Odia Calendar - Panji 1981
The Odia festival calendar (Panji). Odisha festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
June 1981
Vilayati Sal 1388
Jyestha – Ashadha
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.
Odia Calendar 1981 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Odia Calendar lists 33 dates in 1981, opening with Makara Sankranti on 14 January and closing with Prathamastami on 19 November. Of these, 2 are vrats (fasting observances). July is the fullest month with 5 dates. The year runs through Vilayati Sal 1388 – 1389.
January 1981 Pausa – Magha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan | Wed |
Makara Sankranti The Sun's entry into Makara, kept with makara chaula. |
Shukla Navami |
| 15 Jan | Thu |
Samba Dashami Mothers pray to the Sun god for the health of their children on Pausha Shukla Dashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
February 1981 Magha – Phalguna
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Feb | Mon |
Saraswati Puja (Basanta Panchami)
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
March 1981 Phalguna – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Mar | Wed |
Maha Shivaratri (Jagara)
The great night of Lord Shiva, kept with a night-long vigil and the Mahadipa at Lingaraj. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 20 Mar | Fri |
Dola Purnima (Dola Yatra) The swing festival of Krishna on Phalguna Purnima, Odisha's Holi. |
Shukla Purnima |
April 1981 Chaitra – Baisakha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Apr | Sun |
Basanti Durga Puja
The spring worship of Goddess Durga in Chaitra Navratri. |
Shukla Navami |
| 12 Apr | Sun |
Sri Rama Navami The birth of Lord Rama on Chaitra Shukla Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
| 14 Apr | Tue |
Pana Sankranti (Maha Vishuba) The Odia new year (Maha Vishuba Sankranti), with the sweet pana drink, Jhamu Yatra and Danda Nata. |
Shukla Ekadashi |
| 18 Apr | Sat |
Chaitra Purnima The full moon of Chaitra, kept as Hanuman Jayanti and with Jhamu Yatra. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
May 1981 Baisakha – Jyestha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 May | Wed |
Akshaya Tritiya Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya — the start of Chandan Yatra and chariot construction at Puri. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 17 May | Sun |
Nrusingha Chaturdashi The advent of Lord Narasimha on Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
June 1981 Jyestha – Ashadha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Jun | Tue | Savitri Brata Vrat | Krishna Amavasya |
| 7 Jun | Sun |
Sital Sasthi The grand marriage of Shiva and Parvati, famed in Sambalpur, on Jyeshtha Shukla Shashthi. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 17 Jun | Wed |
Snana Yatra (Devasnan Purnima) Lord Jagannath's grand ceremonial bath on Jyeshtha Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
July 1981 Ashadha – Shrabana
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Jul | Fri |
Jagannath Rath Yatra Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are pulled through Puri on giant chariots. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
| 6 Jul | Mon |
Hera Panchami Five days into Rath Yatra, Goddess Lakshmi visits the Gundicha temple in search of Lord Jagannath. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 11 Jul | Sat |
Bahuda Yatra The return car festival, when the deities journey back to the temple. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 15 Jul | Wed |
Niladri Bije Lord Jagannath returns to the sanctum (Ratna Singhasana) after Rath Yatra, marking its close. |
Shukla Trayodashi |
| 31 Jul | Fri |
Chitalagi Amavasya The Shravana new moon when a chita adorns Lord Jagannath's forehead. |
Krishna Amavasya |
August 1981 Shrabana – Bhadraba
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Aug | Sat |
Gamha Purnima The birth of Balabhadra and the worship of cattle on Shravana Purnima, also kept as Jhulan and Rakhi. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 23 Aug | Sun |
Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 1981 Bhadraba – Aswina
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Sep | Wed |
Ganesha Chaturthi
The birth of Lord Ganesha on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi. |
Shukla Chaturthi |
| 3 Sep | Thu |
Nuakhai Western Odisha's harvest festival of the first new rice (nua anna), the day after Ganesh Chaturthi. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 6 Sep | Sun |
Radhashtami The appearance of Radharani on Bhadrapada Shukla Ashtami. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 13 Sep | Sun | Ananta Chaturdashi Vrat | Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 27 Sep | Sun |
Mahalaya The new moon closing Pitru Paksha and opening Durga Puja. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
October 1981 Aswina – Kartika
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Oct | Tue |
Durga Puja (Maha Ashtami) The eighth day of the autumn Durga Puja. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 8 Oct | Thu |
Vijayadashami The triumph of Durga, the tenth day of the festival. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 13 Oct | Tue |
Kumar Purnima Maidens worship Kartikeya and the harvest moon on Ashwin (Sharad) Purnima for a good husband. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 27 Oct | Tue |
Diwali (Paya Shraddha) The festival of lights with Bada Badua Daka to the ancestors. |
Krishna Amavasya |
November 1981 Kartika – Margasira
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Nov | Fri |
Anla Navami The amla tree is worshipped on Kartika Shukla Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
| 11 Nov | Wed |
Boita Bandana (Kartika Purnima) Miniature boats are floated at dawn on Kartika Purnima, recalling Odisha's maritime past (Bali Yatra). |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 19 Nov | Thu |
Prathamastami The eldest child is honoured and blessed on Margashirsha Krishna Ashtami. |
Krishna Ashtami |
Months of the Odia Calendar in 1981
The Odia 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 1981, covering Vilayati Sal 1388 – 1389. A month marked part is one the Gregorian year cuts short at its own start or end.
