The Malayalam Calendar, or the Kollam Era (), is a sidereal

solar Solar may refer to: Astronomy * Of or relating to the Sun ** Solar telescope, a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun ** A device that utilizes solar energy (e.g. "solar panels") ** Solar calendar, a calendar whose dates indicate t ...

calendar used in

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

. The origin of the calendar has been dated to 825 CE, commemorating the establishment of

Kollam Kollam (;), is an ancient seaport and the List of cities and towns in Kerala, fourth largest city in the Indian state of Kerala. Located on the southern tip of the Malabar Coast of the Arabian Sea, the city is on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake ...

. There are many theories regarding the origin of the era, but according to recent scholarship, it commemorated the foundation of

by Maruwan Sapir Iso, who was the leader of Persian Christian Settlers and trading guilds like Anjuvannam following the liberation of the Kingdom of

Venad Venad was a medieval kingdom between the Western Ghat mountains of India with its capital at city of Quilon.Noburu Karashmia (ed.), A Concise History of South India: Issues and Interpretations. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2014. 143 ...

from the

Chola The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence ...

rule by or with the assistance of the Chera emperor at

Kodungallur Kodungallur (; formerly also called as Cranganore (anglicised name), Portuguese language, Portuguese: Cranganor; Mahodayapuram, Shingly, Vanchi, Muchiri, Muyirikkode, and Muziris) is a historically significant town situated on the banks of Per ...

. The

Quilon Syrian copper plates The Kollam (Quilon) Syrian copper plates, also known as the Kollam Tarisappalli copper plates, or Kottayam inscription of Sthanu Ravi, or Tabula Quilonensis (c. 849 CE) are a copper plate grant issued by Ayyan Adikal, the chieftain of Kollam, c ...

were grants and privileges given to the trading guilds involved in the establishment of Kollam by

Sthanu Ravi Varma Sthanu Ravi Varma ( Early Malayalam and Tamil: Ko Tanu Iravi), known as the Kulasekhara, was the Chera Perumal ruler of Kerala in southern India from 844/45 to ''c.'' 870/71 AD.Noburu Karashima (ed.), A Concise History of South India: Issues and ...

. Kollam was the capital of Venadu and an important port town of the Chera Kingdom in that period. Kollam Aandu was adapted in the entire Chera Kingdom (the contemporary states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala), the majority of which is now in Kerala. In

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...

-speaking Kerala, it is now called the Malayalam Era or 'Kollavarsham’ (Kollam Thontri Aandu). The earliest available record mentioning the Kollam Era is a royal decree by Sri Vallavan Goda, the King of Venadu, dated to (Kollam Era 149). In the inscription, the phrase "Kollam Thontri Aandu" is employed. Another era, referred to as "Kollam Aḻintha Aandu", counting from 1097 CE, was reckoned by the Cholas for some time. It is tentatively calculated that the Chola overlords captured the port of Kollam in 1097 CE.

History

The origin of the Kollam Era has been dated to 825 CE, when the great convention in Kollam was held at the behest of King Kulashekharan. Kollam was an important town in that period, and the Malayalam Era is called 'Kollavarsham'. There are multiple conflicting accounts regarding the origins of the Malayalam calendar, some of which are mentioned below: *According to legend, Kollam era is attributed to the legend of the hero Paraśurāma, an avatar (incarnation) of the god

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

. It is sometimes divided into cycles of 1,000 years reckoned from 1176 BCE. Thus, 825 CE would have been the first year of the era's third millennium. *The news of the physical disappearance of Sri

Adi Shankaracharya Adi Shankara (8th c. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya (, ), was an Indian Vedic scholar, philosopher and teacher (''acharya'') of Advaita Vedanta. Reliable information on Shankara's actual life is scant, and his true impact lies in hi ...

in 820 CE at Kedarnath reached Kerala only a few years later. It is believed that Kerala began the Malayalam era, also called the Kollam era, in 825 CE in his memory.K. V. Sarma
Kollam Era
Indian Journal of History of Science, 31(1), 1996, pp. 93-100 *According to

Hermann Gundert Hermann Gundert (Stuttgart, 4 February 1814 – 25 April 1893) was a German missionary, scholar, and linguist, as well as the maternal grandfather of German novelist and Nobel laureate Hermann Hesse. Gundert is chiefly known for his contribu ...

