Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Shashi Tharoor took to social media platform X on Sunday (August 17) to highlight a striking difference in festival observances. While Janmashtami was celebrated across most of India on August 16, 2025 (Saturday), Tharoor pointed out that Kerala observes the festival on September 14, 2025 (Sunday), according to the Malayalam calendar.
Puzzled, he asked, “Surely even a Bhagwan can’t be born on two different days six weeks apart!…After all, Keralites don’t observe a different Christmas!”
Why Kerala’s date differs?
Users quickly offered explanations rooted in India’s multiplicity of calendars-
- Rest of India: Janmashtami is observed on the Ashtami tithi (eighth lunar day) of Krishna Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada or Shravana, as per the Purnimanta or Amanta systems.
- Kerala: Follows the Malayalam calendar (Kollavarsham), a luni-solar system that not only considers the Ashtami tithi but insists on the Rohini Nakshatra being present at midnight, since Lord Krishna is believed to have been born under this star.
This stricter alignment of tithi plus nakshatra results in Kerala’s Janmashtami often falling on a different date from the rest of the country.
Calendars and culture
Much of northern India follows the lunar-based Vikram Samvat calendar, while Kerala relies on its regional Malayalam calendar, and the world at large uses the solar Gregorian calendar. These multiple systems reflect the country’s historic regional practices, but also explain why festival dates may not match everywhere.
Tharoor’s call for rationalisation
Shashi Tharoor raised an important question: should festivals like Janmashtami be synchronised nationwide so that all devotees celebrate together, as is the case with Christmas? Or should the diverse traditions be preserved as a reflection of India’s pluralism?
His response after clarification
Later in the day, Tharoor himself reshared a user’s detailed explanation about the calendrical differences and the requirement of Rohini Nakshatra in Kerala, adding a gracious, “Thanks for this enlightenment.”
Lakhs of devotees flock to Mathura for Janmashtami celebrations
Lakhs of devotees from across India and abroad thronged Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna, on Saturday to mark Janmashtami with grandeur. Pilgrims began queuing as early as Friday night at the northern gate of the Radha Krishna temple inside the Bhagwat Bhavan complex, eager for a glimpse of the deity. Officials noted that the fervour only intensified through the day, with throngs of devotees continuing late into the night as festivities peaked.
City transformed into a festive canvas
The Mathura administration prepared extensively for the occasion, turning the city into a celebratory spectacle. Roads and crossings were adorned with decorations, while Krishna Leela tableaux doubled as selfie points, drawing visitors. Cultural programmes brought together folk artistes from Awadh, Bundelkhand, Rajasthan and Haryana, enriching the atmosphere with vibrant performances. To serve the vast crowd, food, water and sherbet were distributed free of cost at various locations, ensuring devotees could fully immerse themselves in the celebration.
