Dates for the festivals and vrathams of the next five months, with the items guide for each. Dates follow Drik Panchang for India and the Travancore Devaswom Board for Sabarimala; temples may announce local timings. Updated 19 October 2026.

Every second Monday of Karthigai (Karthigai Somavaram), every Pradosham and every Sashti also have their own observances; see the daily pooja guide for the weekly days.

Need items for any of these? Siva Pooja Store, Big Bazaar Street, Dindigul. Order at sivapoojastore.com or WhatsApp 91507 87862.

Four powders sit on almost every Tamil pooja shelf: vibhuti (thiruneeru), kumkum (kungumam), sandalwood (sandhanam) and turmeric (manjal). They are applied to the deity and then to the forehead in a set order, and each has a plain meaning. This guide covers what they are, how they are used, and how to keep them fresh. All four are sold loose and in packs at Siva Pooja Store under kumkum, turmeric and holy powders.

1. Vibhuti (thiruneeru)

What it is. Sacred ash. Traditional vibhuti is made by burning dried cow dung cakes with ghee and husk and sieving the ash fine. Temple vibhuti often comes from the homam fire. It is Sivan's mark, and the word thiruneeru means "holy ash".

How it is applied. With the ring finger, or three fingers for the three horizontal lines (thiripundram) across the forehead, sometimes also on the arms, chest and neck. The lines stand for the burning of the three impurities: ego, karma and illusion. Saivite devotees apply it after bathing and before every pooja; Ayyappa and Murugan devotees wear it through their vrathams.

Kinds.Regular vibhuti for daily use; special vibhuti, finer and whiter, for the deity and for festivals; scented varieties such as javvadhu vibhuti for the evening pooja.

Storage. Keep dry in a closed tin or a vibhuti pouch; it clumps in damp air. Lasts indefinitely if dry.

2. Kumkum (kungumam)

What it is. The red powder made traditionally from turmeric treated with slaked lime, which turns it red, and a little oil. Good kumkum is deep red, soft and stains the finger slightly; it should not be bright pink or gritty.

How it is applied. A single dot (pottu) at the centre of the forehead, placed over the vibhuti or sandal. Married women wear it also in the parting of the hair. Kumkum is offered to Amman, Lakshmi and all forms of Devi, and it is the first thing exchanged when women visit each other (thamboolam).

Kinds. Plain kumkum for daily use, and thazhampoo (screwpine scented) kumkum for the deity.

Storage. In a closed kumkum box away from water; a wet finger spoils the whole box. Keeps for a year or more.

3. Sandalwood powder (sandhanam)

What it is. Ground sandalwood, used as a cooling paste. For pooja it is mixed with a few drops of water or rose water to a thick paste.

How it is applied. A vertical mark or a dot at the centre of the forehead for Perumal devotees, or a small dot under the kumkum. It is the main abhishekam paste for Perumal and for Murugan on Sashti days, and the base for the chandanam kaappu that covers the deity at festivals.

Kinds.Sandalwood powder for daily use; dasangam and thiraviyam, which are fragrant sandal-based blends used for abhishekam and for the deity's bath.

Storage. Mix only what you need; the paste dries in a day. Keep the powder closed and away from heat.

4. Turmeric (manjal)

What it is. Pooja turmeric is the same root as kitchen turmeric, but kept separate and clean. Thiru manjal is the finer, paler turmeric used for the deity and for the mangalya pooja.

How it is applied. A small dot below the kumkum, or on the feet of the deity and at the doorstep. Turmeric water is used for the aarti at the end of every pooja, for welcoming guests and the cattle on Mattu Pongal, and for the kalasam. Turmeric root and finger turmeric are tied to the Pongal pot and the kalasam; turmeric powder is used daily.

Storage. Dry and closed; it absorbs smells. Keep pooja turmeric away from the kitchen jar.

5. The order of application

For Saivite families: vibhuti first (three lines), then sandal (dot or line), then kumkum (dot), then turmeric (small dot below). For Vaishnavite families: thiruman and srichoornam, or sandal, then kumkum. For Amman worship: turmeric first, then kumkum. Apply to the deity first, then take the prasadam from the same plate.

6. Buying and keeping the four powders

All four are for pooja use only and are not edible. For cooking turmeric, buy from the grocery section.

Stocking your pooja shelf?

Siva Pooja Store repacks vibhuti, kumkum, sandal and turmeric from bulk in 100 g to 1 kg packs under its own label. Order at sivapoojastore.com or WhatsApp 91507 87862. Shops and temples can ask for wholesale rates.

