Vidyarambham 2027

Kerala’s Vidyarambham on Vijayadaśamī, as regional practice, and the muhūrta dates for a child’s first letters in 2027 by the Muhūrta-cintāmaṇi and the Dharmasindhu, for your city.

Kerala practice

Vidyarambham 2027 in Kochi

Saturday, 9 October

Vijayadaśamī, as Kerala keeps it. The texts’ own dates for the first letters fall in the Sun’s northern course.

Next textual dateThu 11 Feb, Pisces, 08:41 – 10:11

The next first-letters muhūrta is in 116 days.

Dussehra 2027: the Vijayadashami day

Kerala’s Vidyarambham 2027

In Kochi, Vijayadaśamī falls on Saturday, 9 October 2027.

Kerala practice: Vidyarambham, a child’s first letters, is held on Vijayadaśamī, dated here by our Vijayadaśamī. The texts’ own rule for the first letters asks for the Sun’s northern course, so it never falls on Vijayadaśamī; their dates are listed separately below.

The nearest textual tie is the Navarātri worship of Sarasvatī in books, invoked under Mūla and sent off under Śravaṇa. DS p. 68 Navratri 2027

Popularly, Vidyarambham is the Kerala name and Aksharabhyasam the Telugu one. The texts say akṣarārambha and vidyārambha.

Muhurat dates for a child’s first letters

Kochi time

Each window is Taurus, Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces rising with the 8th house empty. The texts set no time of day, so a window can fall at night; those are marked night. MC 5.37; DS p. 138 In 2027, Basant Panchami (Thu 11 Feb) is one of the dates. Basant Panchami 2027

DateNakshatraTithiLagna windows
January 2027 No date

Barred this month: The Sun’s southern course, until Thu 14 Jan MC 5.37; DS p. 138. No other day passes the rules of the day and hour: the tithi, the weekday, the star, and a fixed or dual benefic lagna with the 8th house empty. MC 5.37; DS p. 138

February 2027 1 date
Thu 11 Feb Magha Basant Panchami Revati Shukla Panchami Pisces 08:41 – 10:11 Virgo 20:36 – 22:35night
March 2027 5 dates
Wed 17 Mar Phalguna Ardra, Punarvasu Shukla Dashami Pisces 06:44 – 07:58 Taurus 10:00 – 12:04 Virgo 18:22 – 18:3418:34 – 20:21night
Thu 18 Mar Phalguna Pushya Shukla Ekadashi Taurus 09:56 – 12:00
Wed 24 Mar Phalguna Chitra, Swati Krishna Dvitiya, Krishna Tritiya Pisces 06:28 – 07:30 Virgo 17:55 – 18:3418:34 – 19:54night
Thu 25 Mar Phalguna Swati Krishna Tritiya Taurus 09:29 – 11:32
Fri 26 Mar Phalguna Anuradha Krishna Panchami Pisces Sat 05:48 – 06:26night
April 2027 4 dates
Thu 1 Apr Phalguna Shravana Krishna Dashami, Krishna Ekadashi Taurus 09:25 – 11:05 Virgo 17:23 – 18:3418:34 – 19:22night Pisces Fri 05:24 – 06:22night
Fri 2 Apr Phalguna Shravana Krishna Ekadashi Pisces 06:22 – 06:55 Taurus 08:57 – 11:01
Thu 8 Apr Chaitra Ashwini Shukla Dvitiya Taurus 08:34 – 10:37
Fri 23 Apr Chaitra Anuradha Krishna Tritiya Pisces Sat 03:58 – 04:21night
May 2027 3 dates
Mon 10 May Vaishakha Ardra, Punarvasu Shukla Panchami Taurus 06:28 – 08:31 Pisces Tue 02:51 – 03:24night
Mon 17 May Vaishakha Hasta Shukla Dvadashi Taurus 06:04 – 08:04
Mon 31 May Vaishakha Revati Krishna Ekadashi Pisces Tue 01:29 – 02:59night Taurus Tue 05:01 – 06:03night
June 2027 3 dates
Mon 7 Jun Jyeshtha Punarvasu Shukla Tritiya Taurus 06:04 – 06:41
Mon 14 Jun Jyeshtha Chitra, Swati Shukla Ekadashi, Shukla Dvadashi Taurus 06:05 – 06:14Tue 04:06 – 06:05night
Mon 28 Jun Jyeshtha Ashwini Krishna Dashami Pisces 23:38 – Tue 01:09night Taurus Tue 03:11 – 05:15night
July 2027 1 date
Mon 5 Jul Ashadha Pushya Shukla Dvitiya, Shukla Tritiya Pisces 23:11 – Tue 00:41night Taurus Tue 02:44 – 04:47night
August 2027 No date

Barred this month: The Sun’s southern course MC 5.37; DS p. 138.

September 2027 No date

Barred this month: The Sun’s southern course MC 5.37; DS p. 138.

October 2027 No date

Barred this month: The Sun’s southern course MC 5.37; DS p. 138.