, Kollavarsham started as part of erecting a new Shiva Temple in Kollam and because of the strictly local and religious background, the other regions did not follow this system at first. Once Kollam port emerged as an important trade center, however, the other countries also started to follow the new system of calendar. This theory backs the remarks of

Ibn Battuta Ibn Battuta (; 24 February 13041368/1369), was a Maghrebi traveller, explorer and scholar. Over a period of 30 years from 1325 to 1354, he visited much of Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Iberian Peninsula. Near the end of his life, Ibn ...

as well. *It is also believed that the era started as part of erection of the Thirupalkadal Sreekrishnaswamy Temple, family temple of

located at Keezhperoor or Kil-perur. Keezhperoor is a place located near

Kilimanoor Kilimanoor is a panchayat and a town in the Varkala taluk of Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala, India. It is located on Main central Road, MC/SH 1 Road, northwest of the city of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), east of Attingal and eas ...

, which is used as prefix along with name of

and

Travancore The kingdom of Travancore (), also known as the kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor () or later as Travancore State, was a kingdom that lasted from until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvanan ...

monarchs and is believed to be the maternal home of

Kulasekhara Alvar Kulasekhara ( Tamil: ''குலசேகரர்''; IAST: Kulaśekhara) (''fl.'' 9th century CE), one of the twelve Vaishnavite alvars, was a bhakti theologian and devotional poet from medieval south India. He was the author of " Perumal Ti ...

Months

Days

The days of the week in the Malayalam calendar are suffixed with ''Aazhcha'' (), meaning week. Like the months above, there are twenty seven

stars A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by self-gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night; their immense distances from Earth make them appear as fixed points of ...

starting from Aswati (

Ashvinī Ashvini (अश्विनी, ) is the first nakshatra (lunar mansion) in Indian astronomy having a spread from 0°-0'-0" to 13°-20', corresponding to the head of Aries, including the stars β and γ Arietis. The name ''aśvinī'' is use ...

in Sanskrit) and ending in Revatī. The 365 days of the year are divided into groups of fourteen days called ''Ñattuvela'' (), each one bearing the name of a star.

Significant dates

Vishu Vishu (Malayalam: വിഷു) is a Hindu festival celebrating the Malayali New Year in Kerala, Tulu Nadu, and Mahe of India. Vishu falls on the first day of the month of ''Medam'', the first month of the Solar calendar used in Malabar of ...

(1st day of ''Medam'' month): Malayali New Year (traditional) * Pathamudayam (10th day of ''Medam'' month) *Ramayana Masam (whole month of ''Karkidakam'') *

Karkidaka Vavu Karkidaka Vavu (Malayalam: കർക്കിടക വാവ്) or Karkidaka Vavu Bali, is a set of Hindu rituals performed on a specific monsoon day in the state of Kerala, India by adherents for their deceased ancestors. On the day of vavu or ...

(month of ''Karkidakam''): Rituals performed to honour ancestors * ''Chingam'' Onnu: Malayali New Year (as per the Kollam Era calendar) *

Onam Onam () is an annual harvest and Hindus, Hindu cultural festival celebrated mostly by the people of Kerala. A major annual event for Malayalis, Keralites, it is the official festival of the state and includes a spectrum of cultural events. H ...

(month of ''Chingam''): Annual Harvest and Cultural Festival * Vinayaka Chaturthi (month of ''Chingam''): Birth of Lord Ganesha * Sri Krishna Janmashtami (month of ''Chingam''): Birth of Lord Krishna *

Navaratri Navaratri () is an annual Hindu festival observed in honor of the goddess Durga, an aspect of Adi Parashakti, the supreme goddess. It spans over nine nights, first in the month of Chaitra (March/April of the Gregorian calendar), and aga ...

(month of ''Kanya''): Saraswati Puja and Vidyarambham *

Deepavali Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual ...

(month of ''Thulam''): Festival of Lights * Guruvayur Ekadashi (month of ''Vrishchikam''): Festival related to Guruvayur Temple * Thrikarthika (month of ''Vrishchikam''): Festival of Lights *

Thiruvathira Thiruvathira (also known as Thiruvathirai or Arudhra Darisanam) is a Hindu festival predominantly observed in the Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The term ''Thiruvathirai'' (Arudhra) in Tamil translates to "sacred grand wave," symbol ...

