How did Tamil Month Names originate?

How did Tamil Month Names originate?

By

P.R.Ramachander

(Based on a write up in Kumudam Bhakthi  )

Most of us know  in the solar calendar  that we follow,

The month is named after  the rasi in which  sun is there that month,

But  most of us are unable  to understand , the tamil names of these months.

And  here   is an attempt   to explain, why those names are given,

All of us who follow solar months   know that  full moon ,

Of each of those  months  fall on a particular star  ony.

The  full mon of the chithirai month   always  falls,

On the  chithirai(chithra)   star and the month is called Chithirai.

IN the vaikasi month   the full moon falls   on the  VIsaka star,

And so it is called Vaisakam and in spoken language Vaikasi,

In the month  of Aani  , the full moon falls on Anusha(anuradha) star,

And month  is called  as Aani after   the star Anuradha.

IN the month of AAdi , the full moon falls on  poorada  star,

Which is called as Poorva Ashada and the month is called ashada or Aadi,

In the month of AAvani the  full moon  falls  on SRavana  star,

Called as thiruonam in tamil    and the month  got its name from that.

In the month  of Purattasi, the  full moon falls on Uthraatathi,

Which is called Uthra Proshta padam  and the name comes  from Protta,

In the month of Aypaasi , the full moon comes on Asvathi star,

Which is Sanskrit is called  asupathi   and asupathi month became Ayppasi.

The full moon day of Kathigai month is on Karthiga star and it is named  after it,

In the Margazhi month , the full moon day is on Makeeram  , called  ,

As Marga  seershe in Sanskrit    and the name  obviously came from  it,

And in Thai moth full moon is on Thykshyam star , known as pushyam or poosam in Tamil.

IN the maasi month full moon comes on Makam star  , which is called,

Maagam   in tamil   and the name is just a colloquial  corruption of it,

And in Panguni month  , the full moon cames on  either pooram or Uthram,

Which are called Poorva and Uthara Phalguni   stars and Phaalguni bacame Panguni.