November 2027 No date

Barred this month: The Sun’s southern course MC 5.37; DS p. 138.

December 2027 No date

Barred this month: The Sun’s southern course MC 5.37; DS p. 138.

Days that miss one rule

Kochi time

These days are not on the list here. Each fails only the rules named, with their sources, and its windows are shown as they would be without them.

These days pass every rule here except what the Dharmasindhu alone allows: its 13th tithi, Mṛgaśira, Dhaniṣṭhā, Śatabhiṣā or Sunday. DS p. 138

  • Wed 20 Jan Mrigashira, Ardra · Shukla TrayodashiTrayodaśī and Mṛgaśirā, which the Dharmasindhu alone allows 10:08 – 11:38, 13:40 – 15:44, 22:02 – 22:23
  • Mon 8 Feb Shatabhisha · Shukla DvitiyaŚatabhiṣā, which the Dharmasindhu alone allows 09:46 – 10:23, 20:48 – 22:47
  • Sun 11 Apr Mrigashira · Shukla PanchamiMṛgaśirā and Sunday, which the Dharmasindhu alone allows 16:44 – 18:43
  • Sun 18 Apr Hasta · Shukla TrayodashiTrayodaśī and Sunday, which the Dharmasindhu alone allows Mon 05:15 – 05:48
  • Fri 30 Apr Shatabhisha · Krishna DashamiŚatabhiṣā, which the Dharmasindhu alone allows Sat 03:30 – 05:01
  • Sun 9 May Mrigashira · Shukla TritiyaMṛgaśirā and Sunday, which the Dharmasindhu alone allows 06:32 – 08:35
  • Sun 16 May Hasta · Shukla DvadashiSunday, which the Dharmasindhu alone allows Mon 02:28 – 03:58, Mon 06:00 – 06:04
  • Sun 6 Jun Ardra, Punarvasu · Shukla Dvitiya, Shukla TritiyaSunday, which the Dharmasindhu alone allows 06:04 – 06:45, Mon 01:05 – 02:35, Mon 04:38 – 06:04
  • Sun 13 Jun Chitra · Shukla Dashami, Shukla EkadashiSunday, which the Dharmasindhu alone allows Mon 00:37 – 01:48, Mon 04:10 – 06:05
  • Wed 16 Jun Anuradha · Shukla TrayodashiTrayodaśī, which the Dharmasindhu alone allows Thu 00:26 – 01:56
  • Sun 4 Jul Punarvasu · Shukla DvitiyaSunday, which the Dharmasindhu alone allows Mon 04:51 – 04:51

These days pass every rule here except what the Muhūrta-cintāmaṇi alone allows: the 6th tithi, which its own commentary doubts. MC 5.37 commentary, p. 197

  • Wed 27 Jan Hasta · Krishna ShashthiṢaṣṭhī, which the Muhūrta-cintāmaṇi alone allows 09:40 – 11:10, 13:13 – 15:16, 21:35 – 23:34
  • Fri 12 Feb Ashwini · Shukla ShashthiṢaṣṭhī, which the Muhūrta-cintāmaṇi alone allows 08:37 – 10:08
  • Mon 12 Apr Ardra · Shukla ShashthiṢaṣṭhī, which the Muhūrta-cintāmaṇi alone allows 16:40 – 16:48
  • Wed 26 May Shravana · Krishna ShashthiṢaṣṭhī, which the Muhūrta-cintāmaṇi alone allows 06:03 – 07:28, Thu 01:48 – 03:19

This day passes every rule here except Mṛtyu yoga, the weekday’s star in the mṛtyu column. MC 1.30, p. 23

  • Wed 2 Jun Ashwini · Krishna DvadashiWednesday with Aśvinī 06:03 – 07:01
2 more days fail two or more of these rules

This day passes every rule here except what the Dharmasindhu alone allows: its 13th tithi, Mṛgaśira, Dhaniṣṭhā, Śatabhiṣā or Sunday DS p. 138 ; and Mṛtyu yoga, the weekday’s star in the mṛtyu column MC 1.30, p. 23 .

  • Sun 31 Jan Anuradha · Krishna DashamiSunday, which the Dharmasindhu alone allows; Sunday with Anurādhā 09:24 – 10:55, 21:19 – 23:18

This day passes every rule here except Dagdha yoga, one of Nārada’s burnt weekday-star pairs Nārada in MC 1.5 commentary, p. 13 ; and what the Dharmasindhu alone allows: its 13th tithi, Mṛgaśira, Dhaniṣṭhā, Śatabhiṣā or Sunday DS p. 138 .

