Vishu
Kerala festival at the first dawn after the Sun enters sidereal Mesha, when the Vishukkani is viewed: Medam 1 of the Malayalam solar calendar, or Medam 2 when the Sankranti falls after sunrise but before 3/5 of the daytime.
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- CategoryFestival
- RegionRegional observance: Kerala
- Defining tithi / momentExact moment:
Timings on Thursday, 15 April 2027
Rule applied: Regional calendar — Kept on the day of the first sunrise after the Sankranti moment (Kerala custom: the Vishukkani is viewed at that dawn).
Across India
How this festival is celebrated in different regions, with the regional names and each date's rule.
How the date is determined
- It is the moment the Sun enters sidereal Mesha (Aries).
- It is observed on the day of the first sunrise after the moment: a Sankranti between midnight and sunrise counts on that morning, one after sunrise on the next day (the Kerala custom for Vishu, whose Vishukkani is viewed at the first dawn after the Sankranti).
- Sidereal positions use the ayanamsa of your calculation profile; a different ayanamsa can shift the moment by several minutes.
Traditional variation
Vishu is not always Medam 1: when the Sankranti falls after sunrise, the Vishukkani is seen at the next dawn, so Vishu is the next day (15 April 2026, Medam 2, in the Government of Kerala list). The Government of India list prints its combined "Vaisakhi / Vishu / Meshadi" holiday on the Vaisakhi date (14 April 2026). Kerala panchangs that compute the Sankranti moment differently can be a day apart when the ingress falls near sunrise.
This is the date given by the rule shown above for the selected place. It is not the only valid date: regional Panchangs, family customs and sampradayas may observe it on a different day.
Rule source: Kerala custom: Vishu is kept at the first sunrise after the sidereal Mesha ingress, when the Vishukkani is viewed (an ingress between midnight and sunrise gives that morning, one after sunrise the next day). By the Kerala (Malayalam) solar calendar this is Medam 1, or Medam 2 when the ingress falls after sunrise but before 3/5 of the daytime has passed (the end of Madhyahna, when Aparahna begins: the Kerala month-start rule, as documented by Sewell and Dikshit, The Indian Calendar, 1896). Government of Kerala holiday notifications: Vishu 14 Apr 2024, 14 Apr 2025 and 15 Apr 2026, printed as 2 Medam 1201 with 14 Apr as 1 Medam (G.O.(P) No.14/2025/GAD; ingress 14 Apr 2026 09:39 IST)
Traditions may vary by region and Panchang convention. Times are shown for the selected place, time zone and calculation profile.
Calculated with engine 1.4.2 · rules rules-2026-09-29-a0a4505e · profile north-lahiri-calibrated v1 · ayanamsa lahiri_drik_compat · astronomy-engine@2.1.19 · Asia/Kolkata
Dates in 2026
| Date | Defining tithi / moment | Time windows | Decision notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15/04/2026 (Wed) | Exact moment: | — | Standard rule applied |
Dates in 2027
| Date | Defining tithi / moment | Time windows | Decision notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15/04/2027 (Thu) Next | Exact moment: | — | Standard rule applied |