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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