6 Hindu Festivals and Classical Fine Arts · 6.1 Festivals and Fine Arts
6.1.3 Festival calendar by Telugu month and AP temple festivals
The Telugu year runs on the lunar amanta calendar from Ugadi in Chaitra to Holi in Phalguna; this note walks through it month by month, with the tithi of each festival, and then lists the Andhra temple festivals and village jataras that an Endowments officer must know.
- APPSC Paper I
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Core facts
- Telugu calendar: chandramana (lunar), amanta: a month ends on Amavasya. The north mostly uses purnimanta (month ends on Purnima).
- Each month has a bright half (Shukla / Shuddha paksha) and a dark half (Krishna / Bahula paksha), 15 tithis each.
- Month names come from the star near that month's full moon: Chitra → Chaitra, Vishakha → Vaishakha, Krittika → Kartika, Magha → Magha.
- Six ritus, two months each: Vasanta (Chaitra, Vaishakha), Grishma (Jyeshtha, Ashadha), Varsha (Shravana, Bhadrapada), Sharad (Ashvayuja, Kartika), Hemanta (Margashira, Pushya), Shishira (Magha, Phalguna).
- 60-year cycle of named years (samvatsaras), Prabhava to Akshaya.
### The year month by month
| Telugu month | Festival | Tithi / day | Remember it by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaitra | Ugadi | Shuddha Padyami | Telugu new year |
| Chaitra | Sri Rama Navami | Shuddha Navami | Kalyanam; Vontimitta, Bhadrachalam |
| Vaishakha | Akshaya Tritiya | Shuddha Tadiya | Simhachalam Chandanotsavam; Parashurama Jayanti |
| Vaishakha | Narasimha Jayanti | Shuddha Chaturdashi | Ahobilam, Simhachalam, Penchalakona |
| Vaishakha | Buddha Purnima | Purnima | Birth, enlightenment, nirvana |
| Vaishakha | Telugu Hanumajjayanti | Bahula Dashami | End of the 41-day Hanumat deeksha |
| Jyeshtha | Nirjala Ekadashi; Eruvaka Punnami | Shuddha Ekadashi; Purnima | Fast without water; first ploughing |
| Ashadha | Rath Yatra (Puri) | Shuddha Vidiya | Jagannatha, Balabhadra, Subhadra |
| Ashadha | Tholi Ekadashi (Devashayani) | Shuddha Ekadashi | Vishnu sleeps; Chaturmasya begins |
| Ashadha | Guru Purnima (Vyasa Purnima) | Purnima | Vyasa's birthday |
| Shravana | Naga Panchami | Shuddha Panchami | Astika saves the snakes |
| Shravana | Varalakshmi Vratam | Friday before Purnima | Married women; Charumati's story |
| Shravana | Raksha Bandhan; Jandhyala Purnima | Purnima | Sacred thread renewed |
| Shravana | Krishnashtami | Bahula Ashtami | Rohini star; Utla Panduga |
| Bhadrapada | Vinayaka Chavithi | Shuddha Chaviti | 21 leaves |
| Bhadrapada | Ananta Chaturdashi; Mahalaya paksha | Shuddha 14th; dark half | Ganesh immersion; offerings to ancestors |
| Ashvayuja | Devi Navaratri, Dasara | Shuddha Padyami to Dashami | Vijayadashami on the 10th |
| Ashvayuja | Atla Taddi | Bahula Tadiya | "Telugu Karwa Chauth" |
| Ashvayuja | Naraka Chaturdashi, Deepavali | Bahula 14th, Amavasya | Narakasura; Lakshmi puja |
| Kartika | Nagula Chavithi; Kartika Somavarams | Shuddha Chaviti; Mondays | Milk poured into anthills |
| Kartika | Ksheerabdhi Dwadashi; Kartika Purnima | Shuddha 12th; Purnima | Tulasi puja; Jwala Thoranam, Deva Deepavali |
| Margashira | Subrahmanya Shashthi; Gita Jayanti | Shuddha Shashthi; Shuddha Ekadashi | Skanda; Gita day |
| Margashira / Pushya | Mukkoti (Vaikuntha) Ekadashi | Shuddha Ekadashi in Dhanurmasam | North gate (Vaikuntha dwara) darshan |
| Pushya | Bhogi, Sankranti, Kanuma | About 13–15 January | Sun enters Makara; cattle |
| Magha | Vasanta Panchami (Sri Panchami) | Shuddha Panchami | Saraswati; aksharabhyasam |
| Magha | Ratha Saptami | Shuddha Saptami | Surya Jayanti; Arasavalli |
| Magha | Bhishma Ekadashi | Shuddha Ekadashi | Vishnu Sahasranama day |
| Magha | Maha Shivaratri | Bahula Chaturdashi | Srisailam, Srikalahasti, Kotappakonda |
| Phalguna | Holi (Kamuni Punnami) | Purnima | Kama Dahanam |
| Phalguna | Kotha Amavasya | Amavasya, eve of Ugadi | Anakapalli Nookambika jatara begins |
Explained
Vaishakha.
