TheMalayalam Calendar, or theKollam Era (Malayalam:കൊല്ലവർഷം,romanized: Kollavaṟṣaṁ), is asiderealsolar calendar used inKerala. The origin of the calendar has been dated to 825 CE, commemorating the establishment ofKollam.^[1][2][3]

There are many theories regarding the origin of the era, but according to recent scholarship, it commemorated the foundation ofKollam by Maruwan Sapir Iso, who was the leader of Persian Christian Settlers and trading guilds likeAnjuvannam following the liberation of the Kingdom ofVenad from theChola rule by or with the assistance of theChera emperor atKodungallur.^[4][5] TheQuilon Syrian copper plates were grants and privileges given to the trading guilds involved in the establishment of Kollam bySthanu Ravi Varma.^[6]

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. InMalayalam-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 toc. 973 CE (Kollam Era 149). In the inscription, the phrase "Kollam Thontri Aandu" is employed.[7] 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 theport of Kollam in 1097 CE.^[7]

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 heroParaśurāma, an avatar (incarnation) of the godVishnu. 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.^[8]
• The news of the physical disappearance of SriAdi Shankaracharya 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.^[9][10][11]
• According toHermann Gundert, 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 ofIbn Battuta as well.^[12][13]
• It is also believed that the era started as part of erection of theThirupalkadal Sreekrishnaswamy Temple, family temple ofVenad located atKeezhperoor or Kil-perur.Keezhperoor is a place located nearKilimanoor, which is used as prefix along with name ofVenad andTravancore monarchs and is believed to be the maternal home ofKulasekhara Alvar.

The days of the week in the Malayalam calendar are suffixed withAazhcha (ആഴ്ച), meaning week.

Like the months above, there are twenty sevenstars starting from Aswati (Ashvinī in Sanskrit) and ending inRevatī. The 365 days of the year are divided into groups of fourteen days calledÑattuvela (ഞാറ്റുവേല), each one bearing the name of a star.

• Vishu (1st day ofMedam month): Malayali New Year (traditional)
• Pathamudayam (10th day ofMedam month)
• Ramayana Masam (whole month ofKarkidakam)
• Karkidaka Vavu (month ofKarkidakam): Rituals performed to honour ancestors
• Chingam Onnu: Malayali New Year (as per the Kollam Era calendar)
• Onam (month ofChingam): Annual Harvest and Cultural Festival
• Vinayaka Chaturthi (month ofChingam): Birth of Lord Ganesha
• Sri Krishna Janmashtami (month ofChingam): Birth of Lord Krishna
• Navaratri (month ofKanya): Saraswati Puja and Vidyarambham
• Deepavali (month ofThulam): Festival of Lights
• Guruvayur Ekadashi (month ofVrishchikam): Festival related to Guruvayur Temple
• Thrikarthika (month ofVrishchikam): Festival of Lights
• Thiruvathira (month ofDhanu): Nakshatra (Star) of Lord Shiva
• Makaravilakku (1st day ofMakaram month): Festival related to Sabarimala Temple
• Makara Bharani (month ofMakaram): Festival related to Devi
• Thaipooyam (month ofMakaram): Festival related to Lord Murugan
• Maha Shivaratri (month of Kumbham): Festival related to Lord Shiva

Vishu (വിഷു), celebrated on the first day ofMedam,Onam (ഓണം), celebrated on the star Thiruvonam[t̪iruʋoːɳəm] on the first day ofChingam, andDeepavali (ദീപാവലി), celebrated on the first day ofThulam, are three of the major festivals. The first day ofChingam is celebrated as theKerala New Year, replacing Vishu (വിഷു), 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 (thezodiac signs corresponding to the 12 months of a solar year).^{[citation needed]}. Deepavali is traditionally celebrated during Thulam which is the months of October and November.

TheMakaravilakku festival is celebrated in theAyyappa Temple atSabarimala on the first day ofMakaram month. This marks the grand finale of the two-month period to the Sabarimala pilgrimage. The 1st ofMakaram marks the winter Solstice (Uttarayanam) and the 1st ofKarkaṭakam 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).^{[citation needed]}

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 theIndian national calendar and theTamil calendar. When theGovernment of Kerala adopted Kolla Varsham as the regional calendar, the first ofChingam, the month of the festival of Onam, was accepted as the Malayalam New Year instead.^{[citation needed]}

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

The agricultural activities of Kerala are centred on the seasons. The southwestmonsoon which starts around 1 June is known asEdavappathi, meaning mid of monthEdavam. The northeast monsoon which starts during mid October is calledthulavarsham (rain in the month ofthulam). The two harvests of paddy are calledKannikkoythu andMakarakkoythu (harvests in the monthskanni andmakaram, respectively).^{[citation needed]}

• Bengali calendar
• Hindu calendar
• Manipuri calendar
• Tamil calendar
• Vākyapañcāṅga
• Great flood of 99, in Kerala in 1924 CE, or 1099 ME

Wikimedia Commons has media related toMalayalam calendar.

• 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

• History of Kollam
• Hindu calendar
• Calendar eras
• Culture of Kerala
• Specific calendars
• Time in India
• Solar calendars
• Onam

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