Photo credits : Ramesh Kidangoor

Chingam is the first month of the Malayalam calendar.  New Year’s Day 1189, or Chingam 1st,  fell on August 17, 2013  and marks the beginning of Chingamasam.  This auspicious day is welcomed by people of Kerala with special poojas and prayers.  In the early morning Hindus  in large numbers visit their nearby temples. The Onam festival is celebrated in this month.The Malayalam calendar is a solar and sidereal one, meaning that the time scale based on the rate of the earth’s rotation.  Kerala Hindus use this calendar for their religious, cultural and cultivation activities.