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The Telugu Panchangam is a lunisolar calendar used by approximately 80 million Telugu speakers across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and the global Telugu diaspora. Unlike the Tamil solar calendar, the Telugu system follows the Chandramana (lunar) tradition — months run from one New Moon to the next, and the year begins on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada (the first lunar day after the New Moon in March/April). This day is celebrated as Ugadi, the Telugu New Year. The Telugu calendar is closely aligned with the broader Vedic Panchanga tradition, tracking Tithi, Vara, Nakshatra, Yoga, and Karana alongside month names that correspond to the Sanskrit lunar month sequence. The Panchangam is the authoritative reference for all religious observances, festivals, agricultural planning, and auspicious timings (muhurtas) in Telugu culture, consulted daily by millions of households.
The 60-year Jovian (Brihaspati) cycle is a central feature of the Telugu Panchangam. The cycle begins with Prabhava and ends with Akshaya, then restarts. Each year in the cycle carries a unique Sanskrit name that is believed to influence the character of the year — agricultural yields, rainfall patterns, political stability, and general prosperity. The current Telugu year is Shobhakrit (శోభకృత్, the 37th year in the cycle), which began on Ugadi, 28 March 2026, and runs until the next Ugadi in March 2027. The following year (2027–28) will be Krodhi. The name "Shobhakrit" means "creator of splendour" and is traditionally considered a year of general prosperity, artistic achievement, and religious devotion. The 60-year cycle has been used continuously for over 2,000 years in Telugu-speaking regions and forms the backbone of long-term Panchangam predictions.
Telugu months follow the Sanskrit lunar month names. Each month begins on the day after Amavasya (New Moon) and ends on the following Amavasya — this is the Amanta (New Moon ending) system, also used in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. When a lunar month has no solar transit (the Sun does not enter a new zodiac sign during the month), an intercalary month (Adhika Masa) is inserted approximately every 33 months to keep the calendar aligned with the seasons. The month in which two solar transits occur is called Kshaya Masa (diminished month), though this is exceedingly rare.
| # | Month | Telugu | Rashi (Zodiac) | Gregorian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chaitra | చైత్రం | Mesha–Vrishabha | Mar – Apr |
| 2 | Vaishakha | వైశాఖం | Vrishabha–Mithuna | Apr – May |
| 3 | Jyeshtha | జ్యేష్ఠం | Mithuna–Kataka | May – Jun |
| 4 | Ashadha | ఆషాఢం | Kataka–Simha | Jun – Jul |
| 5 | Shravana | శ్రావణం | Simha–Kanya | Jul – Aug |
| 6 | Bhadrapada | భాద్రపదం | Kanya–Tula | Aug – Sep |
| 7 | Ashvija | ఆశ్వయుజం | Tula–Vrischika | Sep – Oct |
| 8 | Kartika | కార్తీకం | Vrischika–Dhanus | Oct – Nov |
| 9 | Margashira | మార్గశిరం | Dhanus–Makara | Nov – Dec |
| 10 | Pushya | పుష్యం | Makara–Kumbha | Dec – Jan |
| 11 | Magha | మాఘం | Kumbha–Meena | Jan – Feb |
| 12 | Phalguna | ఫాల్గుణం | Meena–Mesha | Feb – Mar |
Start and end dates in the Gregorian calendar for each Telugu month during the Telugu years Shobhakrit (2026–27) and Krodhi (2027–28). Since Telugu months follow the Chandramana (lunar) system, the Gregorian dates shift slightly each year, typically by about 10–11 days earlier or later than the previous year.
