Tamil Calendar 1976
The Tamil festival calendar. Tamil festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
August 1976
Shaka Samvat 1898 (Nala)
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 1976 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Tamil Calendar lists 37 dates in 1976, opening with Skanda Shashthi on 7 January and closing with Skanda Shashthi on 26 December. Of these, 13 are vrats (fasting observances). August is the fullest month with 7 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1897 – 1898.
January 1976 Margazhi – Thai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Jan | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 13 Jan | Tue |
Vaikunta Ekadashi
The Margazhi Ekadashi when the gates of Vaikuntha are said to open; Vishnu devotees fast and keep vigil. |
Shukla Ekadashi |
| 15 Jan | Thu |
Thai Pongal The Tamil harvest thanksgiving on the Sun's entry into Makara. |
Shukla Trayodashi |
| 16 Jan | Fri |
Mattu Pongal The third day of Pongal, when cattle are bathed, decorated and honoured for their role in farming. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 18 Jan | Sun |
Thaipusam Devotees of Lord Murugan carry kavadi in penance and thanksgiving on the Pusam star of Thai. |
Krishna Pratipada |
February 1976 Thai – Maasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Feb | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 7 Feb | Sat |
Ratha Saptami Surya's chariot turns north — devotees bathe at dawn and worship the Sun god on Magha Shukla Saptami. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 16 Feb | Mon |
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 |
| 28 Feb | Sat |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
March 1976 Maasi – Panguni
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Mar | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 16 Mar | Tue |
Panguni Uthiram The Uthiram star of Panguni, celebrating the celestial weddings of Murugan-Deivanai and Shiva-Parvati. |
Shukla Purnima |
April 1976 Panguni – Chithirai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Apr | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 13 Apr | Tue |
Puthandu (Tamil New Year) The Tamil solar new year begins as the Sun enters Mesha; homes are decorated with kolam and the Maruvilakku. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 14 Apr | Wed |
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 1976 Chithirai – Vaikasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 May | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
June 1976 Vaikasi – Aani
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Jun | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 10 Jun | Thu |
Vaikasi Visakam The Visakam star of Vaikasi, celebrated as the birth star of Lord Murugan with special temple worship. |
Shukla Trayodashi |
July 1976 Aani – Aadi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Jul | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 4 Jul | Sun |
Ani Thirumanjanam The grand sacred anointing of Lord Nataraja at Chidambaram on the Uttiram (Uttara Phalguni) star of the Tamil month Aani. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 22 Jul | Thu |
Aadi Krithigai Lord Murugan is worshipped with lamps and abhishekam on the Krittika star of the Tamil month Aadi. |
Krishna Dashami |
| 27 Jul | Tue | Aadi Amavasai Vrat | Krishna Amavasya |
| 30 Jul | Fri |
Aadi Pooram The birth of Andal (Kodhai) on the Pooram star of Aadi, celebrated grandly at Srivilliputhur. |
Shukla Chaturthi |
August 1976 Aadi – Aavani
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Aug | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 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 Saptami |
| 6 Aug | Fri | Varalakshmi Vratham Vrat | Shukla Ekadashi |
| 9 Aug | Mon |
Avani Avittam (Upakarma) Brahmins renew the sacred thread (Yajur Upakarma) on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 18 Aug | Wed |
Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Gokulashtami) The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 28 Aug | Sat |
Vinayagar Chaturthi The birth of Lord Ganesha on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 30 Aug | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
October 1976 Purattasi – Aippasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Sat |
Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 22 Oct | Fri |
Deepavali The festival of lights, kept with the Ganga snanam at dawn (Naraka Chaturdashi). |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 28 Oct | Thu |
Skanda Sashti (Soorasamharam) Six days of worship of Lord Murugan culminate in Soorasamharam — his victory over the demon Surapadman. |
Shukla Shashthi |
November 1976 Aippasi – Karthikai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Nov | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 26 Nov | Fri |
Subramanya Shashti Lord Subramanya (Kartikeya) is worshipped at Kukke and beyond on Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi. |
Shukla Shashthi |
December 1976 Karthikai – Margazhi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Dec | Sun |
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 Chaturdashi |
| 15 Dec | Wed |
Dhanurmasam Begins The month of dawn Vishnu worship (Tiruppavai / Dhanurmasa) begins as the Sun enters Dhanu. |
Krishna Navami |
| 26 Dec | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
Months of the Tamil Calendar in 1976
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 1976, covering Shaka Samvat 1897 – 1898. 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 1976 | 14 Jan 1976 | 14 |
| Thai | 15 Jan 1976 | 13 Feb 1976 | 30 |
| Maasi | 14 Feb 1976 | 13 Mar 1976 | 29 |
| Panguni | 14 Mar 1976 | 13 Apr 1976 | 31 |
| Chithirai | 14 Apr 1976 | 14 May 1976 | 31 |
| Vaikasi | 15 May 1976 | 14 Jun 1976 | 31 |
| Aani | 15 Jun 1976 | 15 Jul 1976 | 31 |
| Aadi | 16 Jul 1976 | 16 Aug 1976 | 32 |
| Aavani | 17 Aug 1976 | 16 Sep 1976 | 31 |
| Purattasi | 17 Sep 1976 | 16 Oct 1976 | 30 |
| Aippasi | 17 Oct 1976 | 15 Nov 1976 | 30 |
| Karthikai | 16 Nov 1976 | 15 Dec 1976 | 30 |
| Margazhi part | 16 Dec 1976 | 31 Dec 1976 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1976
Beyond the dates the Tamil Calendar lists, 1976 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 4 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Thai Pongal fell on 15 January, 1 day later in the year than in 1975 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1976
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Tamil date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Apr 3:53 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Chithirai Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 14 May 1:24 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Chithirai Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 23 Oct 10:42 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 1 day after Deepavali | Aippasi Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 7 Nov 4:31 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Aippasi Krishna Pratipada | Penumbral only |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 3 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 1976
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Feb 6:10 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Meena → Mesha |
| 8 Jul 6:10 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Mesha → Vrishabha |
| 8 Dec 2:40 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Vrishabha → Mesha re-entry while retrograde |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Tamil Calendar 1976
How many festivals and vrats does the Tamil Calendar list in 1976?
The Tamil Calendar lists 37 dates in 1976, of which 13 are vrats. The first is Skanda Shashthi on Wednesday, 7 January 1976, and the last is Skanda Shashthi on Sunday, 26 December 1976.
What are the main festival dates in the Tamil Calendar for 1976?
The first major observances of 1976 are:
- Vaikunta Ekadashi - Tuesday, 13 January 1976
- Thai Pongal - Thursday, 15 January 1976
- Mattu Pongal - Friday, 16 January 1976
- Thaipusam - Sunday, 18 January 1976
- Ratha Saptami - Saturday, 7 February 1976
- Masi Magam - Monday, 16 February 1976
Which month of 1976 has the most observances in the Tamil Calendar?
August 1976 is the fullest month with 7 dates, including Skanda Shashthi, Aadi Perukku, Varalakshmi Vratham, Avani Avittam (Upakarma), Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Gokulashtami), Vinayagar Chaturthi.
Which traditional year does 1976 correspond to in the Tamil Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1976 spans Shaka Samvat 1897 – 1898. 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 1976 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1976 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 1976?
1976 had 4 eclipses:
- 29 April 1976 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 14 May 1976 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 23 October 1976 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 7 November 1976 - 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 3 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1976?
Yes - 3 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1976:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Mesha on 25 February 1976
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Vrishabha on 8 July 1976
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Mesha on 8 December 1976, moving retrograde
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 1976?
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.