- Akshaya Tritiya ("never diminishing"): one of the three-and-a-half muhurtams, days that need no muhurtam: Ugadi, Akshaya Tritiya, Vijayadashami in full and Bali Padyami as the half. Events placed on it: start of Treta yuga; Parashurama Jayanti (6th avatar); Vyasa began dictating the Mahabharata to Ganapati; Kuchela (Sudama) brought flattened rice to Krishna; the Pandavas got the Akshaya patra from Surya. Temples: Simhachalam Chandanotsavam (sandal paste removed, nijarupa darshanam); Badrinath reopens after six months; Puri's chariot building starts. Customs: gold buying, gift of a water pot (udakumbha danam) and a fan.
- Hanuman Jayanti: north India and many regions keep Chaitra Purnima; Andhra and Telangana keep Vaishakha Bahula Dashami ("Telugu Hanumajjayanti"), ending the 41-day Hanumat deeksha; Parashara Samhita puts his birth on this tithi in Purvabhadra star. Betel-leaf (aaku) puja, vada garland, sindhuram. Tamil Nadu: Margashira Amavasya.
Jyeshtha and Ashadha.
- Eruvaka Punnami (Jyeshtha Purnima): "eru" plough + "vaka" start; oxen and plough worshipped, the first furrow (tholi chalu) cut; in places, Balarama Jayanti.
- Guru Purnima (Ashadha Purnima): birthday of Vedavyasa (Krishna Dvaipayana, son of Parashara and Satyavati), who divided the Veda into four; the Buddha's first sermon at Sarnath; sanyasis begin Chaturmasya (four months in one place).
Shravana.
- Naga Panchami (Shuddha Panchami): sage Astika stopped Janamejaya's snake sacrifice (after Takshaka killed Parikshit); milk poured into anthills; no ploughing that day. In Andhra Nagula Chavithi in Kartika is the bigger day.
- Varalakshmi Vratam: married women, on the Friday just before Shravana Purnima (book: the second Friday). Shiva tells Parvati the vrata; Lakshmi appears in a dream to Charumati of Kundina town. Kalasham, toram of nine threads and nine knots tied on the right hand, vayanam to married women; Varalakshmi = the eight Lakshmis together.
- Kanwar Yatra: north Indian Shiva devotees carry Ganga water in a kavadi, never set down, for abhishekam in Shravana; Sultanganj to Baidyanath (Deoghar, Jharkhand) is the "Bol Bam" yatra.
Ashvayuja and Kartika.
- Atla Taddi (Ashvayuja Bahula Tadiya): for unmarried girls and married women; Parvati kept it to win Shiva. Henna the day before, early meal (uyyala poddu), swings, 10 atlu offered to Gauri and given as vayanam; ends on seeing the moon.
- Nagula Chavithi (Kartika Shuddha Chaviti, four days after Deepavali): fast, milk and chimmili (sesame-jaggery), chalimidi at anthills.
- Kartika Purnima: Shiva destroyed the three cities (Tripurari Purnima); lamps on amla and in leaf boats; Jwala Thoranam (burning grass arch) at Shiva temples; Dev Deepawali at Varanasi, Karthigai Deepam at Tiruvannamalai, Boita Bandana (toy boats) in Odisha; Guru Nanak's birthday.
Margashira to Magha.
- Mukkoti / Vaikuntha Ekadashi: Vishnu, with the three crore gods, gives darshan through the north (Vaikuntha) gate. The power born from Vishnu that killed the demon Mura was named Ekadashi; Nammalvar attained Paramapada this day. Tirumala keeps the gate open for 10 days; Srirangam holds the 21-day Pagal Pattu and Ra Pattu; Bhadrachalam a float festival on the Godavari.
- Vasanta Panchami (Magha Shuddha Panchami): Saraswati's birthday; aksharabhyasam; yellow clothes; Basara (Nirmal district, Telangana) is the main centre.
- Ratha Saptami (Magha Shuddha Saptami): Surya Jayanti, son of Kashyapa and Aditi; the Sun's chariot turns north. Bath with seven arka (jilledu) leaves; milk rice cooked in the sun on chikkudu leaves. At Tirumala, Malayappa Swami rides seven vahanams in one day ("Ardha Brahmotsavam"): Suryaprabha, Chinna Sesha, Garuda, Hanumantha, Kalpavriksha, Sarvabhupala, Chandraprabha.
