खरमास

Kharmas (Malmas)

Kharmas is the period when the Sun is in Dhanu or Meena, during which many families avoid weddings and other new auspicious ceremonies.

Deity: Surya (the Sun)Duration: About one solar month, twice a yearSeason: Mid-December to mid-January, and mid-March to mid-AprilAlso known as: Malmas, Dhanur Maasa, Meena Sankranti period

Dates for your city appear here once the page has loaded.

About

Kharmas (also Malmas) refers to the two periods of the year when the Sun is in Dhanu (Sagittarius) and Meena (Pisces). These are the signs ruled by Jupiter in traditional astrology.

The Dhanu period begins at Dhanu Sankranti, around December 16, and ends at Makar Sankranti, around January 14.
The Meena period begins at Meena Sankranti, around March 14, and ends at Mesha Sankranti, around April 14.

Because they follow the Sun, these dates stay nearly the same every year.

Why auspicious ceremonies are avoided

In the traditional view, when the Sun is in a sign of Jupiter, the Sun is considered to be in a weaker or "tired" state. The word khar is linked to a donkey in a popular story, in which the Sun's chariot horses grow tired and are replaced for a time by donkeys, slowing the Sun's pace. Another reading links mal with "impurity", meaning a period unsuitable for beginnings.

Because of this, many families do not hold weddings, upanayana, griha pravesh, naming ceremonies, mundan or the start of new ventures during these months. Daily worship, vrats, festivals and ancestor rites go on as usual. This is a matter of tradition, not fear, and nothing bad is promised to anyone who goes ahead. Follow your family's custom or your priest's guidance.

What is encouraged

This is a good time for devotion and quiet effort. Common practices include:

Rising early and keeping a morning prayer.
Offering water (arghya) to the Sun each day.
Reciting the Aditya Hridayam or Surya mantras.
Reading scripture, such as the Gita, the Ramayana or the Bhagavatam.
Giving charity of food, warm clothes or grain.
Visiting temples and, in the Dhanu month, joining the early morning worship described below.

Regional customs and views

Views differ by region.

In North India (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Punjab and the Hindi belt) both periods are strictly avoided for weddings and similar events. The Dhanu Kharmas ends with Makar Sankranti, which restarts the auspicious season.
In South India the Dhanu month is called Dhanurmasa or Margazhi (Tamil Nadu). It is not seen as inauspicious but as a holy time. Women sing the Tiruppavai in Tamil Nadu and the early morning worship (Dhanurmasa pooja) is held in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Weddings are usually avoided, but temple festivals abound.
In Bengal and Odisha the Sun's passage is observed through the solar calendar, and customs differ from North India.
In Maharashtra and Gujarat many families also avoid weddings in these months, though the strictness varies by community.
In Kerala the Dhanu month (Dhanu) is a time of temple festivals, and local custom on weddings in these months differs by community.

Traditions vary; follow your family's custom or your priest's guidance.

Celebrating in the USA

In the USA, wedding halls and priests are often booked a year or more ahead, so it helps to check Kharmas dates early if your family avoids them. The cold weather in the Dhanu month also makes it a good season for a warm morning routine, with a lamp, a Surya prayer and a simple meal. Time zones can move the exact moment of Sankranti by a day, so use the time shown on the site for your city.

Do

Keep your daily prayer, especially at sunrise.
Offer water to the Sun while facing east.
Read scripture or recite a mantra each day.
Give warm clothes or food to those in need.
Plan weddings and housewarmings after the period if your family observes Kharmas.
Ask your elders or priest if you are unsure.

Don't

Do not stop regular worship, fasts or festivals.
Do not treat the period as a time of misfortune.
Do not delay ancestor rites because of it.
Do not postpone necessary medical, legal or work matters because of it.
Do not criticise others who follow a different custom.

Customs differ between families, regions and traditions. This page describes common practice; follow your family’s tradition and your priest’s guidance.