Margazhi and Dhanurmasam 2026 in Singapore: Start Time, First and Last Dawn, Thiruppavai and Kolam

Quick answer: Margazhi 2026 Singapore (Dhanurmasam) begins when the Sun enters Dhanu at 12:41 PM on Wednesday 16 December 2026 Singapore time. The first Margazhi dawn is Thursday 17 December and the last Dhanurmasam dawn is Thursday 14 January 2027. Makar Sankranti, which ends the month, falls at 11:26 PM on Thursday 14 January 2027 Singapore time; follow your temple for the Thai Pongal date.

For Singapore's largely Tamil Hindu community, Margazhi is the month of the dawn. Andal's Thiruppavai is sung one pasuram a day, Margazhi bhajan groups go out before sunrise, kolams grow larger at the doorstep, and Perumal temples prepare for Vaikunta Ekadasi. Telugu and Kannada families keep the same month as Dhanurmasam, with the same Tiruppavai at its centre.

About these times: Singapore values are calculated for Singapore with HinduTone's calculator using the Drik Panchang method (validated against Drik to a minute or two). India values are from our India calendar. Please confirm on Drik Panchang for Singapore and follow your temple.

Margazhi 2026 in Singapore: dates and times

These are Singapore clock times. India's own Sankranti moments are given in IST in our India guides and should not be used for Singapore. If you follow a Tamil calendar printed in India, its Margazhi day numbers may differ by a day from your Singapore temple's; follow your temple.

Why the first dawn is Thursday 17 December

Margazhi is a solar month: it begins when the Sun crosses into the sign of Dhanu. In Singapore that crossing happens at 12:41 PM on Wednesday 16 December, after that morning's sunrise. Dawn worship in Margazhi happens before sunrise, so the first dawn that truly lies inside the month is Thursday 17 December.

Calendars differ on how to count a Sankranti that falls in the middle of the day. Some temples treat 16 December as day one; others begin the dawn Thiruppavai on 17 December. Both are traditional. Follow the calendar of your own temple or family so that your daily pasuram stays in step with the people you sing with.

At the other end, the last dawn is Thursday 14 January 2027. The Sun moves into Makara at 11:26 PM that night, so the whole of 14 January still belongs to Margazhi in Singapore.

The Thiruppavai daily routine

Andal, the only woman among the twelve Alvars, composed the thirty pasurams of the Thiruppavai as a young girl in Srivilliputhur, as commonly told, imagining herself as a cowherd girl of Gokulam waking her friends for a dawn vow to reach Krishna. One pasuram is sung each morning of Margazhi, and the whole cycle ends with her surrender to the Lord.

1. Wake before sunrise: the brahma muhurta, the hour or so before dawn, is ideal. Even half an hour before sunrise is enough on a working day.
2. Bath and lamp: bathe, light a ghee or oil lamp before Perumal, Krishna or Andal, and offer a few flowers or tulasi leaves.
3. Kolam: draw a kolam at the threshold (see below).
4. Sing the day's pasuram: sing or read the pasuram for that day of Margazhi, then read its meaning. Children can learn the first line.
5. Naivedyam: ven pongal or sakkarai pongal is the classic Margazhi offering, but a fruit or a little milk is enough.
6. Close with a nama: a few rounds of "Om Namo Narayanaya" or a short Vishnu stotra.

For all thirty pasurams with meanings, see Tiruppavai 30 pasurams: complete devotional guide, and for a pasuram-by-date plan see Dhanurmasam 2026 dates and Tiruppavai schedule. Families wanting a step-by-step routine with children will find Dhanurmasam daily rituals for families useful.

Shaiva families also sing Manikkavasagar's Thiruvempavai through Margazhi, a dawn hymn to Shiva that pairs naturally with the Thiruppavai.

Kolam in Margazhi, Singapore style

The Margazhi kolam is a dawn offering: a rice-flour design that welcomes Lakshmi and, traditionally, feeds ants and birds. Many families make it larger and more elaborate through the month, sometimes placing a small ball of cow dung or a pumpkin flower at its centre, as village custom goes.

• HDB corridors: keep the kolam small and within your own doorway so that neighbours can pass. A dry rice-flour kolam is easy to sweep away.
• Rain: December is the northeast monsoon, and showers can wash away a kolam in minutes. Draw it inside the doorway, or use a reusable kolam mat or stickers on wet days.
• Learning together: start with a simple dot kolam of five or seven dots and add a row each week. It is a good activity for school-holiday mornings.

Margazhi bhajans and temples in Singapore

Margazhi dawn bhajans, in which devotees sing through the streets or gather at a temple before sunrise, are a long-standing Tamil tradition, and Singapore's Tamil community has kept it. Practices vary from group to group. Some sing inside temple halls; others gather at homes.