Ekadashis worth knowing.
| Ekadashi | Month (Shuddha) | Point |
|---|---|---|
| Nirjala | Jyeshtha | Fast without water |
| Tholi / Devashayani | Ashadha | Vishnu sleeps; Chaturmasya |
| Uttana / Prabodhini | Kartika | Vishnu wakes |
| Mokshada (Gita Jayanti) | Margashira | Gita day |
| Mukkoti / Vaikuntha | In Dhanurmasam | North gate opened |
| Bhishma | Magha | Vishnu Sahasranama; Antarvedi kalyanam |
Brahmotsavam: the order of a temple festival. Ankurarpanam (sowing seedlings, the start) → Dhwajarohanam (Garuda or Nandi flag hoisted; gods invited) → morning and evening vahana sevas → Rathotsavam → Chakrasnanam / Avabhritha snanam (holy bath that ends it) → Dhwajavarohanam. A Pushpayagam or Pavitrotsavam may follow to make up for lapses.
AP angle
Temple festivals of Andhra.
| Temple | Festival | When | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tirumala (Venkateswara) | Annual Brahmotsavam (9 days) | Kanya masa, Sept–Oct | Garuda Seva 5th night; Rathotsavam 8th day; Chakrasnanam in Swami Pushkarini 9th day |
| Tirumala | Vasanthotsavam; Pavitrotsavam; Teppotsavam | Chaitra; Shravana; Phalguna | Spring festival; purifying threads; float festival |
| Tiruchanur (Padmavathi) | Kartika Brahmotsavam | Kartika | Ends with Panchami Theertham |
| Simhachalam (Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha) | Chandanotsavam | Vaishakha Shuddha Tadiya | Once-a-year nijarupa darshanam |
| Simhachalam | Giri Pradakshina | Ashadha Shuddha Chaturdashi | Walk of about 32 km round the hill |
| Vijayawada (Kanaka Durga) | Dasara | Ashvayuja | Daily alankarams; Hamsa vahana teppotsavam on the Krishna |
| Srisailam (Mallikarjuna) | Shivaratri Brahmotsavam; Ugadi | Magha; Chaitra | Pilgrims on foot from Karnataka at Ugadi |
| Vontimitta (Kodandarama) | Rama Navami Brahmotsavam | Chaitra | State festival; kalyanam on a moonlit night |
| Arasavalli (Surya) | Ratha Saptami | Magha | Sun's rays reach the deity's feet |
| Kanipakam (Vinayaka) | Brahmotsavam | From Vinayaka Chavithi | Swayambhu Vinayaka |
| Visakhapatnam (Kanaka Mahalakshmi) | Margashira festival | Thursdays of Margashira | Goddess in an open shrine |
| Annavaram (Satyanarayana) | Kalyanam | Vaishakha Shuddha Ekadashi | Satyanarayana vratam centre |
Kotappakonda (Maha Shivaratri). Near Narasaraopet, now Palnadu district (earlier Guntur). The hill is Trikuta (three peaks named for Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra); the deity Trikoteswara (Trikuteswara) is Shiva as Dakshinamurthy. Hallmark: prabhalu, bamboo-and-cloth towers 60–100 feet tall, drawn up on bullock carts; bullock races. Legend: the devotee Anandavalli looked back on the climb and Shiva, following her, turned to stone there.
Lepakshi Utsavalu. A state cultural festival (usually February–March) at Lepakshi, Sri Sathya Sai district (earlier Anantapur). The Veerabhadra temple was built by the brothers Virupanna and Viranna, governors at Penukonda under Achyutadevaraya (1530s). Sights: the great monolithic Nandi, the hanging pillar, ceiling paintings (HC-FA-02). Name story: Rama told the fallen Jatayu "Le pakshi" (rise, bird).
Sirimanu Utsavam, Vizianagaram. Festival of Paiditalli Ammavaru on the first Tuesday after Vijayadashami, after the Tolella Utsavam the night before. Paidimamba, sister of king Vijayarama Raju (Pusapati), drowned herself in the Pedda Cheruvu on hearing of his death after the Bobbili war (1757); her idol was later found in the tank (Vanam Gudi). The priest rides atop a tamarind pole about 50–60 feet tall (siri = wealth, manu = pole) three times from the fort to the temple; a white-elephant figure and the Anjali Ratham go with it.
Other jataras.
- Nookambika (Nookalamma), Anakapalli: month-long jatara from Kotha Amavasya (Phalguna Amavasya, the eve of Ugadi); temple linked with Kakarlapudi Appalaraju (about 1450); "nooka" = grain; offering of cattle tethers (palupula sambaram).
