Tamil Calendar 2016
The Tamil festival calendar. Tamil festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
January 2016
Shaka Samvat 1937 (Manmatha)
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 2016 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Tamil Calendar lists 36 dates in 2016, opening with Skanda Shashthi on 15 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 1937 – 1938.
January 2016 Margazhi – Thai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 16 Jan | Sat |
Mattu Pongal The third day of Pongal, when cattle are bathed, decorated and honoured for their role in farming. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 24 Jan | Sun |
Thaipusam Devotees of Lord Murugan carry kavadi in penance and thanksgiving on the Pusam star of Thai. |
Shukla Purnima |
February 2016 Thai – Maasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Feb | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 14 Feb | Sun |
Ratha Saptami Surya's chariot turns north — devotees bathe at dawn and worship the Sun god on Magha Shukla Saptami. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 22 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 2016 Maasi – Panguni
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Mar | Mon |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 13 Mar | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 23 Mar | Wed |
Panguni Uthiram The Uthiram star of Panguni, celebrating the celestial weddings of Murugan-Deivanai and Shiva-Parvati. |
Shukla Purnima |
April 2016 Panguni – Chithirai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Apr | Tue | 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 Ashtami |
| 22 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 2016 Chithirai – Vaikasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 May | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 21 May | Sat |
Vaikasi Visakam The Visakam star of Vaikasi, celebrated as the birth star of Lord Murugan with special temple worship. |
Shukla Purnima |
June 2016 Vaikasi – Aani
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jun | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
July 2016 Aani – Aadi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Jul | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 10 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 |
| 29 Jul | Fri |
Aadi Krithigai Lord Murugan is worshipped with lamps and abhishekam on the Krittika star of the Tamil month Aadi. |
Krishna Dashami |
August 2016 Aadi – Aavani
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Aug | Tue | Aadi Amavasai Vrat | Krishna Amavasya |
| 2 Aug | Tue |
Aadi Perukku On the 18th of Aadi, the swelling of the Cauvery and other rivers is celebrated with prayers to the waters. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 5 Aug | Fri |
Aadi Pooram The birth of Andal (Kodhai) on the Pooram star of Aadi, celebrated grandly at Srivilliputhur. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 8 Aug | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 12 Aug | Fri | Varalakshmi Vratham Vrat | Shukla Navami |
| 18 Aug | Thu |
Avani Avittam (Upakarma) Brahmins renew the sacred thread (Yajur Upakarma) on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 25 Aug | Thu |
Sri Krishna Jayanthi (Gokulashtami) The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 2016 Aavani – Purattasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Sep | Mon |
Vinayagar Chaturthi The birth of Lord Ganesha on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi. |
Shukla Chaturthi |
| 7 Sep | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
October 2016 Purattasi – Aippasi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Oct | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 11 Oct | Tue |
Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 29 Oct | Sat |
Deepavali The festival of lights, kept with the Ganga snanam at dawn (Naraka Chaturdashi). |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
November 2016 Aippasi – Karthikai
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Nov | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 6 Nov | Sun |
Skanda Sashti (Soorasamharam) Six days of worship of Lord Murugan culminate in Soorasamharam — his victory over the demon Surapadman. |
Shukla Shashthi |
December 2016 Karthikai – Margazhi
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Dec | Mon | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 5 Dec | Mon |
Subramanya Shashti Lord Subramanya (Kartikeya) is worshipped at Kukke and beyond on Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 12 Dec | Mon |
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 Tritiya |
Months of the Tamil Calendar in 2016
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 2016, covering Shaka Samvat 1937 – 1938. 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 2016 | 14 Jan 2016 | 14 |
| Thai | 15 Jan 2016 | 12 Feb 2016 | 29 |
| Maasi | 13 Feb 2016 | 13 Mar 2016 | 30 |
| Panguni | 14 Mar 2016 | 13 Apr 2016 | 31 |
| Chithirai | 14 Apr 2016 | 13 May 2016 | 30 |
| Vaikasi | 14 May 2016 | 14 Jun 2016 | 32 |
| Aani | 15 Jun 2016 | 15 Jul 2016 | 31 |
| Aadi | 16 Jul 2016 | 15 Aug 2016 | 31 |
| Aavani | 16 Aug 2016 | 16 Sep 2016 | 32 |
| Purattasi | 17 Sep 2016 | 16 Oct 2016 | 30 |
| Aippasi | 17 Oct 2016 | 15 Nov 2016 | 30 |
| Karthikai | 16 Nov 2016 | 15 Dec 2016 | 30 |
| Margazhi part | 16 Dec 2016 | 31 Dec 2016 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 2016
Beyond the dates the Tamil Calendar lists, 2016 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 3 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Puthandu (Tamil New Year) fell on 14 April, 1 day later in the year than in 2015 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2016
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Tamil date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Mar 7:27 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 2 days after Maha Shivaratri | Maasi Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 23 Mar 5:17 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Panguni Uthiram | Panguni Purnima | Penumbral only |
| 1 Sep 2:36 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Aavani Amavasya | Not visible |
| 17 Sep 12:24 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Purattasi Krishna Pratipada | Penumbral only |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 1 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 2016
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Aug 9:30 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Simha → Kanya |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Simha on 30 January 2016, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Tamil Calendar 2016
How many festivals and vrats does the Tamil Calendar list in 2016?
The Tamil Calendar lists 36 dates in 2016, of which 14 are vrats. The first is Skanda Shashthi on Friday, 15 January 2016, and the last is Dhanurmasam Begins on Friday, 16 December 2016.
What are the main festival dates in the Tamil Calendar for 2016?
The first major observances of 2016 are:
- Mattu Pongal - Saturday, 16 January 2016
- Thaipusam - Sunday, 24 January 2016
- Ratha Saptami - Sunday, 14 February 2016
- Masi Magam - Monday, 22 February 2016
- Maha Shivaratri - Monday, 7 March 2016
- Panguni Uthiram - Wednesday, 23 March 2016
Which month of 2016 has the most observances in the Tamil Calendar?
August 2016 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 2016 correspond to in the Tamil Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2016 spans Shaka Samvat 1937 – 1938. 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 2016 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 2016 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 2016?
2016 had 4 eclipses:
- 9 March 2016 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 23 March 2016 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 1 September 2016 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 17 September 2016 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 1 of these was kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 2016?
Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 2016:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Kanya on 11 August 2016
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 2016?
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.
