Tamil Calendar - Sixty-year Cycle

Sixty-year Cycle

The 60-year cycle of the Tamil calendar is common to North and South Indian traditional calendars, with the same name and sequence of years. Its earliest reference is to be found in Surya Siddhanta, which Varahamihirar (550 CE) believed to be the most accurate of the then current theories of astronomy. However, in the Surya Siddhantic list, the first year was Vijaya and not Prabhava as currently used. This 60-year cycle has also been adopted into the Chinese calendar.

After the completion of sixty years, the calendar starts a new with the first year. This corresponds to the Hindu "century." The Vakya or Tirukannitha Panchangam (the traditional Tamil almanac) outlines this sequence. It is related to the position of the planets in the sky with respect to earth. It means that the two major planets Sani/Saturn ( which takes 30 years to complete one cycle round the sun) and the Viyazhan/Jupiter (which takes 12 years to complete one cycle round the Sun) comes to the same position after 60 years.

The following list presents the current 60-year cycle of the Tamil calendar:

No. Name Name (English) Gregorian Year No. Name Name (English) Gregorian Year
01. பிரபவ Prabhava 1987–1988 31. ஹேவிளம்பி Hevilambi 2017–2018
02. விபவ Vibhava 1988–1989 32. விளம்பி Vilambi 2018–2019
03. சுக்ல Sukla 1989–1990 33. விகாரி Vikari 2019–2020
04. பிரமோதூத Pramodoota 1990–1991 34. சார்வரி Sarvari 2020–2021
05. பிரசோற்பத்தி Prachorpaththi 1991–1992 35. பிலவ Plava 2021–2022
06. ஆங்கீரச Aangirasa 1992–1993 36. சுபகிருது Subakrith 2022–2023
07. ஸ்ரீமுக Srimukha 1993–1994 37. சோபகிருது Sobakrith 2023–2024
08. பவ Bhava 1994–1995 38. குரோதி Krodhi 2024–2025
09. யுவ Yuva 1995–1996 39. விசுவாசுவ Visuvaasuva 2025–2026
10. தாது Dhaatu 1996–1997 40. பரபாவ Parabhaava 2026–2027
11. ஈஸ்வர Eesvara 1997–1998 41. பிலவங்க Plavanga 2027–2028
12. வெகுதானிய Vehudhanya 1998–1999 42. கீலக Keelaka 2028–2029
13. பிரமாதி Pramathi 1999–2000 43. சௌமிய Saumya 2029–2030
14. விக்கிரம Vikrama 2000–2001 44. சாதாரண Sadharana 2030–2031
15. விஷு Vishu 2001–2002 45. விரோதகிருது Virodhikrithu 2031–2032
16. சித்திரபானு Chitrabaanu 2002–2003 46. பரிதாபி Paridhaabi 2032–2033
17. சுபானு Subhaanu 2003–2004 47. பிரமாதீச Pramaadhisa 2033–2034
18. தாரண Dhaarana 2004–2005 48. ஆனந்த Aanandha 2034–2035
19. பார்த்திப Paarthiba 2005–2006 49. ராட்சச Rakshasa 2035–2036
20. விய Viya 2006–2007 50. நள Nala 2036–2037
21. சர்வசித்து Sarvajith 2007–2008 51. பிங்கள Pingala 2037–2038
22. சர்வதாரி Sarvadhari 2008–2009 52. காளயுக்தி Kalayukthi 2038–2039
23. விரோதி Virodhi 2009–2010 53. சித்தார்த்தி Siddharthi 2039–2040
24. விக்ருதி Vikruthi 2010–2011 54. ரௌத்திரி Raudhri 2040–2041
25. கர Kara 2011–2012 55. துன்மதி Dunmathi 2041–2042
26. நந்தன Nandhana 2012–2013 56. துந்துபி Dhundubhi 2042–2043
27. விஜய Vijaya 2013–2014 57. ருத்ரோத்காரி Rudhrodhgaari 2043–2044
28. ஜய Jaya 2014–2015 58. ரக்தாட்சி Raktakshi 2044–2045
29. மன்மத Manmatha 2015–2016 59. குரோதன Krodhana 2045–2046
30. துன்முகி Dhunmuki 2016–2017 60. அட்சய Akshaya 2046–2047

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