Thai (month)

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Thai
Native nameTai
CalendarTamil calendar
Month number10
Number of days29 or 30
SeasonMun-pani (winter)
Gregorian equivalentJanuary–February
Significant days
← Margazhi
Masi →

Thai is the tenth month of the Tamil calendar.[1] The name of the month is derived from the position of the Moon near the Pusham nakshatra (star) on the pournami (full moon) day.[2] The month corresponds to mun-pani kaalam (winter season) and falls in January–February in the Gregorian calendar.[3][4]

In the Hindu lunar calendar, it corresponds to the tenth month of Pausha, falling in the Gregorian months of December–January.[4] In the Hindu solar calendar, it corresponds to the ninth month of Dhanu and begins with the Sun's entry into Sagittarius.[5] In the Vaishnav calendar, it corresponds to the tenth month of Narayana.[6][7]

Festivals

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Pongal is a major multi-day harvest festival celebrated by Tamils. The festival is celebrated over three or four consecutive days, which are named Bhogi, Thai Pongal, Mattu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal. Thai Pongal is celebrated on the first day of the month.[8][9] It is dedicated to the solar deity Surya and the festival is traditionally an occasion for decorating with kolam artworks, preparing the pongal dish, celebrating cattle, offering prayers, and getting together with family and friends.[10][11][12]

Thaipusam is celebrated on the purnima (full moon day) in the month of Thai on the confluence of star Pusam.[13] The festival is celebrated to commemorate the victory of god Murugan over the asuras, and includes ritualistic practices of fasting and Kavadi Aattam.[14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Tamil Calendar – Months". Time and Date. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  2. ^ Garima Garg (2022). Heavens and Earth: The Story of Astrology Through Ages and Cultures. Penguin Random House. p. 75. ISBN 978-9-354-92705-8.
  3. ^ Martha Ann Selby (2003). The Circle of Six Seasons. p. xxix. ISBN 978-0-141-00772-4.
  4. ^ a b Robert Sewell; John Faithful Fleet (1989). The Siddhantas and the Indian Calendar. Asian Educational Services. p. 334.
  5. ^ "Hindu Panchang". Hindu Net. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  6. ^ "Vaisnava Calendar – About Calendar". Vaisnava Calendar. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  7. ^ "About the Vaisnava Calendar". ISVARA. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  8. ^ Denise Cush; Catherine A. Robinson; Michael York (2008). Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Psychology Press. pp. 610–611. ISBN 978-0-70071-267-0. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  9. ^ Mani, A; Prakash, Pravin; Selvarajan, Shanthini (2017). Mathew Mathews (ed.). Singapore Ethnic Mosaic, The: Many Cultures, One People. World Scientific Publishing Company, Singapore. pp. 207–211. ISBN 978-9-81323-475-8. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  10. ^ Vijaya Ramaswamy (2017). Historical Dictionary of the Tamils. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. pp. 274–275. ISBN 978-1-53810-686-0. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  11. ^ J. Gordon Melton (2011). Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations. ABC-CLIO. pp. 547–548. ISBN 978-1-59884-206-7.
  12. ^ Roy W. Hamilton; Aurora Ammayao (2003). The art of rice: spirit and sustenance in Asia. University of California Press. pp. 156–157. ISBN 978-0-930741-98-3. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  13. ^ Roy, Christian (2005). Traditional Festivals: A Multicultural Encyclopedia. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 462. ISBN 978-1-851-09689-3. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  14. ^ Javier, A.G. (2014). They Do What: A Cultural Encyclopedia of Extraordinary and Exotic Customs from Around the World. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 387. ISBN 979-8-216-15549-2. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.