Tamil Calendar 1986
The Tamil festival calendar. Tamil festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
July 1986
Shaka Samvat 1908 (Kshaya)
Aani – Aadi
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 1986 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Tamil Calendar lists 36 dates in 1986, opening with Thai Pongal on 14 January and closing with Margazhi Thiruvathirai (Arudra Darshan) on 17 December. Of these, 13 are vrats (fasting observances). August is the fullest month with 7 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1907 – 1908.
January 1986 Margazhi – Thai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan | Tue |
Thai Pongal The Tamil harvest thanksgiving on the Sun's entry into Makara. |
Shukla Chaturthi |
| 15 Jan | Wed |
Mattu Pongal The third day of Pongal, when cattle are bathed, decorated and honoured for their role in farming. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 15 Jan | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 26 Jan | Sun |
Thaipusam Devotees of Lord Murugan carry kavadi in penance and thanksgiving on the Pusam star of Thai. |
Krishna Pratipada |
February 1986 Thai – Maasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Feb | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 16 Feb | Sun |
Ratha Saptami Surya's chariot turns north — devotees bathe at dawn and worship the Sun god on Magha Shukla Saptami. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 24 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. |
Shukla Purnima |
March 1986 Maasi – Panguni
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Mar | Sat |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 16 Mar | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
April 1986 Panguni – Chithirai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Apr | Mon |
Puthandu (Tamil New Year) The Tamil solar new year begins as the Sun enters Mesha; homes are decorated with kolam and the Maruvilakku. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 15 Apr | Tue | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 24 Apr | Thu |
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 1986 Chithirai – Vaikasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 May | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 23 May | Fri |
Vaikasi Visakam The Visakam star of Vaikasi, celebrated as the birth star of Lord Murugan with special temple worship. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
June 1986 Vaikasi – Aani
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 16 Jun | Mon |
Ani Thirumanjanam The grand sacred anointing of Lord Nataraja at Chidambaram on the Uttiram (Uttara Phalguni) star of the Tamil month Aani. |
Shukla Navami |
July 1986 Aani – Aadi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jul | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 30 Jul | Wed |
Aadi Krithigai Lord Murugan is worshipped with lamps and abhishekam on the Krittika star of the Tamil month Aadi. |
Krishna Navami |
August 1986 Aadi – Aavani
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Aug | Sat |
Aadi Perukku On the 18th of Aadi, the swelling of the Cauvery and other rivers is celebrated with prayers to the waters. |
Krishna Dwadashi |
| 5 Aug | Tue | Aadi Amavasai Vrat | Krishna Amavasya |
| 8 Aug | Fri |
Aadi Pooram The birth of Andal (Kodhai) on the Pooram star of Aadi, celebrated grandly at Srivilliputhur. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 11 Aug | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 15 Aug | Fri | Varalakshmi Vratham Vrat | Shukla Dashami |
| 19 Aug | Tue |
Avani Avittam (Upakarma) Brahmins renew the sacred thread (Yajur Upakarma) on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 27 Aug | Wed |
Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Gokulashtami) The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 1986 Aavani – Purattasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Sep | Sun |
Vinayagar Chaturthi The birth of Lord Ganesha on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 9 Sep | Tue | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
October 1986 Purattasi – Aippasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Oct | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 12 Oct | Sun |
Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
November 1986 Aippasi – Karthikai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Nov | Sat |
Deepavali The festival of lights, kept with the Ganga snanam at dawn (Naraka Chaturdashi). |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 7 Nov | Fri |
Skanda Sashti (Soorasamharam) Six days of worship of Lord Murugan culminate in Soorasamharam — his victory over the demon Surapadman. |
Shukla Shashthi |
December 1986 Karthikai – Margazhi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Dec | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 6 Dec | Sat |
Subramanya Shashti Lord Subramanya (Kartikeya) is worshipped at Kukke and beyond on Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 13 Dec | Sat |
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 | Tue |
Dhanurmasam Begins The month of dawn Vishnu worship (Tiruppavai / Dhanurmasa) begins as the Sun enters Dhanu. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 17 Dec | Wed |
Margazhi Thiruvathirai (Arudra Darshan) Arudra Darshan celebrates the cosmic dance of Lord Nataraja on the Thiruvathirai (Ardra) star of Margazhi. |
Krishna Pratipada |
Months of the Tamil Calendar in 1986
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 1986, covering Shaka Samvat 1907 – 1908. 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 1986 | 14 Jan 1986 | 14 |
| Thai | 15 Jan 1986 | 12 Feb 1986 | 29 |
| Maasi | 13 Feb 1986 | 14 Mar 1986 | 30 |
| Panguni | 15 Mar 1986 | 13 Apr 1986 | 30 |
| Chithirai | 14 Apr 1986 | 14 May 1986 | 31 |
| Vaikasi | 15 May 1986 | 15 Jun 1986 | 32 |
| Aani | 16 Jun 1986 | 16 Jul 1986 | 31 |
| Aadi | 17 Jul 1986 | 16 Aug 1986 | 31 |
| Aavani | 17 Aug 1986 | 16 Sep 1986 | 31 |
| Purattasi | 17 Sep 1986 | 17 Oct 1986 | 31 |
| Aippasi | 18 Oct 1986 | 16 Nov 1986 | 30 |
| Karthikai | 17 Nov 1986 | 15 Dec 1986 | 29 |
| Margazhi part | 16 Dec 1986 | 31 Dec 1986 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1986
Beyond the dates the Tamil Calendar lists, 1986 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Thaipusam fell on 26 January, 10 days earlier in the year than in 1985 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1986
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Tamil date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Apr 11:50 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Panguni Amavasya | Not visible |
| 24 Apr 6:12 PM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Chithirai Thiruvizha | Chithirai Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 4 Oct 12:35 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Purattasi Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 18 Oct 12:47 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Aippasi Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1986
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Jan 7:10 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Makara → Kumbha |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Meena on 18 August 1986, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Tamil Calendar 1986
How many festivals and vrats does the Tamil Calendar list in 1986?
The Tamil Calendar lists 36 dates in 1986, of which 13 are vrats. The first is Thai Pongal on Tuesday, 14 January 1986, and the last is Margazhi Thiruvathirai (Arudra Darshan) on Wednesday, 17 December 1986.
What are the main festival dates in the Tamil Calendar for 1986?
The first major observances of 1986 are:
- Thai Pongal - Tuesday, 14 January 1986
- Mattu Pongal - Wednesday, 15 January 1986
- Thaipusam - Sunday, 26 January 1986
- Ratha Saptami - Sunday, 16 February 1986
- Masi Magam - Monday, 24 February 1986
- Maha Shivaratri - Saturday, 8 March 1986
Which month of 1986 has the most observances in the Tamil Calendar?
August 1986 is the fullest month with 7 dates, including Aadi Perukku, Aadi Amavasai, Aadi Pooram, Skanda Shashthi, Varalakshmi Vratham, Avani Avittam (Upakarma), Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Gokulashtami).
Which traditional year does 1986 correspond to in the Tamil Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1986 spans Shaka Samvat 1907 – 1908. 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 1986 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1986 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 1986?
1986 had 4 eclipses:
- 9 April 1986 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 24 April 1986 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 4 October 1986 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 18 October 1986 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
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 1986?
Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 1986:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Kumbha on 25 January 1986
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 1986?
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.