Singapore's well-known Perumal (Vishnu) temples, Murugan temples, Amman temples and Sivan temples are central to the month, especially for Vaikunta Ekadasi. We do not list programmes, timings or fees; please check the official website or notice board of your temple. Little India becomes especially busy at weekends in December, so allow extra time.

Key dates inside Margazhi 2026 in Singapore

• Thu 17 Dec 2026: first Margazhi dawn, and also a Margashirsha Thursday for families keeping the Lakshmivara or Guruvar vratam.
• Sun 20 Dec 2026: Vaikunta Ekadasi, with the Sorgavasal (Paramapada Vasal) tradition in Vishnu temples, and Gita Jayanti. See Vaikunta Ekadasi and Gita Jayanti 2026 in Singapore.
• Wed 23 Dec 2026: Margashirsha Purnima and Datta Jayanti. Telugu families also call this the Dhanurmasa Pournami; see Dhanurmasa Pournami 2026.
• Arudra Darshan (Thiruvathirai): Nataraja's great Margazhi festival. Its date depends on the Thiruvathirai nakshatra and is not in our Singapore data, so please check Drik Panchang and your temple. Background: Dhanurmasa Arudra 2026.
• Sun 3 Jan 2027: Saphala Ekadashi (Smarta and Vaishnava).
• Thu 7 Jan 2027: the last Margashirsha Thursday, as the lunar month of Margashirsha ends.
• Thu 14 Jan 2027: last Margazhi dawn; Bhogi customs usually fall around the end of Margazhi, and Makar Sankranti follows at 11:26 PM. Follow your temple for the Bhogi and Pongal days.

For all December dates in one place, see December 2026 Hindu festivals in Singapore, and for the Tamil festival calendar of the month, Margazhi 2026: Tamil month festivals.

Thai Pongal after Margazhi

Margazhi ends at the Makara Sankranti, and the Tamil month of Thai begins with Thai Pongal, the harvest thanksgiving to Surya. In Singapore the transit comes late at night, at 11:26 PM on Thursday 14 January 2027. Because it is after sunset, the festival is commonly kept the next day, but the exact Pongal date is a matter for your temple's calendar, so please follow it. In India, Makar Sankranti and Thai Pongal are usually observed on Friday 15 January 2027 (calculated; confirm on Drik).

Pongal in Singapore is a public celebration in Little India as well as a home festival, with the new-rice pongal boiled over until it overflows as a sign of plenty.

Margazhi 2026 Singapore: frequently asked questions

When does Margazhi 2026 start in Singapore?

The Sun enters Dhanu (Sagittarius) on Wednesday 16 December 2026 at 12:41 PM Singapore time, which begins Margazhi and Dhanurmasam. The first Margazhi dawn after that moment is Thursday 17 December. Follow your temple on whether it counts 16 December as day one.

When does Margazhi 2026 end in Singapore?

The last Dhanurmasam dawn is Thursday 14 January 2027. The Sun enters Makara (Capricorn) at 11:26 PM that night, Singapore time, which ends Dhanurmasam and begins the Tamil month of Thai.

When is Thai Pongal 2027 in Singapore?

Because Makar Sankranti falls late at night on Thursday 14 January 2027 in Singapore, please follow your temple's calendar for the Pongal date. In India, Makar Sankranti and Thai Pongal are usually observed on Friday 15 January 2027 (calculated; confirm on Drik).

Is Dhanurmasam the same as Margazhi?

Yes. Both name the solar month when the Sun is in Dhanu. Tamil families call it Margazhi, while Telugu and Kannada families call it Dhanurmasam. It overlaps, but is not the same as, the lunar month of Margashirsha (Margasira).

When is Vaikunta Ekadasi in Margazhi 2026 in Singapore?

Sunday 20 December 2026, for both Smarta and Vaishnava families, the same date as India. It is also Gita Jayanti.

How many Thiruppavai pasurams are there, and how do I fit them into Margazhi?

Andal's Thiruppavai has 30 pasurams, traditionally one for each day of Margazhi, sung before sunrise. Start on the first dawn your temple uses and sing one a day; if you miss a day, simply continue.

Editor's note

Editor's note (6 October 2026): This guide has been restored at its original address after the earlier version was lost. Dates marked Drik are from Drik Panchang. Singapore values are from HinduTone's calculator (Drik method; moonrise uses the standard astronomical definition, checked against the US Naval Observatory, and Drik may show a few minutes later). Please confirm on Drik Panchang for Singapore and follow your temple, especially for day one of Margazhi, Arudra Darshan and Pongal. We do not list temple events or timings.

Related guides

• Margazhi 2026: Tamil month festivals
• Dhanurmasam 2026 dates and Tiruppavai schedule
• Vaikunta Ekadasi and Gita Jayanti 2026 in Singapore
• December 2026 Hindu festivals in Singapore
• Dev Uthani Ekadashi and Tulsi Vivah 2026 in Singapore
• Karthika Masam 2026 in Singapore