Tamil Calendar 1978
The Tamil festival calendar. Tamil festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
January 1978
Shaka Samvat 1899 (Pingala)
Margazhi – Thai
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 1978 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Tamil Calendar lists 36 dates in 1978, opening with Skanda Shashthi on 14 January and closing with Margazhi Thiruvathirai (Arudra Darshan) on 16 December. Of these, 13 are vrats (fasting observances). August is the fullest month with 7 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1899 – 1900.
January 1978 Margazhi – Thai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 15 Jan | Sun |
Mattu Pongal The third day of Pongal, when cattle are bathed, decorated and honoured for their role in farming. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 24 Jan | Tue |
Thaipusam Devotees of Lord Murugan carry kavadi in penance and thanksgiving on the Pusam star of Thai. |
Shukla Purnima |
February 1978 Thai – Maasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Feb | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 14 Feb | Tue |
Ratha Saptami Surya's chariot turns north — devotees bathe at dawn and worship the Sun god on Magha Shukla Saptami. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 23 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. |
Shukla Purnima |
March 1978 Maasi – Panguni
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Mar | Tue |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 14 Mar | Tue | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 24 Mar | Fri |
Panguni Uthiram The Uthiram star of Panguni, celebrating the celestial weddings of Murugan-Deivanai and Shiva-Parvati. |
Shukla Purnima |
April 1978 Panguni – Chithirai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Apr | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 14 Apr | Fri |
Puthandu (Tamil New Year) The Tamil solar new year begins as the Sun enters Mesha; homes are decorated with kolam and the Maruvilakku. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 23 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 1978 Chithirai – Vaikasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 May | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 22 May | Mon |
Vaikasi Visakam The Visakam star of Vaikasi, celebrated as the birth star of Lord Murugan with special temple worship. |
Shukla Purnima |
June 1978 Vaikasi – Aani
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Jun | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
July 1978 Aani – Aadi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Jul | Tue | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 12 Jul | Wed |
Ani Thirumanjanam The grand sacred anointing of Lord Nataraja at Chidambaram on the Uttiram (Uttara Phalguni) star of the Tamil month Aani. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 29 Jul | Sat |
Aadi Krithigai Lord Murugan is worshipped with lamps and abhishekam on the Krittika star of the Tamil month Aadi. |
Krishna Dashami |
August 1978 Aadi – Aavani
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Aug | Wed |
Aadi Perukku On the 18th of Aadi, the swelling of the Cauvery and other rivers is celebrated with prayers to the waters. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 3 Aug | Thu | Aadi Amavasai Vrat | Krishna Amavasya |
| 7 Aug | Mon |
Aadi Pooram The birth of Andal (Kodhai) on the Pooram star of Aadi, celebrated grandly at Srivilliputhur. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 9 Aug | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 18 Aug | Fri |
Avani Avittam (Upakarma) Brahmins renew the sacred thread (Yajur Upakarma) on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 18 Aug | Fri | Varalakshmi Vratham Vrat | Shukla Purnima |
| 25 Aug | Fri |
Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Gokulashtami) The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 1978 Aavani – Purattasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Sep | Wed |
Vinayagar Chaturthi The birth of Lord Ganesha on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi. |
Shukla Chaturthi |
| 8 Sep | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
October 1978 Purattasi – Aippasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Oct | Wed |
Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 30 Oct | Mon |
Deepavali The festival of lights, kept with the Ganga snanam at dawn (Naraka Chaturdashi). |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
November 1978 Aippasi – Karthikai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Nov | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 6 Nov | Mon |
Skanda Sashti (Soorasamharam) Six days of worship of Lord Murugan culminate in Soorasamharam — his victory over the demon Surapadman. |
Shukla Shashthi |
December 1978 Karthikai – Margazhi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Dec | Tue | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 5 Dec | Tue |
Subramanya Shashti Lord Subramanya (Kartikeya) is worshipped at Kukke and beyond on Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 12 Dec | Tue |
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 | Sat |
Dhanurmasam Begins The month of dawn Vishnu worship (Tiruppavai / Dhanurmasa) begins as the Sun enters Dhanu. |
Krishna Dwitiya |
| 16 Dec | Sat |
Margazhi Thiruvathirai (Arudra Darshan) Arudra Darshan celebrates the cosmic dance of Lord Nataraja on the Thiruvathirai (Ardra) star of Margazhi. |
Krishna Dwitiya |
Months of the Tamil Calendar in 1978
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 1978, covering Shaka Samvat 1899 – 1900. 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 1978 | 14 Jan 1978 | 14 |
| Thai | 15 Jan 1978 | 12 Feb 1978 | 29 |
| Maasi | 13 Feb 1978 | 14 Mar 1978 | 30 |
| Panguni | 15 Mar 1978 | 13 Apr 1978 | 30 |
| Chithirai | 14 Apr 1978 | 14 May 1978 | 31 |
| Vaikasi | 15 May 1978 | 15 Jun 1978 | 32 |
| Aani | 16 Jun 1978 | 16 Jul 1978 | 31 |
| Aadi | 17 Jul 1978 | 16 Aug 1978 | 31 |
| Aavani | 17 Aug 1978 | 16 Sep 1978 | 31 |
| Purattasi | 17 Sep 1978 | 17 Oct 1978 | 31 |
| Aippasi | 18 Oct 1978 | 16 Nov 1978 | 30 |
| Karthikai | 17 Nov 1978 | 15 Dec 1978 | 29 |
| Margazhi part | 16 Dec 1978 | 31 Dec 1978 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1978
Beyond the dates the Tamil Calendar lists, 1978 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Thaipusam fell on 24 January, 10 days earlier in the year than in 1977 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1978
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Tamil date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Mar 9:52 PM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Panguni Uthiram | Panguni Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 7 Apr 8:33 PM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Panguni Amavasya | Not visible |
| 17 Sep 12:34 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Purattasi Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 2 Oct 11:57 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Purattasi Amavasya | Not visible |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1978
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Aug 10:20 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Mithuna → Karka |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Simha on 18 November 1978, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Tamil Calendar 1978
How many festivals and vrats does the Tamil Calendar list in 1978?
The Tamil Calendar lists 36 dates in 1978, of which 13 are vrats. The first is Skanda Shashthi on Saturday, 14 January 1978, and the last is Margazhi Thiruvathirai (Arudra Darshan) on Saturday, 16 December 1978.
What are the main festival dates in the Tamil Calendar for 1978?
The first major observances of 1978 are:
- Mattu Pongal - Sunday, 15 January 1978
- Thaipusam - Tuesday, 24 January 1978
- Ratha Saptami - Tuesday, 14 February 1978
- Masi Magam - Thursday, 23 February 1978
- Maha Shivaratri - Tuesday, 7 March 1978
- Panguni Uthiram - Friday, 24 March 1978
Which month of 1978 has the most observances in the Tamil Calendar?
August 1978 is the fullest month with 7 dates, including Aadi Perukku, Aadi Amavasai, Aadi Pooram, Skanda Shashthi, Avani Avittam (Upakarma), Varalakshmi Vratham, Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Gokulashtami).
Which traditional year does 1978 correspond to in the Tamil Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1978 spans Shaka Samvat 1899 – 1900. 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 1978 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1978 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 1978?
1978 had 4 eclipses:
- 24 March 1978 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 7 April 1978 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 17 September 1978 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 2 October 1978 - 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 1978?
Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 1978:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Karka on 5 August 1978
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 1978?
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.