Common questions

Why three lines of vibhuti? The thiripundram stands for the three worlds and the three impurities burnt away by Sivan; it is also the simplest sign of a Saivite devotee.

Is kumkum the same as sindoor? No. Kumkum is turmeric-based and red; sindoor in North India is a different preparation and is worn mainly in the hair parting.

Can sandal paste be kept overnight? It dries and cracks; mix fresh each morning or keep the paste under a wet cloth for a few hours.

Which powder for which deity? Vibhuti for Sivan, Murugan and Ayyappa; sandal for Perumal; kumkum for Amman and Lakshmi; turmeric for Amman and for the kalasam. Most home poojas use all four.

More guides

• Daily pooja at home
• Homam items list
• Margazhi month 2026

Pongal 2027 runs over four days: Bhogi on Thursday 14 January, Thai Pongal on Friday 15 January, Mattu Pongal on Saturday 16 January and Kaanum Pongal on Sunday 17 January 2027. The sun enters Makara (the Sankranti moment) at 9:14 pm on 14 January, so Thai 1 and the Pongal are on the 15th. Thai Pongal is the harvest thanksgiving to Surya; the rice boils over in a new pot at sunrise, and the family shouts "Pongalo Pongal!"

This guide covers what each day needs so you can buy everything in one trip, a week ahead when the Pongal rush starts.

1. The four days

2. Bhogi: clearing and preparing

• A Bhogi fire at dawn with old household items; keep it small and safe
• Kolam powder for the big Pongal kolam, with kumkum and turmeric for colour
• New clothes bought and kept ready
• Fresh turmeric plant with leaves, sugarcane and a new clay pot bought at the market

3. Thai Pongal: the pot and the Surya pooja

The pot. A new clay or brass pot is tied at the neck with a fresh turmeric plant and set on a stove in the courtyard or at the entrance, facing east. Milk is boiled first; when it rises and spills, the family calls out and the rice goes in.

Sakkarai pongal needs: raw rice, moong dal, jaggery, ghee, cardamom, cashews, raisins and a pinch of edible camphor. Ven pongal is made alongside with pepper, cumin and ghee.

The Surya pooja, done when the pongal is ready:

1. Draw a kolam and place a banana leaf with the pongal, sugarcane, a coconut, bananas and the turmeric plant
2. Light the lamp with sesame oil and wicks
3. Apply kumkum, turmeric and sandal on the pot and the leaf
4. Light incense and sambrani, offer the pongal to Surya and do the camphor aarti
5. Share the pongal with neighbours

4. Mattu Pongal: for the cattle

Farmers and families with cows bathe the animals, paint the horns and tie bells and sacred thread with a cow cloth. They are offered pongal, bananas and jaggery, and an aarti is done with turmeric water and kumkum. In many homes a Ganapathi pooja with kolam powder dung balls (pillaiyar) is done on this day.

5. Pongal 2027 items list

6. Pongal checklist

• Kolam powder, rice flour, colours
• New pot, turmeric plant, sugarcane
• Rice, dal, jaggery, ghee, cardamom, cashews, raisins
• Lamp oil, wicks, camphor, incense, sambrani
• Kumkum, turmeric, sandal
• Coconut, bananas, flowers
• Cow cloth, thread and bells for Mattu Pongal

Getting ready for Pongal?

Siva Pooja Store, Big Bazaar Street, Dindigul, stocks the pooja items and the pongal groceries in one place, with fresh turmeric plants in the week before. Order at sivapoojastore.com or WhatsApp 91507 87862. Shops and temples can ask for wholesale rates.

Common questions

When is Pongal in 2027? Thai Pongal is Friday 15 January 2027. Bhogi is the 14th, Mattu Pongal the 16th and Kaanum Pongal the 17th.

Why is Pongal on the 15th when the Sankranti is on the 14th? The Makara Sankranti moment is 9:14 pm on 14 January, after sunset, so Thai 1 and the Pongal are kept the next morning.

Which way should the Pongal pot face? East, towards the rising sun, with the kolam in front.

Can Pongal be cooked indoors? Yes. Many flat-dwellers cook it on the kitchen stove or a balcony and offer it to the sun from a window; the pooja is the same.

More festival guides

• Margazhi month 2026
• Daily pooja at home
• Griha Pravesam pooja items list

Thiruvathirai 2026 falls on Thursday, 24 December 2026, the full-moon day of Margazhi when the Thiruvathirai star is in the sky. It is Nataraja's day: temples perform the Arudra Darshanam abhishekam before dawn and bring the deity out in procession, with Chidambaram as the centre of it all. At home, Saivite families keep a fast until the evening pooja and offer thiruvathirai kali, a sweet made from roasted rice and jaggery, with a kootu of seven vegetables.

