Malayalam Calendar - Kollam Era 2016
The Malayalam festival calendar (Kollam Era). Kerala festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
January 2016
Kollam Era 1191
Dhanu – Makaram
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 2016 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Malayalam Calendar lists 30 dates in 2016, opening with Skanda Shashthi on 15 January and closing with Dhanurmasam Begins on 16 December. Of these, 15 are vrats (fasting observances). August is the fullest month with 6 dates. The year runs through Kollam Era 1191 – 1192.
January 2016 Dhanu – Makaram
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 24 Jan | Sun |
Thaipusam Devotees of Lord Murugan carry kavadi in penance and thanksgiving on the Pusam star of Thai. |
Shukla Purnima |
February 2016 Makaram – Kumbham
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Feb | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 14 Feb | Sun |
Ratha Saptami Surya's chariot turns north — devotees bathe at dawn and worship the Sun god on Magha Shukla Saptami. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 24 Feb | Wed |
Attukal Pongala Lakhs of women cook pongala for the Attukal Bhagavathy on the Pooram star of the month of Kumbham. |
Krishna Dwitiya |
March 2016 Kumbham – Meenam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Mar | Mon |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva, with the Aluva Sivarathri on the Periyar sands. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 13 Mar | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
April 2016 Meenam – Medam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Apr | Tue | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 14 Apr | Thu |
Vishu The Malayalam astronomical new year; the auspicious Vishukkani is viewed at dawn for a prosperous year. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 18 Apr | Mon |
Thrissur Pooram Kerala's grandest temple festival of caparisoned elephants and percussion, on the Pooram star of Medam. |
Shukla Dwadashi |
May 2016 Medam – Edavam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 May | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
June 2016 Edavam – Mithunam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jun | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
July 2016 Mithunam – Karkidakam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Jul | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
August 2016 Karkidakam – Chingam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Aug | Tue | Karkidaka Vavu Bali Vrat | Krishna Amavasya |
| 8 Aug | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 12 Aug | Fri | Varalakshmi Vratham Vrat | Shukla Navami |
| 17 Aug | Wed |
Onam (Thiruvonam) Kerala's harvest festival welcoming King Mahabali, with Pookalam, Onasadya and boat races. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 18 Aug | Thu |
Avani Avittam (Upakarma) Brahmins renew the sacred thread (Yajur Upakarma) on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 25 Aug | Thu |
Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Ashtami Rohini) The birth of Lord Krishna on the Rohini star of Chingam. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 2016 Chingam – Kanni
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Sep | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
October 2016 Kanni – Thulam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct | Sat |
Navratri (Saraswathi Puja)
The autumn nine nights, culminating in Saraswathi Puja and Vidyarambham. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 6 Oct | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 11 Oct | Tue |
Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 30 Oct | Sun |
Deepavali The festival of lights. |
Krishna Amavasya |
November 2016 Thulam – Vrischikam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Nov | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 16 Nov | Wed |
Mandala Pooja Begins The 41-day Sabarimala Ayyappa season begins as the Sun enters Vrischika. |
Krishna Dwitiya |
December 2016 Vrischikam – Dhanu
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Dec | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 5 Dec | Mon |
Subramanya Shashti Lord Subramanya (Kartikeya) is worshipped at Kukke and beyond on Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 10 Dec | Sat | Guruvayur Ekadashi Vrat | Shukla Ekadashi |
| 16 Dec | Fri |
Dhanurmasam Begins The month of dawn Vishnu worship (Tiruppavai / Dhanurmasa) begins as the Sun enters Dhanu. |
Krishna Tritiya |
Months of the Malayalam Calendar in 2016
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 2016, covering Kollam Era 1191 – 1192. 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 2016 | 14 Jan 2016 | 14 |
| Makaram | 15 Jan 2016 | 13 Feb 2016 | 30 |
| Kumbham | 14 Feb 2016 | 13 Mar 2016 | 29 |
| Meenam | 14 Mar 2016 | 13 Apr 2016 | 31 |
| Medam | 14 Apr 2016 | 14 May 2016 | 31 |
| Edavam | 15 May 2016 | 14 Jun 2016 | 31 |
| Mithunam | 15 Jun 2016 | 15 Jul 2016 | 31 |
| Karkidakam | 16 Jul 2016 | 16 Aug 2016 | 32 |
| Chingam | 17 Aug 2016 | 16 Sep 2016 | 31 |
| Kanni | 17 Sep 2016 | 16 Oct 2016 | 30 |
| Thulam | 17 Oct 2016 | 15 Nov 2016 | 30 |
| Vrischikam | 16 Nov 2016 | 15 Dec 2016 | 30 |
| Dhanu part | 16 Dec 2016 | 31 Dec 2016 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 2016
Beyond the dates the Malayalam Calendar lists, 2016 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 3 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Thaipusam fell on 24 January, 10 days earlier in the year than in 2015 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2016
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Malayalam date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Mar 7:27 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 2 days after Maha Shivaratri | Kumbham Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 23 Mar 5:17 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Meenam Purnima | Penumbral only |
| 1 Sep 2:36 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Chingam Amavasya | Not visible |
| 17 Sep 12:24 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Kanni Krishna Pratipada | Penumbral only |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 1 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 2016
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Aug 9:30 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Simha → Kanya |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Simha on 30 January 2016, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Malayalam Calendar 2016
How many festivals and vrats does the Malayalam Calendar list in 2016?
The Malayalam Calendar lists 30 dates in 2016, of which 15 are vrats. The first is Skanda Shashthi on Friday, 15 January 2016, and the last is Dhanurmasam Begins on Friday, 16 December 2016.
What are the main festival dates in the Malayalam Calendar for 2016?
The first major observances of 2016 are:
- Thaipusam - Sunday, 24 January 2016
- Ratha Saptami - Sunday, 14 February 2016
- Attukal Pongala - Wednesday, 24 February 2016
- Maha Shivaratri - Monday, 7 March 2016
- Vishu - Thursday, 14 April 2016
- Thrissur Pooram - Monday, 18 April 2016
Which month of 2016 has the most observances in the Malayalam Calendar?
August 2016 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 2016 correspond to in the Malayalam Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2016 spans Kollam Era 1191 – 1192. 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 2016 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 2016 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 2016?
2016 had 4 eclipses:
- 9 March 2016 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 23 March 2016 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 1 September 2016 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 17 September 2016 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak 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 2016?
Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 2016:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Kanya on 11 August 2016
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 2016?
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.
