Last updated: May 2026
The Telugu calendar (తెలుగు క్యాలెండర్) follows the Southern Amanta lunisolar system, where each month begins the day after Amavasya (new moon) and ends on the next Amavasya. This distinguishes it from the Northern Purnimanta system, where months begin the day after Pournami (full moon) and end on Pournami.
The lunisolar structure means that months are based on lunar cycles, but the year stays aligned with the solar cycle through the periodic addition of an extra month. This dual nature allows the calendar to track both agricultural seasons (which follow the Sun) and religious observances (which follow the Moon).
The Telugu year consists of 12 lunar months. Each month name has a Sanskrit origin and corresponds approximately to a pair of Gregorian months:
| # | Telugu Month | Telugu Script | Approx. Gregorian |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chaitra | చైత్రం | March - April |
| 2 | Vaishakha | వైశాఖం | April - May |
| 3 | Jyeshtha | జ్యేష్ఠం | May - June |
| 4 | Ashadha | ఆషాఢం | June - July |
| 5 | Shravana | శ్రావణం | July - August |
| 6 | Bhadrapada | భాద్రపదం | August - September |
| 7 | Ashwayuja | ఆశ్వయుజం | September - October |
| 8 | Karthika | కార్తీకం | October - November |
| 9 | Margashira | మార్గశిరం | November - December |
| 10 | Pushya | పుష్యం | December - January |
| 11 | Magha | మాఘం | January - February |
| 12 | Phalguna | ఫాల్గుణం | February - March |
Note: These Gregorian equivalents are approximate. Actual start and end dates shift each year because lunar months are about 29.5 days long.
A lunar year of 12 months is approximately 354 days — about 11 days shorter than a solar year. Without correction, festivals would gradually drift through the seasons. To prevent this, an extra month called Adhika Masa (also known as Purushottam Masa) is inserted approximately every 2 to 3 years (on average, once every 32.5 months).
The Adhika Masa takes the name of the month it precedes (for example, Adhika Ashada). During Adhika Masa, most auspicious ceremonies are not performed, but it is considered a highly meritorious period for spiritual practices, charity, and Vishnu worship.
The Telugu calendar groups its months into six seasons of two months each:
Our interactive Telugu Calendar displays a monthly grid where each day shows:
You can select any city to recalculate the calendar for that location's sunrise time, and navigate to any month and year using the controls.
Jump directly to the interactive calendar on our Telugu Panchangam Daily homepage. Select your city and month to see Tithi, Nakshatra, and festival details for every day. Popular city pages:
Related: Telugu Festivals 2026 lists major festivals with their significance, and What is Telugu Panchangam? explains the five Panchangam elements in detail.