Tamil Calendar 2008
The Tamil festival calendar. Tamil festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
May 2008
Shaka Samvat 1930 (Sarvadhari)
Chithirai – Vaikasi
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 2008 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Tamil Calendar lists 34 dates in 2008, opening with Skanda Shashthi on 13 January and closing with Dhanurmasam Begins on 16 December. Of these, 13 are vrats (fasting observances). August is the fullest month with 7 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1929 – 1930.
January 2008 Margazhi – Thai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jan | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 15 Jan | Tue |
Thai Pongal The Tamil harvest thanksgiving on the Sun's entry into Makara. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 16 Jan | Wed |
Mattu Pongal The third day of Pongal, when cattle are bathed, decorated and honoured for their role in farming. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 23 Jan | Wed |
Thaipusam Devotees of Lord Murugan carry kavadi in penance and thanksgiving on the Pusam star of Thai. |
Krishna Pratipada |
February 2008 Thai – Maasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Feb | Tue | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 13 Feb | Wed |
Ratha Saptami Surya's chariot turns north — devotees bathe at dawn and worship the Sun god on Magha Shukla Saptami. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 21 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 2008 Maasi – Panguni
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Mar | Thu |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 12 Mar | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 21 Mar | Fri |
Panguni Uthiram The Uthiram star of Panguni, celebrating the celestial weddings of Murugan-Deivanai and Shiva-Parvati. |
Shukla Purnima |
April 2008 Panguni – Chithirai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Apr | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 13 Apr | Sun |
Puthandu (Tamil New Year) The Tamil solar new year begins as the Sun enters Mesha; homes are decorated with kolam and the Maruvilakku. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 20 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 2008 Chithirai – Vaikasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 May | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 19 May | Mon |
Vaikasi Visakam The Visakam star of Vaikasi, celebrated as the birth star of Lord Murugan with special temple worship. |
Shukla Purnima |
June 2008 Vaikasi – Aani
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jun | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
July 2008 Aani – Aadi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jul | Tue | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 9 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 |
August 2008 Aadi – Aavani
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Aug | Fri | Aadi Amavasai Vrat | Krishna Amavasya |
| 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. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 4 Aug | Mon |
Aadi Pooram The birth of Andal (Kodhai) on the Pooram star of Aadi, celebrated grandly at Srivilliputhur. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 6 Aug | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 15 Aug | Fri | Varalakshmi Vratham Vrat | Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 16 Aug | Sat |
Avani Avittam (Upakarma) Brahmins renew the sacred thread (Yajur Upakarma) on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 24 Aug | Sun |
Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Gokulashtami) The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 2008 Aavani – Purattasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Sep | Wed |
Vinayagar Chaturthi The birth of Lord Ganesha on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi. |
Shukla Chaturthi |
| 5 Sep | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
October 2008 Purattasi – Aippasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Oct | Thu |
Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 27 Oct | Mon |
Deepavali The festival of lights, kept with the Ganga snanam at dawn (Naraka Chaturdashi). |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
November 2008 Aippasi – Karthikai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Nov | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 4 Nov | Tue |
Skanda Sashti (Soorasamharam) Six days of worship of Lord Murugan culminate in Soorasamharam — his victory over the demon Surapadman. |
Shukla Shashthi |
December 2008 Karthikai – Margazhi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Dec | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 4 Dec | Thu |
Subramanya Shashti Lord Subramanya (Kartikeya) is worshipped at Kukke and beyond on Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 16 Dec | Tue |
Dhanurmasam Begins The month of dawn Vishnu worship (Tiruppavai / Dhanurmasa) begins as the Sun enters Dhanu. |
Krishna Chaturthi |
Months of the Tamil Calendar in 2008
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 2008, covering Shaka Samvat 1929 – 1930. 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 2008 | 14 Jan 2008 | 14 |
| Thai | 15 Jan 2008 | 13 Feb 2008 | 30 |
| Maasi | 14 Feb 2008 | 14 Mar 2008 | 30 |
| Panguni | 15 Mar 2008 | 13 Apr 2008 | 30 |
| Chithirai | 14 Apr 2008 | 14 May 2008 | 31 |
| Vaikasi | 15 May 2008 | 14 Jun 2008 | 31 |
| Aani | 15 Jun 2008 | 16 Jul 2008 | 32 |
| Aadi | 17 Jul 2008 | 16 Aug 2008 | 31 |
| Aavani | 17 Aug 2008 | 16 Sep 2008 | 31 |
| Purattasi | 17 Sep 2008 | 16 Oct 2008 | 30 |
| Aippasi | 17 Oct 2008 | 15 Nov 2008 | 30 |
| Karthikai | 16 Nov 2008 | 15 Dec 2008 | 30 |
| Margazhi part | 16 Dec 2008 | 31 Dec 2008 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 2008
Beyond the dates the Tamil Calendar lists, 2008 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 3 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Thaipusam fell on 23 January, 9 days earlier in the year than in 2007 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2008
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Tamil date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Feb 9:25 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Thai Amavasya | Not visible |
| 21 Feb 8:56 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Masi Magam | Maasi Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 1 Aug 3:51 PM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 1 day before Aadi Perukku | Aadi Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 17 Aug 2:40 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Avani Avittam (Upakarma) | Aavani Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 3 of these.
Guru and Shani in 2008
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Dec 11:50 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Dhanu → Makara |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Makara on 30 April 2008, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Tamil Calendar 2008
How many festivals and vrats does the Tamil Calendar list in 2008?
The Tamil Calendar lists 34 dates in 2008, of which 13 are vrats. The first is Skanda Shashthi on Sunday, 13 January 2008, and the last is Dhanurmasam Begins on Tuesday, 16 December 2008.
What are the main festival dates in the Tamil Calendar for 2008?
The first major observances of 2008 are:
- Thai Pongal - Tuesday, 15 January 2008
- Mattu Pongal - Wednesday, 16 January 2008
- Thaipusam - Wednesday, 23 January 2008
- Ratha Saptami - Wednesday, 13 February 2008
- Masi Magam - Thursday, 21 February 2008
- Maha Shivaratri - Thursday, 6 March 2008
Which month of 2008 has the most observances in the Tamil Calendar?
August 2008 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 2008 correspond to in the Tamil Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2008 spans Shaka Samvat 1929 – 1930. 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 2008 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 2008 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 2008?
2008 had 4 eclipses:
- 7 February 2008 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 21 February 2008 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 1 August 2008 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 17 August 2008 - Partial 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 3 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 2008?
Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 2008:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Makara on 9 December 2008
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 2008?
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.