| Month | Begins | Ends | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pausa part | 1 Jan 1981 | 13 Jan 1981 | 13 |
| Magha | 14 Jan 1981 | 12 Feb 1981 | 30 |
| Phalguna | 13 Feb 1981 | 14 Mar 1981 | 30 |
| Chaitra | 15 Mar 1981 | 13 Apr 1981 | 30 |
| Baisakha | 14 Apr 1981 | 14 May 1981 | 31 |
| Jyestha | 15 May 1981 | 14 Jun 1981 | 31 |
| Ashadha | 15 Jun 1981 | 16 Jul 1981 | 32 |
| Shrabana | 17 Jul 1981 | 16 Aug 1981 | 31 |
| Bhadraba | 17 Aug 1981 | 16 Sep 1981 | 31 |
| Aswina | 17 Sep 1981 | 17 Oct 1981 | 31 |
| Kartika | 18 Oct 1981 | 16 Nov 1981 | 30 |
| Margasira | 17 Nov 1981 | 15 Dec 1981 | 29 |
| Pausa part | 16 Dec 1981 | 31 Dec 1981 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1981
Beyond the dates the Odia Calendar lists, 1981 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 1 was above the horizon somewhere in India. Makara Sankranti fell on 14 January, 1 day earlier in the year than in 1980 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1981
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Odia date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jan 1:19 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Magha Purnima | Not visible |
| 5 Feb 3:38 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Magha Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 17 Jul 10:16 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 2 days after Niladri Bije | Shrabana Purnima | Not visible |
| 31 Jul 9:15 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) on Chitalagi Amavasya | Shrabana Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 1 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1981
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Oct 1:30 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Kanya → Tula |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Mithuna on 24 December 1981, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Frequently asked questions about the Odia Calendar 1981
How many festivals and vrats does the Odia Calendar list in 1981?
The Odia Calendar lists 33 dates in 1981, of which 2 are vrats. The first is Makara Sankranti on Wednesday, 14 January 1981, and the last is Prathamastami on Thursday, 19 November 1981.
What are the main festival dates in the Odia Calendar for 1981?
The first major observances of 1981 are:
- Makara Sankranti - Wednesday, 14 January 1981
- Samba Dashami - Thursday, 15 January 1981
- Saraswati Puja (Basanta Panchami) - Monday, 9 February 1981
- Maha Shivaratri (Jagara) - Wednesday, 4 March 1981
- Dola Purnima (Dola Yatra) - Friday, 20 March 1981
- Basanti Durga Puja - Sunday, 12 April 1981
Which month of 1981 has the most observances in the Odia Calendar?
July 1981 is the fullest month with 5 dates, including Jagannath Rath Yatra, Hera Panchami, Bahuda Yatra, Niladri Bije, Chitalagi Amavasya.
Which traditional year does 1981 correspond to in the Odia Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1981 spans Vilayati Sal 1388 – 1389. 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 1981 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1981 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 1981?
1981 had 4 eclipses:
- 20 January 1981 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 5 February 1981 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 17 July 1981 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 31 July 1981 - Total 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 1 of these was kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1981?
Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 1981:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Tula on 27 October 1981
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 1981?
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 Odia Calendar - Panji opens on the current month.
About the Odia Calendar - Panji
The Odia festival calendar (Panji). Odisha 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.