  • Wed 23 Jun Dhanishta · Krishna PanchamiWednesday with Dhaniṣṭhā; Dhaniṣṭhā, which the Dharmasindhu alone allows 23:58 – Thu 01:29, Thu 03:31 – 05:34

The rule for a child’s first letters

  • The Sun’s northern course, not with the Sun in Aquarius, and not while Viṣṇu sleeps (from Devaśayanī Ekādaśī to the Karka saṅkrānti). MC 5.37; DS p. 138; Mārkaṇḍeya in MC 5.37 commentary, p. 197
  • Tithi 2, 3, 5, 10, 11 or 12, on which both texts agree, in the bright fortnight or the dark one but for its last three days. MC 5.37; DS p. 138
  • Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. MC 5.37
  • The Moon in one of the Muhūrta-cintāmaṇi’s ten stars: Hasta, Aśvinī, Puṣya, Śravaṇa, Svātī, Revatī, Punarvasu, Ārdrā, Citrā or Anurādhā. MC 5.37; DS p. 138
  • Taurus, Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces rising, with the 8th house empty. MC 5.37; Nṛsiṃha and Śrīdhara in the commentary, pp. 197⁠–⁠198
  • The texts set no time of day, so windows run through the night; the table marks the night ones. MC 5.37 and commentary; DS p. 138
  • Neither text bars the first letters in an adhika month or while Jupiter or Venus is set. MC 1.46⁠–⁠47; DS p. 4

The Dharmasindhu also allows the 13th tithi, Mṛgaśira, Dhaniṣṭhā, Śatabhiṣā and Sunday; the Muhūrta-cintāmaṇi also allows the 6th tithi, which its commentary doubts. The dates keep what both allow, and the days one text alone allows are among the days that miss one rule. DS p. 138; MC 5.37 commentary, p. 197

Basant Panchami, the age and the rite

Vasanta Pañcamī fits the rule in tithi and season, with the Sun usually still in Capricorn, but its weekday and star vary. The table marks it in the years it qualifies. MC 5.37; DS p. 138 Basant Panchami 2027

The child’s 5th year. MC 5.37; DS p. 138; Vasiṣṭha in MC 5.37 commentary, p. 197

Gaṇeśa, Viṣṇu, Sarasvatī and Lakṣmī are worshipped. The Dharmasindhu adds one’s Veda and its sūtra author, the teacher, brāhmaṇas and the nurse; the child walks three times around them and begins the letters with the praṇava. MC 5.37; DS p. 138

Other years: Vidyarambham 2028, Vidyarambham 2029; all first-letters dates.

Questions

From the Muhūrta-cintāmaṇi and the Dharmasindhu, with Kerala’s practice labelled as such.

When is Vidyarambham 2027?

Kerala practice: on Vijayadaśamī, Saturday, 9 October 2027 in Kochi. It is regional practice; the texts’ rule for a child’s first letters asks for the Sun’s northern course, so their dates are listed separately.

What are the muhurat dates for a child’s first letters?

In Kochi in 2027: Thursday, 11 February (Revatī); Wednesday, 17 March (Ārdrā, Punarvasu); Thursday, 18 March (Puṣya); Wednesday, 24 March (Citrā, Svātī); Thursday, 25 March (Svātī); Friday, 26 March (Anurādhā); Thursday, 1 April (Śravaṇa); Friday, 2 April (Śravaṇa); Thursday, 8 April (Aśvinī); Friday, 23 April (Anurādhā); Monday, 10 May (Ārdrā, Punarvasu); Monday, 17 May (Hasta); Monday, 31 May (Revatī); Monday, 7 June (Punarvasu); Monday, 14 June (Citrā, Svātī); Monday, 28 June (Aśvinī); Monday, 5 July (Puṣya). The table gives each day’s lagna windows. MC 5.37; DS p. 138

At what age?

The child’s 5th year. The child’s own age is not tested by these dates. MC 5.37; DS p. 138; Vasiṣṭha in MC 5.37 commentary, p. 197

Is Basant Panchami good for starting letters?

Vasanta Pañcamī fits the rule in tithi and season, with the Sun usually still in Capricorn, but its weekday and star vary. The table marks it in the years it qualifies. In 2027 it qualifies: Thursday, 11 February. MC 5.37; DS p. 138

Is Aksharabhyasam the same as Vidyarambham?

Popularly, yes: Aksharabhyasam is the Telugu name and Vidyarambham the Kerala one for a child’s first letters. The texts call the rite akṣarārambha, and the Dharmasindhu heads it vidyārambha. Beginning a course of study has a separate rule (MC 5.38). MC 5.37⁠–⁠38; DS p. 138

How the dates are found

Read the methodology
The day
Listed when the Sun is in its northern course, outside Aquarius and Viṣṇu’s sleep, the tithi is 2, 3, 5, 10, 11 or 12 (not the dark fortnight’s last three days), the weekday is Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, and the star is one of MC’s ten (MC 5.37; DS p. 138).
The window
Taurus, Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces rising with the 8th house empty; the barred stretches, the day yogas and lagna gaṇḍānta removed. The texts set no time of day, so night windows stay, marked.
Both texts
The list keeps what MC 5.37 and DS p. 138 both allow; the days one text alone allows are near-misses.
Kerala
Kerala’s Vidyarambham is dated by our Vijayadaśamī and labelled regional practice. It is never a muhūrta date here.

Lahiri ayanamsa · sunrise and sunset at the centre of the Sun’s disc, with refraction · each city’s own time · Swiss Ephemeris · Method