturthi |
December 2008 Vrischikam – Dhanu
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Dec | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 4 Dec | Thu |
Subramanya Shashti Lord Subramanya (Kartikeya) is worshipped at Kukke and beyond on Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 9 Dec | Tue | 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 Chaturthi |
Months of the Malayalam Calendar in 2008
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 2008, covering Kollam Era 1183 – 1184. 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 2008 | 14 Jan 2008 | 14 |
| Makaram | 15 Jan 2008 | 13 Feb 2008 | 30 |
| Kumbham | 14 Feb 2008 | 14 Mar 2008 | 30 |
| Meenam | 15 Mar 2008 | 13 Apr 2008 | 30 |
| Medam | 14 Apr 2008 | 14 May 2008 | 31 |
| Edavam | 15 May 2008 | 14 Jun 2008 | 31 |
| Mithunam | 15 Jun 2008 | 16 Jul 2008 | 32 |
| Karkidakam | 17 Jul 2008 | 16 Aug 2008 | 31 |
| Chingam | 17 Aug 2008 | 16 Sep 2008 | 31 |
| Kanni | 17 Sep 2008 | 16 Oct 2008 | 30 |
| Thulam | 17 Oct 2008 | 15 Nov 2008 | 30 |
| Vrischikam | 16 Nov 2008 | 15 Dec 2008 | 30 |
| Dhanu part | 16 Dec 2008 | 31 Dec 2008 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 2008
Beyond the dates the Malayalam Calendar lists, 2008 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 3 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Thaipusam fell on 23 January, 9 days earlier in the year than in 2007 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2008
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Malayalam date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Feb 9:25 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Makaram Amavasya | Not visible |
| 21 Feb 8:56 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day before Attukal Pongala | Kumbham Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 1 Aug 3:51 PM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Karkidakam Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 17 Aug 2:40 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Avani Avittam (Upakarma) | Chingam Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 3 of these.
Guru and Shani in 2008
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Dec 11:50 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Dhanu → Makara |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Makara on 30 April 2008, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Malayalam Calendar 2008
How many festivals and vrats does the Malayalam Calendar list in 2008?
The Malayalam Calendar lists 30 dates in 2008, of which 14 are vrats. The first is Skanda Shashthi on Sunday, 13 January 2008, and the last is Dhanurmasam Begins on Tuesday, 16 December 2008.
What are the main festival dates in the Malayalam Calendar for 2008?
The first major observances of 2008 are:
- Makaravilakku (Makara Sankranti) - Tuesday, 15 January 2008
- Thaipusam - Wednesday, 23 January 2008
- Ratha Saptami - Wednesday, 13 February 2008
- Attukal Pongala - Friday, 22 February 2008
- Maha Shivaratri - Thursday, 6 March 2008
- Vishu - Sunday, 13 April 2008
Which month of 2008 has the most observances in the Malayalam Calendar?
August 2008 is the fullest month with 5 dates, including Karkidaka Vavu Bali, Skanda Shashthi, Varalakshmi Vratham, Avani Avittam (Upakarma), Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Ashtami Rohini).
Which traditional year does 2008 correspond to in the Malayalam Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2008 spans Kollam Era 1183 – 1184. 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 2008 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 2008 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 2008?
2008 had 4 eclipses:
- 7 February 2008 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 21 February 2008 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 1 August 2008 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 17 August 2008 - Partial 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 3 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 2008?
Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 2008:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Makara on 9 December 2008
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 2008?
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.
