Tamil Calendar 1954
The Tamil festival calendar. Tamil festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
August 1954
Shaka Samvat 1876 (Jaya)
Aadi – Aavani
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.
Tamil Calendar 1954 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Tamil Calendar lists 38 dates in 1954, opening with Skanda Shashthi on 10 January and closing with Skanda Shashthi on 30 December. Of these, 15 are vrats (fasting observances). August is the fullest month with 6 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1875 – 1876.
January 1954 Margazhi – Thai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jan | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 14 Jan | Thu |
Thai Pongal The Tamil harvest thanksgiving on the Sun's entry into Makara. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 15 Jan | Fri |
Mattu Pongal The third day of Pongal, when cattle are bathed, decorated and honoured for their role in farming. |
Shukla Ekadashi |
| 19 Jan | Tue |
Thaipusam Devotees of Lord Murugan carry kavadi in penance and thanksgiving on the Pusam star of Thai. |
Shukla Purnima |
February 1954 Thai – Maasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Feb | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 9 Feb | Tue |
Ratha Saptami Surya's chariot turns north — devotees bathe at dawn and worship the Sun god on Magha Shukla Saptami. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 18 Feb | Thu |
Masi Magam On the Magham star of the Tamil month Maasi, temple deities are taken in procession to the sea and rivers for a holy bath. |
Krishna Pratipada |
March 1954 Maasi – Panguni
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Mar | Wed |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 9 Mar | Tue | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 19 Mar | Fri |
Panguni Uthiram The Uthiram star of Panguni, celebrating the celestial weddings of Murugan-Deivanai and Shiva-Parvati. |
Shukla Purnima |
April 1954 Panguni – Chithirai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Apr | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 14 Apr | Wed |
Puthandu (Tamil New Year) The Tamil solar new year begins as the Sun enters Mesha; homes are decorated with kolam and the Maruvilakku. |
Shukla Dwadashi |
| 18 Apr | Sun |
Chithirai Thiruvizha Madurai's Chithirai festival peaks on the Chitra full moon of the Tamil month Chithirai with the celestial wedding of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar. |
Shukla Purnima |
May 1954 Chithirai – Vaikasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 May | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 17 May | Mon |
Vaikasi Visakam The Visakam star of Vaikasi, celebrated as the birth star of Lord Murugan with special temple worship. |
Shukla Purnima |
June 1954 Vaikasi – Aani
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Jun | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
July 1954 Aani – Aadi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Jul | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 6 Jul | Tue |
Ani Thirumanjanam The grand sacred anointing of Lord Nataraja at Chidambaram on the Uttiram (Uttara Phalguni) star of the Tamil month Aani. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 25 Jul | Sun |
Aadi Krithigai Lord Murugan is worshipped with lamps and abhishekam on the Krittika star of the Tamil month Aadi. |
Krishna Dashami |
| 29 Jul | Thu | Aadi Amavasai Vrat | Krishna Amavasya |
August 1954 Aadi – Aavani
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Aug | Mon |
Aadi Perukku On the 18th of Aadi, the swelling of the Cauvery and other rivers is celebrated with prayers to the waters. |
Shukla Chaturthi |
| 2 Aug | Mon |
Aadi Pooram The birth of Andal (Kodhai) on the Pooram star of Aadi, celebrated grandly at Srivilliputhur. |
Shukla Chaturthi |
| 4 Aug | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 13 Aug | Fri | Varalakshmi Vratham Vrat | Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 14 Aug | Sat |
Avani Avittam (Upakarma) Brahmins renew the sacred thread (Yajur Upakarma) on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 21 Aug | Sat |
Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Gokulashtami) The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 1954 Aavani – Purattasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Sep | Wed |
Vinayagar Chaturthi The birth of Lord Ganesha on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi. |
Shukla Chaturthi |
| 3 Sep | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
October 1954 Purattasi – Aippasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 7 Oct | Thu |
Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 25 Oct | Mon |
Deepavali The festival of lights, kept with the Ganga snanam at dawn (Naraka Chaturdashi). |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
November 1954 Aippasi – Karthikai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Nov | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 2 Nov | Tue |
Skanda Sashti (Soorasamharam) Six days of worship of Lord Murugan culminate in Soorasamharam — his victory over the demon Surapadman. |
Shukla Shashthi |
December 1954 Karthikai – Margazhi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Dec | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 1 Dec | Wed |
Subramanya Shashti Lord Subramanya (Kartikeya) is worshipped at Kukke and beyond on Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 8 Dec | Wed |
Karthigai Deepam The Tamil festival of lights on the Krittika star of Karthigai — rows of agal vilakku are lit, and the Maha Deepam blazes atop Tiruvannamalai. |
Shukla Trayodashi |
| 16 Dec | Thu |
Dhanurmasam Begins The month of dawn Vishnu worship (Tiruppavai / Dhanurmasa) begins as the Sun enters Dhanu. |
Krishna Saptami |
| 30 Dec | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
Months of the Tamil Calendar in 1954
The Tamil 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 1954, covering Shaka Samvat 1875 – 1876. A month marked part is one the Gregorian year cuts short at its own start or end.
