Tamil Calendar 2011
The Tamil festival calendar. Tamil festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
August 2011
Shaka Samvat 1933 (Khara)
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 2011 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Tamil Calendar lists 37 dates in 2011, opening with Skanda Shashthi on 10 January and closing with Skanda Shashthi on 30 December. Of these, 14 are vrats (fasting observances). August is the fullest month with 6 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1932 – 1933.
January 2011 Margazhi – Thai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jan | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 15 Jan | Sat |
Thai Pongal The Tamil harvest thanksgiving on the Sun's entry into Makara. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 16 Jan | Sun |
Mattu Pongal The third day of Pongal, when cattle are bathed, decorated and honoured for their role in farming. |
Shukla Ekadashi |
| 20 Jan | Thu |
Thaipusam Devotees of Lord Murugan carry kavadi in penance and thanksgiving on the Pusam star of Thai. |
Krishna Pratipada |
February 2011 Thai – Maasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Feb | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 10 Feb | Thu |
Ratha Saptami Surya's chariot turns north — devotees bathe at dawn and worship the Sun god on Magha Shukla Saptami. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 18 Feb | Fri |
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 2011 Maasi – Panguni
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Mar | Wed |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 10 Mar | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 20 Mar | Sun |
Panguni Uthiram The Uthiram star of Panguni, celebrating the celestial weddings of Murugan-Deivanai and Shiva-Parvati. |
Krishna Pratipada |
April 2011 Panguni – Chithirai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Apr | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 14 Apr | Thu |
Puthandu (Tamil New Year) The Tamil solar new year begins as the Sun enters Mesha; homes are decorated with kolam and the Maruvilakku. |
Shukla Ekadashi |
| 18 Apr | Mon |
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 2011 Chithirai – Vaikasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 May | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 17 May | Tue |
Vaikasi Visakam The Visakam star of Vaikasi, celebrated as the birth star of Lord Murugan with special temple worship. |
Shukla Purnima |
June 2011 Vaikasi – Aani
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Jun | Tue | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
July 2011 Aani – Aadi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Jul | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 7 Jul | Thu |
Ani Thirumanjanam The grand sacred anointing of Lord Nataraja at Chidambaram on the Uttiram (Uttara Phalguni) star of the Tamil month Aani. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 25 Jul | Mon |
Aadi Krithigai Lord Murugan is worshipped with lamps and abhishekam on the Krittika star of the Tamil month Aadi. |
Krishna Dashami |
| 30 Jul | Sat | Aadi Amavasai Vrat | Krishna Amavasya |
August 2011 Aadi – Aavani
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Aug | Tue |
Aadi Pooram The birth of Andal (Kodhai) on the Pooram star of Aadi, celebrated grandly at Srivilliputhur. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 3 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 Chaturthi |
| 4 Aug | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 12 Aug | Fri | Varalakshmi Vratham Vrat | Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 13 Aug | Sat |
Avani Avittam (Upakarma) Brahmins renew the sacred thread (Yajur Upakarma) on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 22 Aug | Mon |
Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Gokulashtami) The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 2011 Aavani – Purattasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Sep | Thu |
Vinayagar Chaturthi The birth of Lord Ganesha on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi. |
Shukla Chaturthi |
| 2 Sep | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
October 2011 Purattasi – Aippasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Oct | Thu |
Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 26 Oct | Wed |
Deepavali The festival of lights, kept with the Ganga snanam at dawn (Naraka Chaturdashi). |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 31 Oct | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
November 2011 Aippasi – Karthikai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Nov | Tue |
Skanda Sashti (Soorasamharam) Six days of worship of Lord Murugan culminate in Soorasamharam — his victory over the demon Surapadman. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 30 Nov | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 30 Nov | Wed |
Subramanya Shashti Lord Subramanya (Kartikeya) is worshipped at Kukke and beyond on Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi. |
Shukla Shashthi |
December 2011 Karthikai – Margazhi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Dec | Thu |
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 | Fri |
Dhanurmasam Begins The month of dawn Vishnu worship (Tiruppavai / Dhanurmasa) begins as the Sun enters Dhanu. |
Krishna Shashthi |
| 30 Dec | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
Months of the Tamil Calendar in 2011
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 2011, covering Shaka Samvat 1932 – 1933. 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 2011 | 14 Jan 2011 | 14 |
| Thai | 15 Jan 2011 | 13 Feb 2011 | 30 |
| Maasi | 14 Feb 2011 | 14 Mar 2011 | 29 |
| Panguni | 15 Mar 2011 | 14 Apr 2011 | 31 |
| Chithirai | 15 Apr 2011 | 15 May 2011 | 31 |
| Vaikasi | 16 May 2011 | 15 Jun 2011 | 31 |
| Aani | 16 Jun 2011 | 16 Jul 2011 | 31 |
| Aadi | 17 Jul 2011 | 17 Aug 2011 | 32 |
| Aavani | 18 Aug 2011 | 17 Sep 2011 | 31 |
| Purattasi | 18 Sep 2011 | 17 Oct 2011 | 30 |
| Aippasi | 18 Oct 2011 | 16 Nov 2011 | 30 |
| Karthikai | 17 Nov 2011 | 16 Dec 2011 | 30 |
| Margazhi part | 17 Dec 2011 | 31 Dec 2011 | 15 |
What happened in the sky in 2011
Beyond the dates the Tamil Calendar lists, 2011 brought 6 eclipses - 4 solar and 2 lunar - of which 3 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Thai Pongal fell on 15 January, 1 day later in the year than in 2010 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2011
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Tamil date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jan 2:20 PM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Margazhi Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 2 Jun 2:46 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Vaikasi Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 16 Jun 1:42 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Aani Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 1 Jul 2:08 PM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Aani Amavasya | Not visible |
| 25 Nov 11:50 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Karthikai Amavasya | Not visible |
| 10 Dec 8:01 PM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 2 days after Karthigai Deepam | Karthikai Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 3 of these.
Guru and Shani in 2011
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 8 May 2:20 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Meena → Mesha |
| 15 Nov 10:20 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Kanya → Tula |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Vrishchika on 6 June 2011, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Tamil Calendar 2011
How many festivals and vrats does the Tamil Calendar list in 2011?
The Tamil Calendar lists 37 dates in 2011, of which 14 are vrats. The first is Skanda Shashthi on Monday, 10 January 2011, and the last is Skanda Shashthi on Friday, 30 December 2011.
What are the main festival dates in the Tamil Calendar for 2011?
The first major observances of 2011 are:
- Thai Pongal - Saturday, 15 January 2011
- Mattu Pongal - Sunday, 16 January 2011
- Thaipusam - Thursday, 20 January 2011
- Ratha Saptami - Thursday, 10 February 2011
- Masi Magam - Friday, 18 February 2011
- Maha Shivaratri - Wednesday, 2 March 2011
Which month of 2011 has the most observances in the Tamil Calendar?
August 2011 is the fullest month with 6 dates, including Aadi Pooram, Aadi Perukku, Skanda Shashthi, Varalakshmi Vratham, Avani Avittam (Upakarma), Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Gokulashtami).
Which traditional year does 2011 correspond to in the Tamil Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2011 spans Shaka Samvat 1932 – 1933. 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 2011 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 2011 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 2011?
2011 had 6 eclipses:
- 4 January 2011 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 2 June 2011 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 16 June 2011 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 1 July 2011 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 25 November 2011 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 10 December 2011 - 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 3 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 2011?
Yes - 2 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2011:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Mesha on 8 May 2011
- Shani (Saturn) entered Tula on 15 November 2011
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 2011?
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.
