Girivalam · The full-moon calendar

Girivalam date & time 2026–2027: every Pournami at Tiruvannamalai

Is there Girivalam today, tomorrow or this month? This page gives the next full moon Girivalam date and time at Tiruvannamalai (Arunachalam), every Pournami for 2026 and 2027, how long the 14 km walk takes and the best time to start — and lets you add every date to your phone calendar.

Next full moon Girivalam: Aippasi Pournami, Sunday 25 October 2026 (11:27 AM → 26 Oct, 10:10 AM IST)

One tap adds every 2026 and 2027 full moon to Google, Apple or Outlook calendar, with a reminder the day before and on the morning. The 2027 entries are marked as calculated. For developers and assistants, the same dates are available as JSON.

Jump to: quick answers · 2026 dates · 2027 dates · தமிழ் · తెలుగు · month by month · how long · best time to start · FAQ

Girivalam dates & timings 2026 — every month

There are 13 Pournamis in 2026: Margazhi has a full moon at both ends of the year (2 January and 23 December) and May has two (Chithirai on 30 April and Vaikasi on 30 May). The coming month is highlighted automatically. ★ marks the major ones.

About these timings. They follow the Pournami windows published for Tiruvannamalai. The AM/PM of every window has been checked against the moon’s position, which corrected the July, September and November evening starts that some listings show as morning. Panchangams differ by minutes to about an hour at the edges, so confirm close to your visit.

Tiruvannamalai Girivalam dates & timings 2027

Twelve full-moon windows fall in 2027. The temple and the Tamil panchangams have not published their 2027 figures yet, so these times are calculated from the moon’s position (Lahiri method, IST). Treat them as planning dates; they can differ from the local panchangam by up to about an hour, and the dates are reliable.

What is Girivalam — and what is Pournami Girivalam?

Girivalam (also written Giri Valam, Giri Pradakshina or Arunachala Pradakshina) is the clockwise walk of about 14 kilometres around the base of Arunachala, the sacred hill at Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu. Pilgrims keep the hill on their right all the way round and finish where they began. It can be walked on any day of the year. Pournami Girivalam is the walk done on the full-moon night, when the Purnima tithi is in force; it is the most popular and the most auspicious, and its date and time change every month — which is what the tables on this page track. For the practice itself, read the complete Girivalam guide.

How long does Girivalam take?

The circuit is about 14 km (8.7 miles), and most people walk it in three to five hours at an easy pace. On a crowded Pournami night, on Karthigai Deepam, or if you stop at the eight lingam shrines or sit to meditate along the way, it takes longer, so as a planning rule give yourself five hours on a full-moon night and more on Karthigai Deepam. The road is flat and paved, so the time depends on pace, heat and crowd rather than terrain. If you are walking with children or elderly relatives, plan for the slower end and keep a few resting points in mind; our route in detail lists them in order.

What is the best time to start Girivalam?

On a Pournami, most pilgrims start between 7 PM and 10 PM and walk through the night, but the window in the tables above is what matters, and it differs month to month. Three simple rules cover almost every case:

• If the window opens in the evening or night (as on 25 September and 23 November 2026), start after it begins.
• If the window closes in the morning (as on 26 October 2026, at 10:10 AM), begin at least five hours before it ends — a pre-dawn start of about 3–4 AM still finishes inside it.
• If the window falls in daylight, you can walk by day, though a night or early-morning walk is cooler on the feet.

You do not need to cover the whole window; most people simply choose a few hours inside it. On ordinary days any hour will do, but avoid the midday heat, when the tarred road holds the sun’s warmth. Read what to expect on a Pournami night walk, and whether to go barefoot or in shoes.

Which day is best for Girivalam?

Any day is fine — the walk is open every day and every hour. Pournami (the full-moon night) is the most auspicious and by far the most popular. Other days that pilgrims treat as especially meaningful are Pradosham (the thirteenth lunar day), Krittika nakshatra, Amavasya (the new moon) and Maha Shivaratri, while the largest event of the year is Karthigai Deepam, when a great fire is lit on the summit. If you would rather have a quieter road, choose an ordinary weekday; weekend full moons draw the biggest crowds.

Tiruvannamalai, Thiruvannamalai, Arunachalam: the same place?

Yes. The town is spelt Tiruvannamalai (the usual English form), Thiruvannamalai or Tiruvanamalai, and many pilgrims, including many from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, say Arunachalam after the hill, Arunachala (Annamalai in Tamil). The walk itself is Girivalam in Tamil, Giri Pradakshina in Telugu and Arunachala Pradakshina in Sanskrit. All of these mean the same 14 km path, so the dates and times on this page apply whichever name you use.

Each full moon, month by month

Every Pournami carries the character of its Tamil month — its festivals, its mood, its particular grace. The thirteen of 2026 first, then the twelve of 2027.

2027 full moons (calculated)

How to read the timings — and plan the walk

Each Pournami has a start and an end: the window during which the full-moon tithi is in force and Girivalam is considered most auspicious. You need not walk the whole window; most pilgrims pick a few hours within it. If the window runs through the night, the classic moonlit walk is possible; if it falls in daylight, pilgrims simply walk by day. For the practical picture, see our complete Girivalam guide, the route in detail and what to expect on a night walk.

2026 timings follow the Pournami windows published for Tiruvannamalai, with AM/PM checked against the moon’s position; 2027 timings are calculated. They can vary from local panchangams by minutes to about an hour — confirm close to your visit. Last updated 23 October 2026.