| Month | Begins | Ends | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margazhi part | 1 Jan 1954 | 13 Jan 1954 | 13 |
| Thai | 14 Jan 1954 | 12 Feb 1954 | 30 |
| Maasi | 13 Feb 1954 | 14 Mar 1954 | 30 |
| Panguni | 15 Mar 1954 | 13 Apr 1954 | 30 |
| Chithirai | 14 Apr 1954 | 14 May 1954 | 31 |
| Vaikasi | 15 May 1954 | 14 Jun 1954 | 31 |
| Aani | 15 Jun 1954 | 16 Jul 1954 | 32 |
| Aadi | 17 Jul 1954 | 16 Aug 1954 | 31 |
| Aavani | 17 Aug 1954 | 16 Sep 1954 | 31 |
| Purattasi | 17 Sep 1954 | 17 Oct 1954 | 31 |
| Aippasi | 18 Oct 1954 | 16 Nov 1954 | 30 |
| Karthikai | 17 Nov 1954 | 15 Dec 1954 | 29 |
| Margazhi part | 16 Dec 1954 | 31 Dec 1954 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1954
Beyond the dates the Tamil Calendar lists, 1954 brought 5 eclipses - 3 solar and 2 lunar - of which 3 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Puthandu (Tamil New Year) fell on 14 April, 1 day later in the year than in 1953 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1954
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Tamil date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Jan 8:01 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Margazhi Amavasya | Not visible |
| 19 Jan 8:01 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Thaipusam | Thai Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 30 Jun 6:02 PM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Aani Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 16 Jul 5:50 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Aani Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 25 Dec 1:06 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Margazhi Amavasya | Not visible |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 3 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1954
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 4:20 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Vrishabha → Mithuna |
| 9 Sep 6:50 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Mithuna → Karka |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Dhanu on 30 January 1954, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Frequently asked questions about the Tamil Calendar 1954
How many festivals and vrats does the Tamil Calendar list in 1954?
The Tamil Calendar lists 38 dates in 1954, of which 15 are vrats. The first is Skanda Shashthi on Sunday, 10 January 1954, and the last is Skanda Shashthi on Thursday, 30 December 1954.
What are the main festival dates in the Tamil Calendar for 1954?
The first major observances of 1954 are:
- Thai Pongal - Thursday, 14 January 1954
- Mattu Pongal - Friday, 15 January 1954
- Thaipusam - Tuesday, 19 January 1954
- Ratha Saptami - Tuesday, 9 February 1954
- Masi Magam - Thursday, 18 February 1954
- Maha Shivaratri - Wednesday, 3 March 1954
Which month of 1954 has the most observances in the Tamil Calendar?
August 1954 is the fullest month with 6 dates, including Aadi Perukku, Aadi Pooram, Skanda Shashthi, Varalakshmi Vratham, Avani Avittam (Upakarma), Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Gokulashtami).
Which traditional year does 1954 correspond to in the Tamil Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1954 spans Shaka Samvat 1875 – 1876. 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 1954 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1954 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 1954?
1954 had 5 eclipses:
- 5 January 1954 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 19 January 1954 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 30 June 1954 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 16 July 1954 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 25 December 1954 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
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 1954?
Yes - 2 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1954:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Mithuna on 20 April 1954
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Karka on 9 September 1954
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 1954?
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 Tamil Calendar opens on the current month.
About the Tamil Calendar
The Tamil festival calendar. Tamil 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.


