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The Malayalam Calendar, or the Kollam Era (), is a Sidereal time Solar calendar calendar used in Kerala. The origin of the calendar has been dated to 825 CE, commemorating the establishment of Kollam.
There are many theories regarding the origin of the era, but according to recent scholarship, it commemorated the foundation of Kollam by Maruwan Sapir Iso, who was the leader of Persian Christian Settlers and trading guilds like Anjuvannam following the liberation of the Kingdom of Venad from the Chola dynasty rule by or with the assistance of the Chera Perumal at Kodungallur.Noburu Karashmia (ed.), A Concise History of South India: Issues and Interpretations. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2014. 89. Land, 'Brief History of the Syrians of Malabar'. Anedocta Syriaca, I, pp. 27. The Quilon Syrian copper plates were grants and privileges given to the trading guilds involved in the establishment of Kollam by Sthanu Ravi Varma.Sthanu Ravi Varma Cereti, C. G. (2009). "The Pahlavi Signatures on the Quilon Copper Plates". In Sundermann, W.; Hintze, A.; de Blois, F. (eds.). Exegisti Monumenta: Festschrift in Honour of Nicholas Sims-Williams. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. ISBN 978-3-447-05937-4.
Kollam was the capital of Venadu and an important port town of the Chera Kingdom in that period. Kollam Aandu was adapted in the entire Chera Kingdom (the contemporary states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala), the majority of which is now in Kerala. In Malayalam-speaking Kerala, it is now called the Malayalam Era or 'Kollavarsham’ (Kollam Thontri Aandu). The earliest available record mentioning the Kollam Era is a royal decree by Sri Vallavan Goda, the King of Venadu, dated to (Kollam Era 149). In the inscription, the phrase "Kollam Thontri Aandu" is employed. Another era, referred to as "Kollam Aḻintha Aandu", counting from 1097 CE, was reckoned by the Cholas for some time. It is tentatively calculated that the Chola overlords captured the port of Kollam in 1097 CE.
There are multiple conflicting accounts regarding the origins of the Malayalam calendar, some of which are mentioned below:
| + Comparative table showing corresponding months of other calendars !style="background:lightgreen" | No. !style="background:lightgreen" | Months in Malayalam Era !style="background:lightgreen" | In Malayalam !style="background:lightgreen" | Tamil calendar !style="background:lightgreen" | Sanskrit solar month !style="background:lightgreen" | Saka era !style="background:lightgreen" | Tulu calendar !style="background:lightgreen" | Sign of zodiac !style="background:lightgreen" | Gregorian Calendar |
| + Comparative table showing corresponding weekdays !style="background:gold" | No. !style="background:gold" | Malayalam !style="background:gold" | മലയാളം !style="background:gold" | Sanskrit !style="background:gold" | English !style="background:gold" | Kannada !style="background:gold" | Tamil !style="background:gold" | Hindi !style="background:gold" | Arabic !style="background:gold" | Punjabi |
Like the months above, there are twenty seven nakshatra starting from Aswati (Ashvini in Sanskrit) and ending in Revatī. The 365 days of the year are divided into groups of fourteen days called Ñattuvela (ഞാറ്റുവേല), each one bearing the name of a star.
Vishu (വിഷു), celebrated on the first day of Medam, Onam (ഓണം), celebrated on the star Thiruvonam on the first day of Chingam, and Deepavali (ദീപാവലി), celebrated on the first day of Thulam, are three of the major festivals. The first day of Chingam is celebrated as the Kerala New Year, replacing Vishu (വിഷു), which was considered the beginning of a year until 825 CE. Vishu is still celebrated as the traditional Malayali New Year, as it is astronomically significant, 'Medam' being the first among the 12 rashis (the zodiac signs corresponding to the 12 months of a solar year).. Deepavali is traditionally celebrated during Thulam which is the months of October and November.
The Makaravilakku festival is celebrated in the Ayyappan Temple at Sabarimala on the first day of Makaram month. This marks the grand finale of the two-month period to the Sabarimala pilgrimage. The 1st of Makaram marks the winter Solstice (Uttarayanam) and the 1st of Karkaṭakam marks the summer solstice (Dakshinayanam) according to the Malayalam calendar (according to the astronomical calendar, the summer solstice is on 21 June, and the winter solstice on 21 December).
Chaitram 1 (usually coinciding with 20 March) or Medam 1 (mostly coinciding with 14 April, for 2019 it was on 15 April), both in the proximity of the date of the vernal equinox (21 March), mark the beginning of the new year in many traditional Indian calendars such as the Indian national calendar and the Tamil calendar. When the Government of Kerala adopted Kolla Varsham as the regional calendar, the first of Chingam, the month of the festival of Onam, was accepted as the Malayalam New Year instead.
The agricultural activities of Kerala are centred on the seasons. The southwest monsoon which starts around 1 June is known as Edavappathi, meaning mid of month Edavam. The northeast monsoon which starts during mid October is called thulavarsham (rain in the month of thulam). The two harvests of paddy are called Kannikkoythu and Makarakkoythu (harvests in the months kanni and makaram, respectively).
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