1. Date and timing

The date is from Drik Panchang for India. Chidambaram and other large Siva temples publish their own darshan schedule.

2. The Nataraja pooja at home

1. Bathe early and light the lamp with sesame oil or ghee before the Nataraja or Sivalingam picture.
2. Do a simple abhishekam if you have a small lingam: water, milk, rose water, panchagavyam or holy theertha powder mixed in water, then dry and dress.
3. Apply vibhuti in three lines, then sandalwood paste and kumkum.
4. Offer bilva leaves and flowers, light incense and sambrani.
5. Chant the Thiruvempavai verse of the day, Sivapuranam or "Om Namasivaya" 108 times, then the camphor aarti.

3. Thiruvathirai kali and kootu

Thiruvathirai kali is made from raw rice roasted and coarsely ground, cooked with jaggery, ghee, cardamom, cashews and dried coconut. Many families add a little sesame seed and a pinch of edible camphor at the end.

Ezhu kari kootu (seven-vegetable kootu) goes with it: pumpkin, sweet potato, yam, raw banana, broad beans, ash gourd and brinjal cooked with toor dal, coconut and a tempering of mustard and curry leaves. Both are offered to Nataraja before the family eats.

4. Thiruvathirai items list

5. Thiruvathirai checklist

• Lamp oil, wicks, camphor
• Vibhuti, sandal, kumkum, bilva leaves
• Abhishekam items if you have a lingam
• Rice, jaggery, cardamom, cashews, coconut for the kali
• Seven vegetables and dal for the kootu

Getting ready for Thiruvathirai?

Siva Pooja Store, Big Bazaar Street, Dindigul, keeps all the pooja and kali ingredients in one place. Order at sivapoojastore.com or WhatsApp 91507 87862.

Common questions

What is the Thiruvathirai 2026 date? Thursday, 24 December 2026.

Is fasting required? Many women keep a fast from morning until the evening pooja, then eat the kali and kootu. It is a custom, not a rule, and elders and children usually eat normally.

Why is kali offered to Nataraja? The story is of Sendanar, a devotee who had only roasted rice and jaggery to offer; Nataraja accepted it, and the kali has been the Thiruvathirai naivedyam since.

Is Arudra Darshan the same as Thiruvathirai? Yes. Arudra is the Sanskrit name of the Thiruvathirai star, and Arudra Darshanam is the pre-dawn darshan of Nataraja on this day.

More festival guides

• Margazhi month 2026
• Vaikunta Ekadasi 2026
• Daily pooja at home

Margazhi 2026 begins on Wednesday, 16 December 2026 and ends on Thursday, 14 January 2027, the day before Thai Pongal. It is the Dhanur month, Perumal's own month, and the one month in the Tamil year when the pooja moves to before dawn. Homes draw large kolams at the gate, temples sing the Thiruppavai and Thiruvempavai from 4 am, and no weddings or house-warmings are held.

For a pooja shop it is the month when kolam powder, lamp oil and camphor sell by the kilo. This guide lists what a family uses through the month and the two big days inside it: Thiruvathirai on 24 December and Vaikunta Ekadasi on 20 December.

1. The Margazhi routine at home

1. Before sunrise, around 4:30–5:30 am: bath, then the gate is washed and the kolam drawn with kolam powder, finished with a pumpkin flower or a dab of kumkum in the centre.
2. The lamp: lit with sesame oil or ghee and cotton wicks before the Perumal or family deity.
3. The pasuram of the day: one Thiruppavai verse (Andal) and one Thiruvempavai verse (Manikkavasagar), 30 verses for 30 days. Many families play the recording while the pooja is done.
4. Naivedyam: ven pongal or sakkarai pongal on most days, with cardamom, cashews and raisins.
5. Evening: a second lamp, incense and sambrani; bhajan groups visit the streets in many towns.

2. Kolam: what you need for 30 days

• Kolam powder: a large kolam at the gate uses 100–200 g a day, so plan 3–5 kg for the month
• Rice flour for the traditional wet kolam (maakolam) on special days
• Kumkum or turmeric for the centre and borders
• Cow dung for the traditional base, and pumpkin flowers from the market

3. Special days inside Margazhi

4. Margazhi month items list

5. Margazhi checklist

• Kolam powder for the month, rice flour for maakolam
• Lamp oil, wicks, camphor
• Incense and sambrani for the evening pooja
• Thiruppavai and Thiruvempavai book or recording
• Pongal ingredients for naivedyam
• Items for Vaikunta Ekadasi (20 Dec) and Thiruvathirai (24 Dec)

Stocking up for Margazhi?

