Malayalam Calendar - Kollam Era 2018
The Malayalam festival calendar (Kollam Era). Kerala festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
August 2018
Kollam Era 1193 · Kollam Era 1194
Karkidakam – Chingam
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 2018 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Malayalam Calendar lists 31 dates in 2018, opening with Makaravilakku (Makara Sankranti) on 14 January and closing with Thiruvathira on 23 December. Of these, 13 are vrats (fasting observances). December is the fullest month with 6 dates. The year runs through Kollam Era 1193 – 1194. 2018 carries an Adhik Maas (Jyeshtha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several festivals later than usual.
January 2018 Dhanu – Makaram
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan | Sun |
Makaravilakku (Makara Sankranti) The Makara Jyothi and Makaravilakku at Sabarimala on the Sun's entry into Makara. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 22 Jan | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 24 Jan | Wed |
Ratha Saptami Surya's chariot turns north — devotees bathe at dawn and worship the Sun god on Magha Shukla Saptami. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 31 Jan | Wed |
Thaipusam Devotees of Lord Murugan carry kavadi in penance and thanksgiving on the Pusam star of Thai. |
Shukla Purnima |
February 2018 Makaram – Kumbham
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Feb | Tue |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva, with the Aluva Sivarathri on the Periyar sands. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 21 Feb | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
March 2018 Kumbham – Meenam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Mar | Fri |
Attukal Pongala Lakhs of women cook pongala for the Attukal Bhagavathy on the Pooram star of the month of Kumbham. |
Krishna Pratipada |
| 22 Mar | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
April 2018 Meenam – Medam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Apr | Sat |
Vishu The Malayalam astronomical new year; the auspicious Vishukkani is viewed at dawn for a prosperous year. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 21 Apr | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 26 Apr | Thu |
Thrissur Pooram Kerala's grandest temple festival of caparisoned elephants and percussion, on the Pooram star of Medam. |
Shukla Ekadashi |
May 2018 Medam – Edavam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 May | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
June 2018 Edavam – Mithunam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Jun | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
July 2018 Mithunam – Karkidakam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Jul | Tue | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
August 2018 Karkidakam – Chingam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Aug | Sat | Karkidaka Vavu Bali Vrat | Krishna Amavasya |
| 16 Aug | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 24 Aug | Fri | Varalakshmi Vratham Vrat | Shukla Trayodashi |
| 25 Aug | Sat |
Onam (Thiruvonam) Kerala's harvest festival welcoming King Mahabali, with Pookalam, Onasadya and boat races. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 26 Aug | Sun |
Avani Avittam (Upakarma) Brahmins renew the sacred thread (Yajur Upakarma) on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
September 2018 Chingam – Kanni
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Sep | Mon |
Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Ashtami Rohini) The birth of Lord Krishna on the Rohini star of Chingam. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 14 Sep | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
October 2018 Kanni – Thulam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Oct | Wed |
Navratri (Saraswathi Puja)
The autumn nine nights, culminating in Saraswathi Puja and Vidyarambham. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 19 Oct | Fri |
Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
November 2018 Thulam – Vrischikam
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Nov | Wed |
Deepavali The festival of lights. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 17 Nov | Sat |
Mandala Pooja Begins The 41-day Sabarimala Ayyappa season begins as the Sun enters Vrischika. |
Shukla Navami |
December 2018 Vrischikam – Dhanu
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Dec | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 13 Dec | Thu |
Subramanya Shashti Lord Subramanya (Kartikeya) is worshipped at Kukke and beyond on Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 16 Dec | Sun |
Dhanurmasam Begins The month of dawn Vishnu worship (Tiruppavai / Dhanurmasa) begins as the Sun enters Dhanu. |
Shukla Navami |
| 18 Dec | Tue |
Vaikunta Ekadashi
The Margazhi Ekadashi when the gates of Vaikuntha are said to open; Vishnu devotees fast and keep vigil. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 19 Dec | Wed | Guruvayur Ekadashi Vrat | Shukla Ekadashi |
| 23 Dec | Sun |
Thiruvathira Women keep the Thiruvathira vrat for marital bliss on the Ardra star of Dhanu. |
Krishna Pratipada |
Months of the Malayalam Calendar in 2018
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 2018, covering Kollam Era 1193 – 1194. 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 2018 | 14 Jan 2018 | 14 |
| Makaram | 15 Jan 2018 | 12 Feb 2018 | 29 |
| Kumbham | 13 Feb 2018 | 14 Mar 2018 | 30 |
| Meenam | 15 Mar 2018 | 13 Apr 2018 | 30 |
| Medam | 14 Apr 2018 | 14 May 2018 | 31 |
| Edavam | 15 May 2018 | 14 Jun 2018 | 31 |
| Mithunam | 15 Jun 2018 | 16 Jul 2018 | 32 |
| Karkidakam | 17 Jul 2018 | 16 Aug 2018 | 31 |
| Chingam | 17 Aug 2018 | 16 Sep 2018 | 31 |
| Kanni | 17 Sep 2018 | 17 Oct 2018 | 31 |
| Thulam | 18 Oct 2018 | 16 Nov 2018 | 30 |
| Vrischikam | 17 Nov 2018 | 15 Dec 2018 | 29 |
| Dhanu part | 16 Dec 2018 | 31 Dec 2018 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 2018
Beyond the dates the Malayalam Calendar lists, 2018 brought 5 eclipses - 3 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Jyeshtha, running from 16 May 2018 to 13 June 2018. Ratha Saptami fell on 24 January, 10 days earlier in the year than in 2017 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2018
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Malayalam date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Jan 6:59 PM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Thaipusam | Makaram Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 16 Feb 2:21 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 3 days after Maha Shivaratri | Kumbham Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 13 Jul 8:31 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Mithunam Amavasya | Not visible |
| 28 Jul 1:51 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Karkidakam Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 11 Aug 3:16 PM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Karkidakam Amavasya | Not visible |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.
Guru and Shani in 2018
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Oct 7:30 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Tula → Vrishchika |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Malayalam Calendar 2018
How many festivals and vrats does the Malayalam Calendar list in 2018?
The Malayalam Calendar lists 31 dates in 2018, of which 13 are vrats. The first is Makaravilakku (Makara Sankranti) on Sunday, 14 January 2018, and the last is Thiruvathira on Sunday, 23 December 2018.
What are the main festival dates in the Malayalam Calendar for 2018?
The first major observances of 2018 are:
- Makaravilakku (Makara Sankranti) - Sunday, 14 January 2018
- Ratha Saptami - Wednesday, 24 January 2018
- Thaipusam - Wednesday, 31 January 2018
- Maha Shivaratri - Tuesday, 13 February 2018
- Attukal Pongala - Friday, 2 March 2018
- Vishu - Saturday, 14 April 2018
Which month of 2018 has the most observances in the Malayalam Calendar?
December 2018 is the fullest month with 6 dates, including Skanda Shashthi, Subramanya Shashti, Dhanurmasam Begins, Vaikunta Ekadashi, Guruvayur Ekadashi, Thiruvathira.
Which traditional year does 2018 correspond to in the Malayalam Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2018 spans Kollam Era 1193 – 1194. 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 2018 have an Adhik Maas?
Yes. 2018 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 2018 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.
Were there any eclipses in 2018?
2018 had 5 eclipses:
- 31 January 2018 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 16 February 2018 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 13 July 2018 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 28 July 2018 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 11 August 2018 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
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 2018?
Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 2018:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Vrishchika on 11 October 2018
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 2018?
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.
