Pambu Panchangam, a popular Tamil almanac is read on the first day of the Tamil New Year in most Tamil homes. Based on planetary positions and calculations, the families use the Panchangam to know their future.
CHENNAI: If you grew up seeing a vibrant, 28-page yellow-tinted book, with a prominent image of a snake on it, in your prayer room, this name might ring a bell — ‘Pambu Panchangam’. The popular Tamil almanac is part of every Tamil household and is 135 years old. “The publication of the Pambu Panchangam was started by our forefather Konnur Manicka Mudhaliar in 1883. He also used to walk to every temple to collect details about festivals, which would also be a part of the Panchangam,” says Ganesh Kumar, MD, Manonmani Vilasam Press, the only printer of the Pambu Panchangam.
Despite the availability of other Panchangams like the Suddha Tirukanitha Panchangam, Srirangam Panchangam and the Sri Kanchi Sri Acharyar Madathu Panchangam, the Pambu Panchangam is the most sought-after, says stationery dealers and Naatu Marundhu Kadai owners in the city. From celestial figures, religious festivals, weather forecasts, dates of when farmers can sow the seeds to calculations on when travel tickets can be booked, it has it all.“These calculations are done by a team of scholars who have been doing this for ages. So, they are very accurate,” asserts Ganesh.
The press publishes about three lakh copies every year during Tamil New year and has a loyal readership of over 60,000 in Chennai. “The Panchangam is sent worldwide, as Tamil-speaking people across the globe buy it in April,” he says.
Reading the Panchangam on the first day of the Tamil month, Chithirai, is possibly the most important aspect of the Tamil New Year. “It’s read by temple priests and pundits mostly in the temple’s sanctum. Today, there are several families who have seen their grandparents read the Panchangam at home on New Year, and still follow it,” he shares.
One must have heard the elders in the family say this: ‘There’s a time to do everything’. The Panchangam quite accurately tell us the ‘right time’ to do or start something new. “Every year, on the first day of Tamil New year, the elders in the house will take the Panchangam at an auspicious time and will read the Kandaya Phalan for the Nakshatrams (stars) of people at home. The readings will indicate the different aspects of life including income and expenditure,” says AK Malathy. Once the Panchangam is read, the family sits down to devour the Pachchadi, Neer mor, and Panagam.
“To book tickets, perform Pithru Karma and even know when the star birthday falls in the Tamil year, we refer to the Panchangam,” says Jayashree Subramanian.
Manjula Kuppusami, a septuagenarian who has been reading the Panchangam for years, elucidates, “There are five parts to the almanac, that’s why it’s known as Pancha (five) angam(parts). Important timings, dates and their calculations are presented in a tabulated form. These are very important in deciding wedding dates too.”
Using Panchangam
A typical Panchangam may state tabulations of positions of sun, moon, and other planets for every day of the year on a fixed place (longitude, latitude) and time of day (in 24-hour format IST). The users calculate the remaining data using their relative difference from this fixed place and time. Astrologers consult the Panchangam to set auspicious dates for weddings, and other worldly activities as per religion.