- Gangamma Jatara, Tirupati: week-long, Vaishakha (May); devotees in disguises (veshalu).
- Prabhala Teertham, Jaggannathathota (Konaseema): on Kanuma; prabhas of the 11 Rudras carried across fields and a canal.
- Antarvedi: Lakshmi Narasimha kalyanam on Bhishma Ekadashi (Magha).
Common traps
- ✗ "Telugu Hanumajjayanti is on Chaitra Purnima." ✓ Vaishakha Bahula Dashami (Chaitra Purnima is the north's date).
- ✗ "The three-and-a-half muhurtams are Ugadi, Deepavali, Sankranti." ✓ Ugadi, Akshaya Tritiya, Vijayadashami, and half of Bali Padyami.
- ✗ "Vasanta Panchami is Chaitra Shuddha Panchami." ✓ Magha Shuddha Panchami; Ratha Saptami is Magha Shuddha Saptami.
- ✗ "Guru Purnima is in Shravana." ✓ Ashadha Purnima; Shravana Purnima is Jandhyala Purnima.
- ✗ "Naga Panchami's saviour of snakes was Takshaka." ✓ Astika; Takshaka killed Parikshit.
- ✗ "Atla Taddi is in Kartika." ✓ Ashvayuja Bahula Tadiya; its north Indian match is Karwa Chauth.
- ✗ "Chandanotsavam is at Tirumala." ✓ Simhachalam, on Akshaya Tritiya.
- ✗ "Avabhritham starts a festival." ✓ It ends it; the start is Ankurarpanam.
- ✗ "Kotappakonda is in Guntur district; its god is Mallikarjuna (book: Guntur)." ✓ Palnadu district since 2022; deity Trikoteswara.
- ✗ "Lepakshi was built by Basavanna and Veeranna (book, one place)." ✓ Virupanna and Viranna.
- ✗ "Paidimamba was Vijayarama Raju's queen." ✓ His sister.
- ✗ "Nookambika jatara is on the Amavasya after Ugadi (book)." ✓ Kotha Amavasya, the day before Ugadi.
Quick revision
- Calendar: lunar, amanta; Shuddha (bright) and Bahula (dark) pakshas; six ritus.
- Vaishakha: Akshaya Tritiya (Chandanotsavam, Vyasa–Ganapati, Parashurama); Telugu Hanumajjayanti Bahula Dashami.
- Ashadha: Rath Yatra, Tholi Ekadashi, Guru Purnima (Vyasa; Buddha at Sarnath).
- Shravana: Naga Panchami (Astika), Varalakshmi (Charumati), Jandhyala Purnima, Krishnashtami.
- Ashvayuja: Dasara, Atla Taddi (Bahula Tadiya), Deepavali; Kartika: Nagula Chavithi, Kartika Purnima.
- Mukkoti Ekadashi in Dhanurmasam: north gate; Tirumala 10 days.
- Magha: Vasanta Panchami (Basara), Ratha Saptami (seven vahanams at Tirumala), Shivaratri.
- Brahmotsavam: Ankurarpanam → Dhwajarohanam → vahanams → Rathotsavam → Avabhritham → Dhwajavarohanam.
- Kotappakonda: Trikoteswara, prabhalu; Lepakshi: Virupanna and Viranna.
- Sirimanu: Paiditalli, sister of Vijayarama Raju, first Tuesday after Vijayadashami; Nookambika: Kotha Amavasya.
Go deeper: Deeper (beyond what APPSC Paper I usually asks)
Deeper Advanced
- Why dates shift. The lunar year (about 354 days) is about 11 days short of the solar year, so an extra month (adhika masa) is added about every 32–33 months. Only Sankranti stays near a fixed civil date.
- Dhanurmasam. The solar month of the Sun in Dhanus (mid-December to mid-January). Tirumala recites Andal's Tiruppavai instead of the Suprabhatam; Goda Kalyanam on Bhogi closes it.
- Chaturmasya. Four months from Tholi Ekadashi to Uttana Ekadashi.
- Two Brahmotsavams at Tirumala in a year with an adhika masa: the annual one and a Navaratri Brahmotsavam.
- Kalyanam timing. The book notes that the Agamas place Sita Rama Kalyanam on Phalguna Purnima; holding it on Rama Navami itself is a Telugu custom credited to Ramadasu's time.
Practise this topic. Questions on Hindu festivals across India, with answers explained.
All Festivals and Fine Arts notes · APPSC Paper I syllabus · APPSC Paper I Mock 1 with answers · Start free
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