Indian Epigraphy c15.t9: 4. Kollam (Kolamba) Era

Indian Epigraphy c15.t9

Language: English

4. Kollam (Kolamba) Era

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³ Ojha, Bhāratīya Prācīn Lipimālā, pp. 178 ff.; Trav. Arch. Ser., Vol. II, pp. 36-39.

This era is called the Kollam-āṇḍu (literally ‘the western year or reckoning’) in Tamil and the Kolamba⁴-saṃvat in Sanskrit. It is sometimes referred to as the reckoning which started from the origin of Kollam (called Kolamba-pattana in Sanskrit) which is the real name of the Anglicised Quilon in the Travancore region of Kerala.

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⁴ Cf. Ind. Ant., Vol. II, p. 360.

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It is prevalent in the Malayāḷam-speaking area (i.e. in the present Kerala State) and in the contiguous Tamil regions of Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari. The Malayalis call it Paraśurāma’s reckoning and imagine that the years of the era are counted in cycles of 1000, i.e. from year 1 to year 1000 and then again from year 1 without counting the hundreds. This is of course due to the people’s eagerness to assign a respectable antiquity to the era and to connect it with the Puranic hero Paraśurāma who is very popular in the tradition of the western coast land of India.

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The Trivandrum inscription of Vīra-Ravivarman,¹ dated in the current Kali year 4702 and the Kollam year 776, suggests the difference of 3925 years between the two eras. According to Kielhorn, we have to add 824-25 to the years of the Kollam era to get those of the Christian era. L.D. Swamikannu Pillai adds 825 instead of 824-25.²

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¹ Trav. Arch. Ser., Vol. II, p. 28.

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² Ind. Ant., Vol. XXV, p. 54; Pillai, Indian Chronology, p. 43.

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In the northern parts of Kerala or the Malayāḷam-speaking area, the beginning of the Kollam year is counted from the Kanyā-saṅkrānti, i. e. solar Āśvina 1, while, in the Tirunelveli and the adjoining regions, it is counted from the Siṃha-saṅkrānti, i.e. solar Bhādrapada 1. The months are named after the rāśis (e.g. Meṣa, etc.) in the North, but are given lunar names after the nakṣatras (e.g., Caitra, etc.) in the South. The year is solar and is generally regarded as current. The earliest epigraph dated in the era bears a date in the year 149.³

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³ Ep. Ind., Vol. IX, p. 234.

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The circumstances leading to the foundation of the era are unknown, though its name suggests that it started from the date of the foundation of the city of Kollam (Quilon). It is however believed that the said city existed earlier than 824-25 A. D., the first year of the era. If this is true, we have to think of the reconstruction of a new city on the ruins or in the vicinity of the old one.