Tamil Calendar 1989
The Tamil festival calendar. Tamil festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
February 1989
Shaka Samvat 1910 (Vibhava)
Thai – Maasi
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 1989 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Tamil Calendar lists 36 dates in 1989, opening with Skanda Shashthi on 12 January and closing with Dhanurmasam Begins on 16 December. Of these, 14 are vrats (fasting observances). August is the fullest month with 7 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1910 – 1911.
January 1989 Margazhi – Thai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jan | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 14 Jan | Sat |
Thai Pongal The Tamil harvest thanksgiving on the Sun's entry into Makara. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 15 Jan | Sun |
Mattu Pongal The third day of Pongal, when cattle are bathed, decorated and honoured for their role in farming. |
Shukla Navami |
| 22 Jan | Sun |
Thaipusam Devotees of Lord Murugan carry kavadi in penance and thanksgiving on the Pusam star of Thai. |
Krishna Pratipada |
February 1989 Thai – Maasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Feb | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 12 Feb | Sun |
Ratha Saptami Surya's chariot turns north — devotees bathe at dawn and worship the Sun god on Magha Shukla Saptami. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 20 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 1989 Maasi – Panguni
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Mar | Mon |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 12 Mar | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 22 Mar | Wed |
Panguni Uthiram The Uthiram star of Panguni, celebrating the celestial weddings of Murugan-Deivanai and Shiva-Parvati. |
Shukla Purnima |
April 1989 Panguni – Chithirai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Apr | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 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 Navami |
| 21 Apr | Fri |
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 1989 Chithirai – Vaikasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 May | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 20 May | Sat |
Vaikasi Visakam The Visakam star of Vaikasi, celebrated as the birth star of Lord Murugan with special temple worship. |
Shukla Purnima |
June 1989 Vaikasi – Aani
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Jun | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
July 1989 Aani – Aadi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jul | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 9 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 Shashthi |
| 27 Jul | Thu |
Aadi Krithigai Lord Murugan is worshipped with lamps and abhishekam on the Krittika star of the Tamil month Aadi. |
Krishna Dashami |
August 1989 Aadi – Aavani
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Aug | Tue | Aadi Amavasai Vrat | Krishna Amavasya |
| 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. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 4 Aug | Fri |
Aadi Pooram The birth of Andal (Kodhai) on the Pooram star of Aadi, celebrated grandly at Srivilliputhur. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 7 Aug | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 11 Aug | Fri | Varalakshmi Vratham Vrat | Shukla Navami |
| 17 Aug | Thu |
Avani Avittam (Upakarma) Brahmins renew the sacred thread (Yajur Upakarma) on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 24 Aug | Thu |
Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Gokulashtami) The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 1989 Aavani – Purattasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Sep | Mon |
Vinayagar Chaturthi The birth of Lord Ganesha on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi. |
Shukla Chaturthi |
| 6 Sep | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
October 1989 Purattasi – Aippasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 10 Oct | Tue |
Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 28 Oct | Sat |
Deepavali The festival of lights, kept with the Ganga snanam at dawn (Naraka Chaturdashi). |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
November 1989 Aippasi – Karthikai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Nov | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 5 Nov | Sun |
Skanda Sashti (Soorasamharam) Six days of worship of Lord Murugan culminate in Soorasamharam — his victory over the demon Surapadman. |
Shukla Shashthi |
December 1989 Karthikai – Margazhi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Dec | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 4 Dec | Mon |
Subramanya Shashti Lord Subramanya (Kartikeya) is worshipped at Kukke and beyond on Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 16 Dec | Sat |
Dhanurmasam Begins The month of dawn Vishnu worship (Tiruppavai / Dhanurmasa) begins as the Sun enters Dhanu. |
Krishna Chaturthi |
Months of the Tamil Calendar in 1989
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 1989, covering Shaka Samvat 1910 – 1911. 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 1989 | 13 Jan 1989 | 13 |
| Thai | 14 Jan 1989 | 12 Feb 1989 | 30 |
| Maasi | 13 Feb 1989 | 14 Mar 1989 | 30 |
| Panguni | 15 Mar 1989 | 13 Apr 1989 | 30 |
| Chithirai | 14 Apr 1989 | 14 May 1989 | 31 |
| Vaikasi | 15 May 1989 | 14 Jun 1989 | 31 |
| Aani | 15 Jun 1989 | 16 Jul 1989 | 32 |
| Aadi | 17 Jul 1989 | 16 Aug 1989 | 31 |
| Aavani | 17 Aug 1989 | 16 Sep 1989 | 31 |
| Purattasi | 17 Sep 1989 | 17 Oct 1989 | 31 |
| Aippasi | 18 Oct 1989 | 16 Nov 1989 | 30 |
| Karthikai | 17 Nov 1989 | 15 Dec 1989 | 29 |
| Margazhi part | 16 Dec 1989 | 31 Dec 1989 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1989
Beyond the dates the Tamil Calendar lists, 1989 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Thai Pongal fell on 14 January, 1 day earlier in the year than in 1988 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1989
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Tamil date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Feb 9:05 PM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Masi Magam | Maasi Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 7 Mar 11:37 PM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 1 day after Maha Shivaratri | Maasi Amavasya | Not visible |
| 17 Aug 8:38 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Avani Avittam (Upakarma) | Aavani Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 31 Aug 11:00 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Aavani Amavasya | Not visible |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1989
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Jul 5:40 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Vrishabha → Mithuna |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Makara on 23 September 1989, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Tamil Calendar 1989
How many festivals and vrats does the Tamil Calendar list in 1989?
The Tamil Calendar lists 36 dates in 1989, of which 14 are vrats. The first is Skanda Shashthi on Thursday, 12 January 1989, and the last is Dhanurmasam Begins on Saturday, 16 December 1989.
What are the main festival dates in the Tamil Calendar for 1989?
The first major observances of 1989 are:
- Thai Pongal - Saturday, 14 January 1989
- Mattu Pongal - Sunday, 15 January 1989
- Thaipusam - Sunday, 22 January 1989
- Ratha Saptami - Sunday, 12 February 1989
- Masi Magam - Monday, 20 February 1989
- Maha Shivaratri - Monday, 6 March 1989
Which month of 1989 has the most observances in the Tamil Calendar?
August 1989 is the fullest month with 7 dates, including Aadi Amavasai, Aadi Perukku, Aadi Pooram, Skanda Shashthi, Varalakshmi Vratham, Avani Avittam (Upakarma), Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Gokulashtami).
Which traditional year does 1989 correspond to in the Tamil Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1989 spans Shaka Samvat 1910 – 1911. 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 1989 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1989 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 1989?
1989 had 4 eclipses:
- 20 February 1989 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 7 March 1989 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 17 August 1989 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 31 August 1989 - 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 1989?
Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 1989:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Mithuna on 2 July 1989
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 1989?
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.
