With the arrival of Chingam 1st today, the Malayalam Calendar, known as Kollavarsham, marks the beginning of a new century as it enters the year 1200. The previous year, 1199, concluded with Karkidakam 32nd, and the commencement of Chingam ushers in a fresh start for Malayalis.
While the Gregorian calendar is predominantly used for daily activities and official purposes, Malayalis continue to rely on Kollavarsham for determining auspicious days and stars for various traditional practices. These include sowing and harvesting crops, conducting marriage ceremonies, building new homes, and performing housewarming rituals. The Śrāddha ritual, an important religious observance, is also conducted based on Kollavarsham.
The Kollavarsham calendar has its roots in the Saptarshi cycle calendar, which was traditionally used across India and reset every hundred years. Initially based on the region of Kashmir, the Saptarshi calendar was one of several ancient timekeeping systems in use, alongside the Kalivarsha calendar, which considered the first day of Medam month as New Year.
The Kollavarsham calendar was established around 824 AD, reportedly by merchants who arrived in Kollam, Kerala’s then-flourishing commercial center. They merged the Saptarshi cycle calendar with local chronological methods, creating the 12-month Kollavarsham calendar that was convenient for trade-related promissory notes. Another prevailing belief is that the calendar was initiated to commemorate the founding of the city of Kollam.
Regardless of its origins, Chingam 1st is celebrated as a time of opulence and prosperity, marking a culturally significant New Year for Malayalis.
