Tamil calendar · solar

Tamil calendar December 2026

The Tamil calendar is a solar calendar: each month begins when the Sun moves into the next sidereal sign. The year starts with Chithirai, in mid-April, and each year carries a name from the 60-year cycle.

Tamil calendar, December 2026

Months: Karthigai (கார்த்திகை) · Margazhi (மார்கழி)
Samvatsara: Parabhava

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

1TuesdayKarthigai 15

K Ashtami until 11:15 pm → K Navami

Magha

Simha

6:15 am · 5:40 pm

2Wednesday16

K Navami until 10:53 pm → K Dashami

Purva Phalguni

Simha → Kanya 3:00 pm

6:16 am · 5:40 pm

3Thursday17

K Dashami until 11:04 pm → K Ekadashi

Uttara Phalguni

Kanya

6:16 am · 5:41 pm

4Friday18

K Ekadashi until 11:46 pm → K Dwadashi

Hasta

Kanya → Tula 11:04 pm

6:17 am · 5:41 pm

Ekadashi

5Saturday19

K Dwadashi until 12:53 am → K Trayodashi

Chitra

Tula

6:18 am · 5:41 pm

6Sunday20

K Trayodashi until 2:23 am → K Chaturdashi

Swati

Tula

6:18 am · 5:42 pm

7Monday21

K Chaturdashi until 4:13 am → Amavasya

Vishakha

Tula → Vrishchika 9:15 am

6:19 am · 5:42 pm

8Tuesday22

Amavasya

Anuradha

Vrishchika

6:19 am · 5:42 pm

Amavasya

9Wednesday23

Amavasya until 6:22 am → S Pratipada

Jyeshtha

Vrishchika → Dhanu 9:02 pm

6:20 am · 5:43 pm

Amavasya

10Thursday24

S Pratipada until 8:47 am → S Dwitiya

Mula

Dhanu

6:20 am · 5:43 pm

11Friday25

S Dwitiya until 11:24 am → S Tritiya

Purva Ashadha

Dhanu

6:21 am · 5:43 pm

12Saturday26

S Tritiya until 2:07 pm → S Chaturthi

Uttara Ashadha

Dhanu → Makara 9:53 am

6:21 am · 5:44 pm

13Sunday27

S Chaturthi until 4:49 pm → S Panchami

Shravana

Makara

6:22 am · 5:44 pm

14Monday28

S Panchami until 7:17 pm → S Shashthi

Shravana

Makara → Kumbha 10:37 pm

6:22 am · 5:44 pm

15Tuesday29

S Shashthi until 9:20 pm → S Saptami

Dhanishta

Kumbha

6:23 am · 5:45 pm

16WednesdayMargazhi 1

S Saptami until 10:47 pm → S Ashtami

Shatabhisha

Kumbha

6:24 am · 5:45 pm

Sankranti

17Thursday2

S Ashtami until 11:27 pm → S Navami

Purva Bhadrapada

Kumbha → Meena 9:14 am

6:24 am · 5:46 pm

18Friday3

S Navami until 11:15 pm → S Dashami

Uttara Bhadrapada

Meena

6:25 am · 5:46 pm

19Saturday4

S Dashami until 10:10 pm → S Ekadashi

Revati

Meena → Mesha 3:59 pm

6:25 am · 5:47 pm

20Sunday5

S Ekadashi until 8:15 pm → S Dwadashi

Ashwini

Mesha

6:26 am · 5:47 pm

Ekadashi

21Monday6

S Dwadashi until 5:37 pm → S Trayodashi

Bharani

Mesha → Vrishabha 6:37 pm

6:26 am · 5:48 pm

22Tuesday7

S Trayodashi until 2:25 pm → S Chaturdashi

Krittika

Vrishabha

6:27 am · 5:48 pm

23Wednesday8

S Chaturdashi until 10:48 am → Purnima

Rohini

Vrishabha → Mithuna 6:26 pm

6:27 am · 5:49 pm

24Thursday9

Purnima until 6:59 am → K Pratipada until 3:08 am → K Dwitiya

Ardra

Mithuna

6:28 am · 5:49 pm

Purnima

25Friday10

K Dwitiya until 11:27 pm → K Tritiya

Punarvasu

Mithuna → Karka 5:34 pm

6:28 am · 5:50 pm

26Saturday11

K Tritiya until 8:06 pm → K Chaturthi

Pushya

Karka

6:29 am · 5:50 pm

27Sunday12

K Chaturthi until 5:14 pm → K Panchami

Ashlesha

Karka → Simha 6:06 pm

6:29 am · 5:51 pm

28Monday13

K Panchami until 2:59 pm → K Shashthi

Magha

Simha

6:29 am · 5:51 pm

29Tuesday14

K Shashthi until 1:26 pm → K Saptami

Purva Phalguni

Simha → Kanya 9:38 pm

6:30 am · 5:52 pm

30Wednesday15

K Saptami until 12:37 pm → K Ashtami

Uttara Phalguni

Kanya

6:30 am · 5:52 pm

31Thursday16

K Ashtami until 12:33 pm → K Navami

Hasta

Kanya → Tula 4:48 am

6:31 am · 5:53 pm

S = Shukla paksha, K = Krishna paksha. The tithi is the one at sunrise, with the time it ends when it changes before the next sunrise. ☆ nakshatra, ☾ Moon sign, ☼ sunrise and sunset, for Chennai, in IST.

Days to note in December 2026

Date	Month	What
4 Dec, Fri	Karthigai 18	Krishna Ekadashi
8 Dec, Tue	Karthigai 22	Amavasya
9 Dec, Wed	Karthigai 23	Amavasya
16 Dec, Wed	Margazhi 1	Dhanu Sankranti, 10:28 am
20 Dec, Sun	Margazhi 5	Shukla Ekadashi
24 Dec, Thu	Margazhi 9	Purnima

How the Tamil calendar works

The month begins on the day of the Sankranti when the Sun changes sign before sunset, and on the next day when it changes sign after sunset. So months have 29 to 32 days. Festivals that follow the Moon, such as Deepavali and Vinayaka Chathurthi, are fixed by tithi; Thai Pongal and Puthandu by the Sun.

Puthandu, the Tamil New Year, is 1 Chithirai, when the Sun enters Mesha (Aries) in mid-April.

#	Month	Tamil	Sun in
1	Chithirai	சித்திரை	Mesha
2	Vaikasi	வைகாசி	Vrishabha
3	Aani	ஆனி	Mithuna
4	Aadi	ஆடி	Karka
5	Avani	ஆவணி	Simha
6	Purattasi	புரட்டாசி	Kanya
7	Aippasi	ஐப்பசி	Tula
8	Karthigai	கார்த்திகை	Vrishchika
9	Margazhi	மார்கழி	Dhanu
10	Thai	தை	Makara
11	Maasi	மாசி	Kumbha
12	Panguni	பங்குனி	Meena

Other regional calendars

For the full day (yoga, karana, Rahu kaal) see today's panchang, and the full lists of Amavasya, Purnima and eclipse dates.