Malayalam New Year is a celebration widely observed in the state of Kerala. While Vishu, the traditional festival, was observed as the beginning of the Malayalam New Year or Kollavarsham until 825 CE, the Malayalam Calendar/Kollam Era took over after 825 CE as the more common ‘new year’ celebration. In 2025, the day will be celebrated on Sunday, August 17. If you too are celebrating this day, here’s more information about this auspicious day!
Malayalam New Year: Date, Malayalam Calendar, How To Celebrate
Malayalam New Year 2025: Beginning Of The Chingam Month
The Malayalam New Year will fall on August 17, Sunday in 2025. This day marks the beginning of the Chingam Month, the first month of the Malayalam Calendar. Also known as Kollavarsham, the festival is celebrated widely in Kerala as the beginning of the harvest season.
Astrologically, Chingam is celebrated when the sun changes its position in the sky and transitions from the Cancer to Leo zodiac sign. It remains in this position for another one month.
The Malayalam Calendar: How Did It Originate
The Malayalam Calendar or the Kollam Era is a solar calendar used in Kerala, thought to have originated in 825 CE. The calendar commemorates the establishment of Kollam, an ancient seaport city in Kerala. There are many theories associated with the beginning of the Malayalam Calendar, some of which are mentioned below.
According to German missionary and scholar Hermann Gundert, Kollavarsham began as part of erecting a new Shiva Temple in Kollam. The other regions nearby Kollam did not follow this calendar initially, however, the calendar was incorporated in other nearby regions later.
There’s one more theory that links it to the disappearance of Sri Adi Shankaracharya. After his disappearance in 820 CE at Kedarnath, the news of the same reached Kerala only a few years later. So, it is believed that the people began observing the Kollavarsham in his memory.
Even though the first day of the Chingam month is celebrated as the Malayalam New Year, Vishu is still celebrated as the traditional Malayalam New Year in terms of astrological significance.
How Is Malayalam New Year 2025 Celebrated
The Malayalam New Year 2025 is celebrated primarily in the state of Kerala with great zeal and enthusiasm. On this day, people clean and decorate their homes. They create intricate and beautiful flower designs called Pookalam using flower petals.
Many families also prepare the Onam Sadya, a traditional multi-dish meal served on banana leaves. It includes both vegetarian and meat dishes and is an important part of the New Year celebrations.
On this day, artists also perform the famed Pulikali art form. They paint themselves in bright colors, appear as tigers, and perform on foot-thumping music.
People dress up in clean, ironed, and neatly draped sarees and veshtis, primarily in gold and white colors. These colors are considered auspicious and associated with purity, prosperity, and peace.
Dressing up in clean clothes, people visit temples and offer prayers and offerings to temple deities. In the evening, people light up earthen lamps in front of their houses and yards as a symbol of light and divine energy.
Summing Up
The Malayali New Year is a celebration of new beginnings and fun times. On this day, the Malayalam-speaking communities in the state of Kerala come together to celebrate the festival and begin their new year on a vibrant note. They decorate their homes, prepare elaborate meals, and engage in cultural celebrations to mark the beginning of the new year. So, how excited are you about the Malayalam New Year?