Siva Pooja Store, Big Bazaar Street, Dindigul, sells kolam powder, lamp oil and camphor in bulk packs through the month. Order at sivapoojastore.com, WhatsApp 91507 87862, or ask for wholesale rates for bhajan groups and temples.

Common questions

When does Margazhi 2026 start and end? Wednesday 16 December 2026 to Thursday 14 January 2027.

Why are weddings not held in Margazhi? The month is set aside for worship, with the pooja moved to the early hours; auspicious family functions are kept for Thai, which begins on 15 January.

What is the difference between Thiruppavai and Thiruvempavai? Thiruppavai is Andal's 30 verses to Perumal; Thiruvempavai is Manikkavasagar's 20 verses to Sivan. Both are sung one verse a day through the month.

How much kolam powder do I need? A medium gate kolam uses about 100 g a day; large street kolams for the Margazhi competitions use much more. 3–5 kg covers a normal home for the month.

More festival guides

• Vaikunta Ekadasi 2026
• Thiruvathirai 2026
• Pongal 2027 pooja items list
• Daily pooja at home

Vaikunta Ekadasi is on Sunday, 20 December 2026. The Ekadasi tithi begins at 10:09 pm on Saturday 19 December and ends at 8:14 pm on Sunday 20 December; the fast is broken (parana) on Monday 21 December between about 7:10 and 9:13 am. It is the Ekadasi of the Margazhi month, when Vishnu temples open the Sorgavasal (Paramapada Vasal), the northern gate, before dawn. At Srirangam the gate opens early on the 20th and tens of thousands pass through it.

In most Tamil homes the day is kept with a fast, an early bath, a simple Perumal pooja and, if possible, a temple visit for the Sorgavasal darshan.

1. Dates and timings

Timings are from Drik Panchang; local temples publish their own darshan times.

2. How the fast is kept

There are three common levels, and families choose by health and age:

1. Nirjala: no food or water from the previous night until parana. Kept by the devout and the healthy.
2. Phalahara: fruits, milk, nuts and water only. The most common in Tamil homes.
3. One meal: a single meal of rice-free food such as sabudana, fruits or roasted aval. Elders, children and those on medication keep this.

Rice and grains are avoided by everyone on Ekadasi. Many also keep a vigil (jagaran) on the night of the 20th with Vishnu Sahasranamam or Thiruppavai pasurams.

3. The Perumal pooja at home

The pooja is simple and is done after the early morning bath:

• Light the lamp with cow ghee or sesame oil using cotton wicks
• Decorate the Perumal picture or idol with tulasi leaves, flowers and a kalasam cloth behind it
• Apply thiruman and srichoornam, or sandalwood powder and kumkum
• Light incense and cup sambrani
• Offer the naivedyam and do the camphor aarti
• Chant Vishnu Sahasranamam, the Thiruppavai pasuram for the day, or "Om Namo Narayanaya" 108 times

4. Naivedyam for Ekadasi

Because grain is avoided, the offerings are fruit and milk based:

• Fruits, especially bananas, and dried coconut
• Panchamirtham made with banana, honey, ghee, jaggery, dates and cardamom
• Sugar candy, raisins and cashews
• Milk and tulasi theertham

On parana morning, the fast is broken with a simple grain meal, often ven pongal or curd rice, after offering it to Perumal.

5. Vaikunta Ekadasi checklist

• Ghee or sesame oil, wicks
• Tulasi leaves and flowers
• Thiruman, srichoornam or sandal and kumkum
• Incense, sambrani, camphor
• Fruits, honey, jaggery, dates, cardamom for panchamirtham
• Sugar candy, raisins, cashews
• Kalasam cloth for the altar

Getting ready for Vaikunta Ekadasi?

Everything in this list is in stock at Siva Pooja Store, Big Bazaar Street, Dindigul. Visit the store, order at sivapoojastore.com, or WhatsApp 91507 87862.

Common questions

What is the Vaikunta Ekadasi 2026 date? Sunday, 20 December 2026. Parana is on Monday 21 December morning.

Can I drink water during the fast? On a phalahara fast, yes: water, milk, fruit and nuts are allowed. Only a nirjala fast excludes water.

Why is rice avoided on Ekadasi? Tradition holds that grain is not eaten on any Ekadasi; the day is for lighter food and more time in prayer. Fruits, milk, sabudana and roasted aval are the usual substitutes.

