THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the birth of Chingam today, the Malayalam Calendar year known as Kollavarsham will enter a new century. 1199 bid farewell with Karkidakam 32nd. With Chingam 1st, Kerala’s unique year of Kollavarsham 1200 begins today.

While relying on the English calendar year for daily life and official affairs, Malayalees still rely on Kollavarsham to determine the day and stars for sowing and harvesting, marriage ceremonies, new house construction and housewarming. Śrāddha ritual is also conducted based on Kollavarsham. The Saptarshi cycle calendar, which starts anew every hundred years, was being used in India. Saptarshi year was based on Kashmir. However, the Kalivarsha calendar, in which the first day of Medam month is considered as New Year, was also popular here. Kalivarsha calendar also consisted of 12 months.

It was the merchants who arrived by ship from other places to Kollam, the commercial centre, who combined the Saptarshi cycle calendar they were familiar with, with local chronology methods, to form the 12-month Kollavarsham calendar. They told the then King of Venad that the Kollavarsham calendar was more convenient for preparing promissory notes in connection with trade. The Kollavarsham calendar was first prepared in 824 AD. However, there are many other claims regarding the Kollavarsham calendar. There is also a prevailing opinion that the Kollavarsham calendar was started to commemorate the founding of the city of Kollam. In any case, Chingam 1st is the beginning of opulence and prosperity for Malayali.