Puthandu 2027 – Tamil New Year, First Day of Chithirai
புத்தாண்டு
When is Puthandu in 2027?
Puthandu, the Tamil New Year, falls on Wednesday 14 April 2027. It marks the first day of Chithirai, the opening month of the Tamil solar calendar, when the sun enters Mesha (Aries). Families begin the year by viewing an auspicious Kanni tray at dawn and sharing a festive vegetarian meal.
Puthandu is the Tamil New Year, celebrated on the first day of Chithirai, the opening month of the Tamil solar calendar. It usually falls on 14 April, when the sun moves into Mesha (Aries). Rather than honouring a single god, the day is about beginning well: families rise early to view the Kanni, an arrangement of auspicious objects meant to be the year’s first sight, then draw a lamp-lit kolam, visit the temple and eat a full vegetarian spread. It is the Tamil counterpart to Kerala’s Vishu.
Puthandu 2026-2028: Dates & Calendar
The next Puthandu falls on Wednesday 14 April 2027. Because it is a solar new year tied to the sun entering Mesha (Aries), the date barely shifts and lands on 13 or 14 April each year.
| Year | Date | Day | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 14 April | Tuesday | First day of Chithirai |
| 2027 | 14 April | Wednesday | Next occurrence |
| 2028 | 13 April | Thursday | Falls a day earlier |
The same solar transition is observed across South and Southeast Asia on nearly the same dates, so Puthandu often coincides with Vishu in Kerala, Bihu in Assam, Baisakhi in Punjab and the Sinhalese and Thai new years.
Why Puthandu Is Celebrated
Puthandu is celebrated as the Tamil New Year, a fresh start marked by an auspicious first sight, prosperity and the acceptance of all that life brings.
A solar new year
Chithirai opens the Tamil year the moment the sun enters Mesha (Aries). The day sets the tone for the twelve months ahead, so people begin it with things they wish to see more of: gold, fruit, flowers and family.
The first sight matters
The Kanni custom rests on a simple idea – that what you look upon first on new year’s morning colours the year to come. Waking to fruit, coins, a mirror and lamplight is meant to draw in prosperity and good fortune.
The lesson of Maanga Pachadi
The signature dish blends sweet, sour, bitter and spicy in one bowl. It is eaten as a small teaching: a full year holds all of these tastes, and the wise take each as it comes rather than expecting only the sweet.
Key Rituals, Step by Step
Puthandu is a home-and-temple day, quiet and orderly, built around a good beginning.
- Clean and decorate. Homes are washed and tidied the day before, and doorways are hung with fresh mango-leaf torans to welcome the new year.
- Set the Kanni. The night before, a tray is laid with fruits, gold or coins, betel leaves, a mirror and flowers, often beside an image of a chosen deity, ready to be viewed at first light.
- View the Kanni at dawn. Family members rise early and look upon the Kanni arrangement as the year’s first sight, an act meant to invite prosperity.
- Draw the kolam. A large kolam is drawn at the threshold and a kuthuvilakku (brass lamp) is lit at its centre.
- Read the Panchangam. Elders or the temple priest read the new year Panchangam, the almanac that forecasts the coming year’s seasons and auspicious days.
- Visit the temple. Families offer prayers at their local temple; in Madurai the grand Chithirai festival at the Meenakshi temple draws large crowds around this time.
- Share the new year meal. The day closes with a full vegetarian sadya-style feast, opened with a taste of Maanga Pachadi.
Special Foods of Puthandu
The Puthandu table is vegetarian and generous, centred on one symbolic dish.
Maanga Pachadi
A raw-mango preparation that deliberately combines sweet (jaggery), sour (green mango), bitter (neem flower) and spicy (chilli). Each taste stands for a flavour of life, and eating them together is the day’s quiet lesson.
Medhu vada
Soft, crisp-edged lentil doughnuts made from urad dal, a savoury favourite served with chutney and sambar at the festive meal.
Payasam
A sweet milk or jaggery pudding, often made with vermicelli, rice or moong dal, offered first to the deity and then shared.
Sadya-style spread
A full vegetarian meal of rice, sambar, rasam, poriyal, kootu and pickles, laid out on a banana leaf to mark the occasion.
Where It’s Celebrated
Puthandu is a Tamil festival, kept wherever Tamil families live.
Tamil Nadu
The heartland of the festival. Homes across the state mark the day with the Kanni, kolam and family meal, while Madurai holds its large Chithirai temple festival.
Sri Lanka
Tamils in Sri Lanka observe the same solar new year on the same day, and it is a shared public occasion alongside the Sinhala new year.
Tamil diaspora
In Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius and other communities abroad, Puthandu is celebrated with temple visits, Kanni trays and traditional food to keep the tradition alive far from home.
Puthandu Do’s and Don’ts
A few simple customs help start the year on the right note.
Do
- Rise early and view the Kanni as your first sight of the year
- Clean the home and hang fresh mango-leaf torans beforehand
- Draw a kolam and light the kuthuvilakku at the doorway
- Wear new or clean traditional clothes
- Share the meal and taste the Maanga Pachadi together
Avoid
- Do not skip the dawn Kanni viewing by sleeping in
- Do not begin the year with arguments or harsh words
- Do not leave the home cluttered or undecorated
- Do not treat only the sweet as welcome – the Pachadi teaches otherwise
- Do not confuse Puthandu with Pongal, the separate harvest festival in January
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Puthandu in 2027?
Puthandu, the Tamil New Year, falls on Wednesday 14 April 2027. It is the first day of Chithirai, the opening month of the Tamil solar calendar, when the sun enters Mesha (Aries).
When is Puthandu in 2026 and 2028?
Puthandu is on 14 April 2026 (a Tuesday) and on 13 April 2028 (a Thursday). Because it is a solar new year fixed to the sun’s entry into Mesha, the date stays close to 13-14 April every year.
Why is Puthandu celebrated?
Puthandu is celebrated as the Tamil New Year, marking a fresh start as the sun enters a new zodiac cycle. It centres on beginning the year well – an auspicious first sight, prosperity, and the idea that life holds every flavour, sweet and bitter alike.
What is the Kanni in Puthandu?
The Kanni is an auspicious arrangement of fruits, gold or coins, betel leaves, a mirror and flowers, set out the night before and viewed first thing on new year’s morning. The custom holds that starting the year by looking upon these lucky objects invites good fortune.
What food is eaten on Puthandu?
The signature dish is Maanga Pachadi, a raw-mango preparation blending sweet, sour, bitter and spicy to represent the flavours of life. It is served with medhu vada, payasam and a full vegetarian sadya-style meal.
Is Puthandu the same as Pongal?
No, Puthandu and Pongal are different festivals. Puthandu is the Tamil New Year on 14 April, while Pongal is the harvest festival held in mid-January. Both are Tamil celebrations but fall in different seasons for different reasons.
How is Puthandu related to Vishu?
Puthandu and Kerala’s Vishu are near-identical solar new year festivals observed on the same day. Both mark the sun entering Mesha and both share the custom of an auspicious first sight – the Kanni in Tamil Nadu and the Vishukkani in Kerala.
Which god is worshipped on Puthandu?
Puthandu is not tied to a single deity; it is a solar new year rather than a god’s festival. Families visit their local temple and many place an image of a chosen deity beside the Kanni tray, but no one god is central to the day.
However you keep the day, may your Kanni bring a bright and prosperous year ahead. Puthandu Vazthukal!