| Month | Telugu | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaitra | చైత్రం | 29 Mar 2026 | 26 Apr 2026 |
| Vaishakha | వైశాఖం | 27 Apr 2026 | 25 May 2026 |
| Jyeshtha | జ్యేష్ఠం | 26 May 2026 | 24 Jun 2026 |
| Ashadha | ఆషాఢం | 25 Jun 2026 | 23 Jul 2026 |
| Shravana | శ్రావణం | 24 Jul 2026 | 22 Aug 2026 |
| Bhadrapada | భాద్రపదం | 23 Aug 2026 | 20 Sep 2026 |
| Ashvija | ఆశ్వయుజం | 21 Sep 2026 | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Kartika | కార్తీకం | 21 Oct 2026 | 19 Nov 2026 |
| Margashira | మార్గశిరం | 20 Nov 2026 | 18 Dec 2026 |
| Pushya | పుష్యం | 19 Dec 2026 | 17 Jan 2027 |
| Magha | మాఘం | 18 Jan 2027 | 15 Feb 2027 |
| Phalguna | ఫాల్గుణం | 16 Feb 2027 | 17 Mar 2027 |
| Month | Telugu | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaitra | చైత్రం | 18 Mar 2027 | 15 Apr 2027 |
| Vaishakha | వైశాఖం | 16 Apr 2027 | 15 May 2027 |
| Jyeshtha | జ్యేష్ఠం | 16 May 2027 | 13 Jun 2027 |
| Ashadha | ఆషాఢం | 14 Jun 2027 | 13 Jul 2027 |
| Shravana | శ్రావణం | 14 Jul 2027 | 11 Aug 2027 |
| Bhadrapada | భాద్రపదం | 12 Aug 2027 | 10 Sep 2027 |
| Ashvija | ఆశ్వయుజం | 11 Sep 2027 | 9 Oct 2027 |
| Kartika | కార్తీకం | 10 Oct 2027 | 8 Nov 2027 |
| Margashira | మార్గశిరం | 9 Nov 2027 | 8 Dec 2027 |
| Pushya | పుష్యం | 9 Dec 2027 | 6 Jan 2028 |
| Magha | మాఘం | 7 Jan 2028 | 5 Feb 2028 |
| Phalguna | ఫాల్గుణం | 6 Feb 2028 | 7 Mar 2028 |
Ugadi (Telugu New Year, Chaitra Shukla Pratipada), Sri Rama Navami (Chaitra Shukla Navami)
Varalakshmi Vratam (Friday before Shravana Purnima — one of the most important women's festivals in Telugu households)
Vinayaka Chaturthi (Ganesh festival — 10-day celebration, immersion on Chaturdashi)
Dasara / Vijayadashami (9-night Navaratri culminating in Vijayadashami — celebration of Mahishasura's defeat)
Deepavali (Kartika Amavasya — festival of lights), Kartika Purnima (sacred bathing in rivers)
Sankranti / Pongal (Makara Sankranti — the most important harvest festival; 3 days: Bhogi, Sankranti, Kanuma)
Exact dates for all major Telugu festivals in 2026 with tithi (lunar day) and nakshatra (lunar mansion) computed for Hyderabad. Plan your puja schedules and family celebrations with these verified dates from the Telugu Panchangam.
| Festival | Date | Tithi | Nakshatra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Makara Sankranti | Wed, 14 Jan 2026 | Paush Krishna Pratipada | Uttara Ashadha |
| Maha Shivaratri | Sat, 14 Feb 2026 | Magha Krishna Chaturdashi | Shatabisha |
| Ugadi (Telugu New Year) | Sat, 28 Mar 2026 | Chaitra Shukla Pratipada | Uttara Bhadrapada |
| Sri Rama Navami | Mon, 6 Apr 2026 | Chaitra Shukla Navami | Punarvasu |
| Varalakshmi Vratam | Fri, 7 Aug 2026 | Shravana Shukla Dwadashi | Uttara Phalguni |
| Vinayaka Chaturthi | Fri, 4 Sep 2026 | Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi | Chitra |
| Dasara / Vijayadashami | Sat, 17 Oct 2026 | Ashvija Shukla Dashami | Vishakha |
| Deepavali | Sun, 8 Nov 2026 | Kartika Krishna Amavasya | Swati |
| Kartika Purnima | Mon, 23 Nov 2026 | Kartika Purnima | Krittika |
| Subramanya Shashti | Sat, 28 Nov 2026 | Margashira Shukla Shashthi | Pushya |
Major Telugu festival dates for 2027. The Telugu year Krodhi begins with Ugadi in March 2027. All dates computed for Hyderabad with tithi and nakshatra from the Telugu Panchangam.
