Malayalam calendar

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Malayalam calendar (also known as Malayalam Era or Kollavarsham) is a solar Sideral calendar used in the state of Kerala in South India. The Era started in the year 825 AD.

Contents

[edit] Origin

Almost all of the regions in Kerala used Kali abda before the acceptance of Kollavarsham.[1][2]

The start of the Malayalam Era has been attributed to many origins. The popular notion[3][4] according to Hermann Gundert, it coordinated with consecration of a shiva temple during the reign of Udaya Marthanda Varma.According to K Sivasankaran Nair, a historian [5] the era was started by Nestorian merchants who settled in KorukeNi kollam, near to the present Kollam. Another theory is that Kollavarsham was started by the disciples of Sankaracharya in 825 AD.[6]

The first mention of this era in any official Document is in the Mampalli plates given by SriVallabhan Kotha in the year 973 AD (149 ME).

[edit] Malayalam Calendar

Malayalam year starts in the mid August in the month of Onam festival which corressponds to Harvest and the month of plenty. The last month of Malayam Calendar karkkiDakam corresponds the month when the South west monsoon is active. This month is also considered to be bad time as in olden days rains used to bring diseases and damages to lives and property.

The following are the months of the Malayalam calendar:

Comparative table showing corresponding months of other calendars
Months in Malayalam Era Gregorian Calendar Tamil calendar Saka era Hijra Era
chingam August- September Aavani-Purattasi SRavaN- bhadrapada Rajab - Sha`ban
kanni September-October Purattasi-Aippasi Bhadrapada - aSvina Sha`ban - Ramadan
thulAm October-November Aippasi - Karthigai aSvina - Kartika Ramadan - Shawwal
vrushichikam November-December Karthigai - Margazhi Kartika - Agrahayana Shawwal - Dhu l-Qa`da
Dhanu December-January Margazhi - Thai Agrahayana - Pausa Dhu l-Qa`da - Dhu l-Hijja
makaram January-February Thai - Maasi Pausa - Magha Dhu l-Hijja - Muharram
kumBham February-March Maasi - Panguni Magha - Phalguna Muharram - Safar
mEnam March-April Panguni - Chithtrai Phalguna - chaitra Safar - Rabi`al-Awwal
mEdam April-May Chithtrai - Vaikasi Chaitra - VaiSakha Rabi`al-Awwal - Rabi`ath-Thani
Edavam May-June Vaikasi- Aani Vaisakha - JyaisTha Rabi`ath-Thani - Jumada l-Ula
midhunam June-July Aani - Aadi JyaisTha - AsaDa Jumada l-Ula - Jumada t-Tania
Karkidakam July-August Aadi - Aavani AsaDa - Sravana Jumada t-Tania - Rajab

[edit] Weeks

Weekdays in the Malayalam calendar are suffixed with Azhcha(Week). Sunday would be njAyaRAzhcha, Monday thinkaLAzhcha and so on.

Comparative table showing corresponding weekdays
Weekday in Malayalam മലയാളം English
njAyar ഞായര്‍ Sunday
thinkaL തിങ്കള്‍ Monday
chouwa ചൊവ്വ Tuesday
budhan ബുധന്‍ Wednesday
vyAzham വ്യാഴം Thursday
veLLi വെള്ളി Friday
Shani ശനി Saturday

Like the months above, there are twenty seven stars starting from Aswathi (Ashvinī in Sanskrit) and ending in Revathi. The 365 days of the year are divided into groups of fourteen days called Njattuvela, each one bearing the name of a star.

[edit] Derived Names

Many events in Kerala are related to the dates in the Malayalam calendar.

The agricultural activities of Kerala are centred around the seasons. The Southwest monsoon which starts around June 1 is known as Edavappathi, meaning mid- Edavam. The North east 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 (harvest in the month kanni and makaram) respectively.

The Makaravilakku festival is celebrated in the Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala on the 1st day of month Makaram.

[edit] Dates

The festivals Vishu is celebrated on the 1st of Medam and Onam in the month of Chingam.Interestingly,People in central Kerala consider Medam as the start of the year cycle. The months are named after the constellations through which the Sun. Thus Chingam (from Simham or Lion) is named after the constellation Leo.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ The hindu
  2. ^ It was 3926 years into the Kali Yuga in 824 AD. In the Travancore State Manual, Ch:XIII,pages 49-50, by Sri.T.K.Velu Pillai according to keralainfoservice
  3. ^ Kerala government website
  4. ^ In the Travancore State Manual, Ch:XIII,pages 49-50, by Sri.T.K.Velu Pillai according to keralainfoservice
  5. ^ 'K Sivasankaran Nair, vENadinte pariNAmam വെണാടിന്റെ പരിണാമം,DC books, pages 28-29
  6. ^ Namboothiri Website

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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