Which temples in and near Dindigul open the Sorgavasal? Vishnu temples generally open a Paramapada Vasal for the day. Check the timings at your nearest Perumal temple a few days before, as most open before dawn.

More festival guides

• Margazhi month 2026: daily pooja and kolam
• Thiruvathirai 2026
• Daily pooja at home

The Sabarimala temple opens for the Mandala season on the evening of Sunday, 16 November 2026 (Vrischikam 1), so pilgrims begin climbing from Monday 17 November. Mandala Pooja is on Sunday, 27 December 2026, the temple reopens on 30 December for the Makaravilakku season, and Makaravilakku is on Thursday, 14 January 2027. Most devotees in Tamil Nadu start their 41-day vratham on or just after Karthigai 1 (17 November), so that the vratham ends in time for the Mandala Pooja darshan.

This guide covers how the vratham is kept at home and the pooja items a devotee uses daily. The irumudi kettu itself is covered in our Irumudi items list.

1. Season dates at a glance

Dates are as published by the Travancore Devaswom Board and panchangam sources; check your guruswami's instructions for your group's travel date.

2. Maala dharanam: starting the vratham

The vratham begins when the devotee receives the tulasi or rudraksha maala from a guruswami or at a temple, on an auspicious day, usually a Saturday or the first day of Karthigai. Families keep these ready for the maala pooja:

• A lamp with sesame oil or cow ghee and cotton wicks
• Vibhuti, sandalwood powder and kumkum for the Ayyappa picture
• Camphor for the aarti
• Flowers, a coconut and fruits for the naivedyam
• A black or blue dhoti, which the devotee wears from this day

3. The 41 days: what changes at home

The rules are kept strictly, and the whole household usually adjusts around them:

1. Two poojas a day. Morning and evening, the devotee lights the lamp before Ayyappa, applies vibhuti and sandal, and chants the Saranam or the 108 names. The lamp is never left unlit.
2. Vegetarian, sattvic food. No onion or garlic in many homes, no alcohol, no smoking, food cooked at home.
3. Simple living. Sleeping on a mat on the floor, bathing twice a day in cold water, walking barefoot, no shaving or haircuts.
4. Addressing everyone as Swami. Every man is Swami, every woman Malikapuram.
5. Temple visits and bhajans. Many devotees visit an Ayyappa temple on Saturdays and join bhajan groups in the evenings.

4. Daily pooja items for the 41 days

These get used every day for six weeks, so buy in larger packs:

5. Weekly bhajan and Ayyappa pooja at home

Many families host a Saturday evening bhajan during the season. Beyond the daily items you will want sambrani oil or attar for the guests, extra camphor, and prasadam such as jaggery, aval and dates. A kalasam cloth and darbhai grass are used when a priest leads a padi pooja.

6. Before the trip: the irumudi

The irumudi is packed the night before departure, at a kettunira ceremony led by the guruswami. The full list of what goes in each half, with ghee coconut, rice, jaggery and the pooja items for Sannidhanam, is in our Irumudi items list and in Tamil at இருமுடி பொருட்கள் பட்டியல்.

7. Mandala Kalam checklist

• Tulasi or rudraksha maala, black or blue dhoti
• Ayyappa picture, lamp, oil and wicks for 41 days
• Vibhuti, sandal powder, kumkum (large packs)
• Camphor, incense, sambrani
• Rose water
• Prasadam items for bhajans
• Irumudi items, bought the week before travel

Getting ready for Sabarimala?

Siva Pooja Store, Big Bazaar Street, Dindigul, stocks everything on this list, including ghee for the irumudi coconut. Visit the store, order on sivapoojastore.com, or WhatsApp 91507 87862 with your list. Bhajan groups and temple committees can ask for wholesale rates.

Common questions

When does the Sabarimala vratham start in 2026? Most devotees start on Karthigai 1, Tuesday 17 November 2026, so that 41 days end before Mandala Pooja on 27 December.

Can the vratham be shorter than 41 days? Devotees who cannot keep 41 days often keep a minimum of 21 days, with their guruswami's guidance. First-time pilgrims (kanni swamis) traditionally keep the full 41.

Is Makaravilakku the same as Makara Sankranti? Makaravilakku is the evening of Makara Sankranti, Thursday 14 January 2027, when the Makara Jyothi is seen at Ponnambalamedu.

What should women keep at home during the season? Women in the household, as Malikapuram, often keep the same vegetarian diet and join the daily pooja. Girls under 10 and women over 50 may undertake the pilgrimage.

More festival guides

• Irumudi items list
• Kanda Sashti Viratham 2026
• Karthigai Deepam 2026 items list
• Daily pooja at home