| Festival | Date | Tithi | Nakshatra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Makara Sankranti | Thu, 14 Jan 2027 | Paush Shukla Dashami | Shravana |
| Maha Shivaratri | Thu, 4 Feb 2027 | Magha Krishna Chaturdashi | Shatabisha |
| Ugadi (Telugu New Year) | Wed, 17 Mar 2027 | Chaitra Shukla Pratipada | Uttara Bhadrapada |
| Sri Rama Navami | Thu, 25 Mar 2027 | Chaitra Shukla Navami | Punarvasu |
| Varalakshmi Vratam | Fri, 30 Jul 2027 | Shravana Shukla Trayodashi | Hasta |
| Vinayaka Chaturthi | Wed, 25 Aug 2027 | Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi | Chitra |
| Dasara / Vijayadashami | Wed, 6 Oct 2027 | Ashvija Shukla Dashami | Vishakha |
| Deepavali | Thu, 28 Oct 2027 | Kartika Krishna Amavasya | Chitra |
| Kartika Purnima | Fri, 12 Nov 2027 | Kartika Purnima | Krittika |
| Subramanya Shashti | Wed, 17 Nov 2027 | Margashira Shukla Shashthi | Pushya |
Ugadi (from Sanskrit "Yuga Adi" — beginning of an era) falls on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, typically in late March or early April. It is celebrated simultaneously as the Telugu and Kannada New Year. The day begins with an oil bath (Abhyanga Snanam), followed by prayers and the preparation of "Ugadi Pachadi" — a chutney combining six tastes: raw mango (sourness), jaggery (sweetness), neem flowers (bitterness), tamarind (tartness), green chilli (heat), and salt (pungency). These six tastes symbolise the six experiences of life — joy, sorrow, surprise, fear, disgust, and anger — reminding celebrants to embrace all of life's experiences in the year ahead. The Panchangam Sravanam (recitation of the new year's almanac) is a central ceremony, where priests read out predictions for the year based on the ruling planet, tithi, and nakshatra of Ugadi.
Panchangam Sravanam is one of the most important rituals performed on Ugadi day. "Sravanam" means "listening" — in this ceremony, a priest or scholar reads out the new year's Panchangam (almanac) to an assembled audience. The recitation covers the Nava Nayakas (nine rulers) of the year: the King (Rajya Prabhu), Minister (Mantri), Commander-in-Chief (Senadhipati), Sasyaadhipati (lord of crops), Dhanyaadhipati (lord of grains), Arghadhipati (lord of prices), Meghadhipati (lord of rains), and Rasadhipati (lord of liquids). Each of these roles is assigned to a specific planet based on the weekday, tithi, nakshatra, and other panchanga elements of Ugadi day. Based on these planetary rulers, the scholar makes predictions about the year's agricultural prospects, rainfall patterns, commodity prices, political stability, and general prosperity. Panchangam Sravanam is performed in temples, community halls, and on television broadcasts, watched by tens of millions of Telugu people with keen interest. The tradition dates back centuries and remains one of the most distinctive features of Telugu New Year celebrations, distinguishing Ugadi from other Indian New Year observances.
The Telugu Panchangam is lunisolar: months are lunar (New Moon to New Moon, Amanta system), but the year is calibrated against the solar cycle through the addition of Adhika Masa. Telugu months use the Amanta reckoning (month ends on Amavasya), identical to the system used across Karnataka, Maharashtra, and most of South India. The 60-year Jovian cycle (Prabhava through Akshaya) names each year, and Telugu almanacs publish detailed predictions for each named year — agricultural outlooks, rainfall forecasts, and auspicious periods for major life events. The Telugu calendar is used for determining muhurtas (auspicious timings), tithi-based fasting days, and the annual cycle of festivals tied to the agricultural and religious calendar of the Deccan plateau.
The Telugu Panchangam is one of the oldest continuously maintained almanac traditions in India, tracing its computational methods back to the Vedic period and classical astronomical texts like the Surya Siddhanta and the Arya Bhatiya. Traditional astronomers in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, known as "Siddhantis," have been computing and publishing Panchangams for generations. These Siddhantis use sophisticated mathematical methods derived from classical Indian astronomy to determine the exact tithi, nakshatra, yoga, karana, and planetary positions for each day. The Telugu Panchangam is not merely a calendar — it is a comprehensive almanac that guides virtually every aspect of traditional Telugu life, from the timing of daily prayers to agricultural sowing dates, from wedding muhurtas to commercial ventures.
One of the distinctive features of the Telugu Panchangam is its Amanta system — months end on Amavasya (New Moon), which is identical to the system used in Karnataka and Maharashtra but differs from the North Indian Purnimanta system where months end on Purnima (Full Moon). This has practical consequences: some festivals fall in a differently-named month in North India versus Telugu regions. For example, Deepavali on Kartika Amavasya in the Telugu Panchangam is called "Ashwin Amavasya" in the Purnimanta system. This difference arises because the Amavasya's position within the month differs between the two systems, even though the actual date (and the night sky) are identical.
Even in the modern era, the Telugu Panchangam remains indispensable for millions of households. The annual purchase of a new Panchangam around Ugadi time is a cherished tradition — families discuss the year's predictions over festive meals, and the almanac sits in a place of honour in the home. Today, digital Panchangam apps and websites make this information available to the global Telugu diaspora, yet the authority and traditional value of the printed Panchangam has not diminished. Major Panchangam publishers in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana continue to enjoy significant readership, and the annual Panchangam Sravanam ceremonies at temples draw large crowds both in person and via live television broadcasts.