Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday took to social media platform X to highlight the difference in Janmashtami observance between Kerala and the rest of the country.

In his post, Tharoor noted that while August 16 (Saturday) was celebrated as Bhagwan Sri Krishna Janmashtami across India, the Malayalam calendar places the festival in Kerala on September 14 (Sunday).

“Yesterday, 16th Aug, 2025 (Saturday), was celebrated as Bhagwan Sri Krishna #Janmashthami across India — except in the state of Kerala! The Malayalam calendar shows this year’s Janmashthami date as 14th Sept, 2025 (Sunday), NOT yesterday,” he wrote.

Tharoor added: “Can anybody enlighten me as to why this is so? Surely even a Bhagwan can’t be born on two different days six weeks apart! Is there a case for rationalising the dates of religious holidays so that all adherents of a faith can celebrate with their fellow believers at the same time? After all, Keralites don’t observe a different Christmas!”


What users say

Users on X explained that most of India follows either the Purnimanta calendar (lunar month ending with a full moon) or the Amanta calendar (lunar month ending with a new moon) to fix festival dates. Janmashtami is usually marked on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the Krishna Paksha (waning moon phase) in the month of Bhadrapada or Shravana.

Kerala, however, follows the Malayalam calendar (Kollavarsham), a lunisolar system that combines solar and lunar cycles. Janmashtami’s date in Kerala is determined not just by the Ashtami tithi but also by the presence of the Rohini Nakshatra at midnight, as Lord Krishna is believed to have been born under this star. This combination is considered mandatory in Kerala, unlike in other states where only the Ashtami tithi is prioritised.

The divergence arises because India uses multiple calendars. The Vikram Samvat (largely lunar) is commonly followed in most northern states, while Kerala relies on the Malayalam calendar. In contrast, the universally accepted Gregorian calendar is purely solar.

As one user summarised: “Most of India uses the North Indian panchang, while Kerala follows the Malayalam calendar. That’s why Janmashtami dates differ. Rationalisation may be debated, but diversity in traditions is also part of our culture.”

Tharoor acknowledges user explanation

Later, Tharoor shared a user’s post on X with the caption: “Thanks for this enlightenment ,” which explained the calendrical differences and the specific astrological requirement of Rohini Nakshatra for Kerala’s Janmashtami.