(month of ''Dhanu''): Nakshatra (Star) of Lord Shiva *

Makaravilakku Makaravilakku is a fire lit by the Travancore Devaswom Board secretly on the Makara Jyothi day for 3 times at ponnambalamedu with the help of Forest department, KSEB, Kerala police and other agencies of Government of Kerala. It can be see ...

(1st day of ''Makaram'' month): Festival related to Sabarimala Temple *Makara Bharani (month of ''Makaram''): Festival related to Devi * Thaipooyam (month of ''Makaram''): Festival related to Lord Murugan *

Maha Shivaratri Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually to worship the deity Shiva, between February and March. According to the Hindu calendar, the festival is observed on the fourteenth day of the first half (night start with darkness - ...

(month of Kumbham): Festival related to Lord Shiva

(), celebrated on the first day of ''Medam'', ''

'' (), celebrated on the star Thiruvonam on the first day of ''Chingam'', and

(), celebrated on the first day of ''Thulam'', are three of the major festivals. The first day of ''Chingam'' is celebrated as the Kerala New Year, replacing Vishu (), which was considered the beginning of a year until 825 CE. Vishu is still celebrated as the traditional Malayali New Year, as it is astronomically significant, 'Medam' being the first among the 12 rashis (the

zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north and south celestial latitude of the ecliptic – the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. Within this zodiac ...

signs corresponding to the 12 months of a solar year).. Deepavali is traditionally celebrated during Thulam which is the months of October and November. The

festival is celebrated in the

Ayyappa Ayyappan, also known as Dharmasastha and Manikandan, is the Hindu deity of truth and righteousness. According to Hindu theology, he is described as the son of Shiva and Mohini (the female avatar of Vishnu), thus representing a bridge between Sh ...

Temple at

Sabarimala The Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple () is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Ayyappan, who is also known as Dharma Shasta and is the son of the deities Shiva and Mohini (female avatar of the god Vishnu). The temple is situated atop th ...

on the first day of ''Makaram'' month. This marks the grand finale of the two-month period to the Sabarimala pilgrimage. The 1st of ''Makaram'' marks the winter Solstice (Uttarayanam) and the 1st of ''Karkaṭakam'' marks the summer solstice (Dakshinayanam) according to the Malayalam calendar (according to the astronomical calendar, the summer solstice is on 21 June, and the winter solstice on 21 December). Chaitram 1 (usually coinciding with 20 March) or Medam 1 (mostly coinciding with 14 April, for 2019 it was on 15 April), both in the proximity of the date of the vernal equinox (21 March), mark the beginning of the new year in many traditional Indian calendars such as the

Indian national calendar The Indian national calendar, also called the Shaka calendar or Śaka calendar, is a solar calendar that is used alongside the Gregorian calendar by ''The Gazette of India'', in news broadcasts by All India Radio, and in calendars and officia ...

and the

Tamil calendar The Tamil calendar (தமிழ் நாட்காட்டி) is a Sidereal time, sidereal solar calendar used by the Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It is also used in Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry, and by the Tamil ...

. When the

Government of Kerala The Government of Kerala (abbreviated as GoK), also known as the Kerala Government, is the administrative body responsible for governing the Indian States and territories of India, state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who ...

adopted Kolla Varsham as the regional calendar, the first of ''Chingam'', the month of the festival of Onam, was accepted as the Malayalam New Year instead.

Derived names

Many events in Kerala are related to the dates in the Malayalam calendar. The agricultural activities of Kerala are centred on the seasons. The southwest

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...

which starts around 1 June is known as ''Edavappathi'', meaning mid of month ''Edavam''. The northeast monsoon which starts during mid October is called ''thulavarsham'' (rain in the month of ''thulam''). The two harvests of paddy are called ''Kannikkoythu'' and ''Makarakkoythu'' (harvests in the months ''kanni'' and ''makaram,'' respectively).

References

External links

Free Malayalam Calendar for Android and iPhone without download

Malayalam calendar with panchangam

Malayalam Panchang Calendars with Tithi, Nakshtra etc

Open Source software libraries for Malayalam Calendar
{{DEFAULTSORT:Malayalam Calendar History of Kollam Hindu calendar Calendar eras Culture of Kerala Specific calendars Time in India Solar calendars Onam