Margazhi 2026: Tamil Month Dates (16 December to 14 January), Festivals, Kolam, Tiruppavai and Music Season

Quick answer: Margazhi 2026, the Tamil month of devotion, runs from Wednesday 16 December 2026 to Thursday 14 January 2027 (calculated). Thai, the next month, and Thai Pongal usually begin on Friday 15 January 2027; please confirm on Drik Panchang. Margazhi is known for kolams at dawn, Tiruppavai and Tiruvempavai, early-morning bhajans, Vaikunta Ekadasi on Sunday 20 December 2026, and Chennai's music season.

This guide has been restored at its original hindutone.com address. All dates below are calculated by HinduTone's panchang calculator, which we have checked against Drik Panchang to within a minute or two. Please confirm them for your city.

Margazhi 2026 dates and festivals

Source: HinduTone calculator, validated against Drik Panchang. The Sun enters Dhanu in the morning of 16 December (India time), so Margazhi begins that day. The Sun enters Makara after sunset on 14 January 2027, so Thai and Pongal usually begin on 15 January. Other Margazhi observances, such as Arudra Darisanam and Hanumath Jayanthi, also fall in this month; check a Tamil panchangam for their dates. We do not list muhurat clock times.

Why Margazhi is special

Margazhi corresponds to the month of Margashirsha. In the Bhagavad Gita (10.35) Krishna says, 'Among months, I am Margashirsha.' Tradition also says that a human year is a single day for the gods, and Margazhi is the hour before their dawn. That is why the month is given to worship in the cool, quiet hours before sunrise.

For many Tamil families, Margazhi is a month for God rather than for celebration. Weddings and housewarmings are usually avoided, and the energy of the home goes into prayer, music and early-morning worship.

Kolam at dawn

Margazhi mornings are famous for kolam. Women and girls wake before sunrise, sprinkle water in front of the house, and draw large kolams in rice flour, often with colour. Streets in Tamil towns and Chennai neighbourhoods become galleries of designs, and many localities hold friendly kolam competitions.

In many homes a small ball of cow dung is placed in the centre of the kolam and decorated with a yellow pumpkin flower. The kolam welcomes prosperity, and the rice flour also feeds ants and birds, a small act of kindness each day.

Tiruppavai and Tiruvempavai

Tiruppavai: Andal's 30 pasurams to Vishnu are sung, usually one a day, in Vishnu temples and homes across the month. The first pasuram opens with 'Margazhi thingal mathi niraindha nannalal', setting the poem in this very month. The 27th pasuram, 'Koodarai vellum seer Govinda', is celebrated as Koodaravalli with a rich sweet pongal.

Tiruvempavai: Manikkavasagar's 20 verses to Shiva, from the Tiruvasagam, are sung in Shiva temples in the Margazhi dawn. Like the Tiruppavai, they imagine young women waking one another to go and worship the Lord. Tiruppalliyezhuchi, songs to wake the deity, are also sung.

Bhajans: Groups of devotees walk the streets before dawn singing bhajans, a custom often called Margazhi bhajanai. Many temples serve hot ven pongal as prasada after the early puja.

Vaikunta Ekadasi and Srirangam

Vaikunta Ekadasi, the Shukla Ekadasi of Margazhi, is the greatest Vishnu festival of the month and falls on Sunday 20 December 2026 (calculated). Devotees fast, stay awake through the night and pass through the Paramapada Vasal, the 'gate of heaven', which is opened on this day.

Srirangam's Sri Ranganathaswamy temple is the most famous centre. Speaking generally, Vaikunta Ekadasi there is part of a long Adhyayana Utsavam of about 20 days, in two halves known as Pagal Pathu and Ra Pathu, when the hymns of the Alvars are recited before the Lord. The Paramapada Vasal opening draws very large crowds. For schedules and darshan arrangements, check the temple's official website; we do not list timings.

The Chennai Margazhi music season

December in Chennai means the music season, often called the December Season or Margazhi Utsavam. Many sabhas, including the long-established Music Academy, host Carnatic vocal and instrumental concerts, Bharatanatyam recitals and lectures from late November or December into January. Canteens at the venues are almost as famous as the concerts.

We do not list concert dates, venues or ticket prices, as each organiser announces its own. If you plan to attend, check the sabhas' official websites, and book early for popular artists.

How to keep Margazhi at home

1. Wake before sunrise and bathe early, if your health allows.
2. Draw a kolam at your door, even a small one.
3. Light a lamp and recite or listen to the day's Tiruppavai pasuram or a Tiruvempavai verse.
4. Offer ven pongal or chakkara pongal as naivedya.
5. Visit a Vishnu or Shiva temple for the early-morning puja, especially on Vaikunta Ekadasi.

Margazhi for NRI families

• Check your local dates: Use Drik Panchang or a Tamil panchangam for your city. Do not convert India's times.
• Indoor kolam: In cold countries, draw kolam at the front door on paper or with chalk, or indoors near the puja room.
• Online music season: Many concerts are streamed or recorded, so families abroad can share the season.
• Temples abroad: Many South Indian temples hold Tiruppavai recitations and Vaikunta Ekadasi programmes. Check their own websites for schedules.

Frequently asked questions

When does Margazhi 2026 start and end?

Margazhi 2026 begins on Wednesday 16 December 2026 and ends on Thursday 14 January 2027 (calculated). The month of Thai, and with it Thai Pongal, usually begins on Friday 15 January 2027. Please confirm these dates on Drik Panchang or a Tamil panchangam.

When is Vaikunta Ekadasi in Margazhi 2026?

Vaikunta Ekadasi is on Sunday 20 December 2026 (calculated). At Srirangam and other Vishnu temples, the Paramapada Vasal (gate of heaven) is opened on this day. Check the temple's official website for darshan arrangements.

Why is Margazhi considered a sacred month?

In the Bhagavad Gita (10.35) Krishna says that among months he is Margashirsha, the month that corresponds to Margazhi. Tradition also holds that Margazhi is the pre-dawn hour of the gods, so it is given to prayer, early-morning worship and devotional music.

What is the difference between Tiruppavai and Tiruvempavai?

Tiruppavai is Andal's 30 verses to Vishnu (Krishna), part of the Nalayira Divya Prabandham. Tiruvempavai is Manikkavasagar's 20 verses to Shiva, from the Tiruvasagam. Both are sung at dawn in Margazhi, in Vishnu and Shiva temples respectively.

Why are weddings usually avoided in Margazhi?

Many Tamil families treat Margazhi as a month devoted fully to God, so they avoid weddings, housewarmings and other family celebrations. Customs vary, so ask your family priest.

What is the Chennai Margazhi music season?

It is the famous December season of Carnatic music and dance concerts in Chennai, held by many sabhas, including the long-established Music Academy. Check each organiser's website for schedules and tickets.

Editor's note

Editor's note (6 October 2026): This guide has been restored at its original address after the earlier version was lost. The dates are calculated by HinduTone's panchang calculator and checked against Drik Panchang; please confirm them for your city. Temple festivals and the Chennai music season are described in general terms; we have not listed darshan times, concert schedules, venues or ticket prices, which the temples and sabhas announce themselves. We have not given muhurat clock times.

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