Taddinam, Masikam, Abdikam & Samvatsarikam — What Each One Means
Taddinam, Masikam, Abdikam and Samvatsarikam
Four words, often used for what sounds like the same ceremony. Here is what each one means, when it is performed, and why families use the terms differently.
If someone in your family has died recently, you are probably hearing several of these words at once, from different relatives, meaning slightly different things. That is normal. The terms overlap, and usage genuinely varies between families and between regions.
This page sets out what each one refers to, in plain terms. If you only need the short answer, it is in the table below.
The short answer
| Telugu term | What it is, in English | When it is performed |
|---|---|---|
| Masikam మాసికం | The monthly memorial rite | Once a month through the first year, on the tithi of passing |
| Samvatsarikam సంవత్సరీకం | The first death anniversary rite | At the completion of one year |
| Abdikam ఆబ్దికం | The annual death anniversary rite | Each year from the second year onward |
| Taddinam తద్దినం | The same annual rite — the more common spoken Telugu word | Each year, on the tithi |
Abdikam and Taddinam refer to the same observance. Which word a family uses is largely a matter of habit and region.
The sequence, in order
Set out on a timeline, the rites follow one another rather than competing with one another.
Dasa dinam and the days that follow
దశ దినంThe observances in the days immediately after a death, through the tenth, eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth days. These are the antyesti rites and they are separate from what follows.
Masikam
మాసికంThe monthly rite, performed on the tithi of passing, through the first year. In English: the monthly memorial rite.
Samvatsarikam
సంవత్సరీకంThe ceremony at the completion of the first year. Often the largest of these observances, and in many families performed across more than one day, gathering several rites together.
Abdikam or Taddinam
ఆబ్దికం / తద్దినంThe annual rite from the second year onward, performed on the same tithi each year. In English: the annual death anniversary rite.
Mahalaya Paksham
మహాలయ పక్షంThe fortnight given collectively to the ancestors each year, in Bhadrapada masam. Known in Telugu households as Peddala Amavasya. Distinct from the rites above, which are for a named person.
Why one ceremony has four names
This is the part that causes the most confusion, and it has a simple explanation.
Abda and samvatsara both mean year. So Abdikam and Samvatsarikam can each be read, quite literally, as ‘the yearly rite’. Taddinam is understood as ‘that day’ — the day of passing. And Masikam comes from masa, month.
Three of the four words therefore describe the same idea from slightly different angles. Most Telugu families settle it this way: Samvatsarikam for the ceremony at one year, and Taddinam or Abdikam for every year after. But you will meet families who use Samvatsarikam annually, and others for whom Abdikam covers the first year too.
Neither usage is a mistake. If a relative corrects your wording, they are almost certainly describing their family’s practice rather than a rule. What matters practically is the tithi, the gotra and the sankalpa — not which of the four words is used to name the day.
Words you may hear along the way
These come up in conversation with elders and purohits. Practice around them varies more than the main sequence does, so treat this as orientation rather than instruction.
Tarpanam — the offering of water, usually with sesame, made to the ancestors. It appears within many of these rites and is also performed on its own.
Pinda pradanam — the offering of pindam, prepared and offered as part of the rite.
Oona masikam, tripaksha masikam — additional observances within the first year, arising from how the lunar and solar calendars align. Whether they apply to your family, and when, is a question for your purohit rather than something to work out from a general rule.
Sapindikaranam, vimokam, prathama abdikam — rites that in many families are gathered into the first-year ceremony, which is one reason Samvatsarikam is often performed across more than a single day.
We have deliberately not given fixed definitions for every term you may encounter. Practice differs enough between communities that a confident answer here would be misleading for some families. Ask the purohit performing your rite — it is a normal question and they will expect it.
Tell us the name and gotra, the tithi if you know it, and the city. If you are unsure of the tithi, that is common — we will work it out with you. There is no obligation, and no need to decide anything on the call.
See ancestral rite optionsQuestions families ask
What do we call Taddinam in English?
There is no single English word for it. It is usually rendered as the annual death anniversary rite, or annual shraddha. Taddinam is understood as ‘that day’ — the day on which the person passed — and the rite is performed on that same lunar day each year.
What is the difference between Taddinam and Samvatsarikam?
In most Telugu families, Samvatsarikam is the ceremony at the completion of the first year, and Taddinam is the same observance repeated every year afterwards. Both are performed on the tithi of passing. The confusion is understandable: samvatsara and abda both mean ‘year’, so Samvatsarikam, Abdikam and Taddinam can all be read as ‘the yearly rite’. Some families use them interchangeably, and neither usage is wrong.
What is Masikam called in English?
The monthly memorial rite. It is performed once a month through the first year after a death, on the same lunar day as the passing.
How many Masikam are performed?
Twelve monthly rites through the first year is the common pattern. Many families perform additional observances alongside them — tripaksha masikam, oona masikam and others — and the number varies by tradition and by family. Your purohit will tell you which apply in your case rather than there being one universal answer.
Is it performed on the English date or the Telugu tithi?
On the tithi — the lunar day — not the English calendar date. This is why the date shifts each year, and why the anniversary rarely falls on the same day of the month twice.
What is oona masikam?
A term families encounter when the lunar and solar calendars do not align cleanly across the first year, and an observance is brought forward or adjusted. When it applies, and how, depends on the calendar and on family practice. It is worth asking your purohit specifically rather than working from a general rule.
Can the rites be performed if the family cannot gather at the ancestral home?
Yes. These rites are commonly performed wherever the family is — at home, at a temple, or at a venue arranged for the purpose. What matters is that they are performed on the correct tithi, with the correct gotra and sankalpa.
Who performs the rite — and who must be present?
A purohit conducts it. The rite is ordinarily performed by a son, though practice varies by family and community, and many families make arrangements when that is not possible. If your situation is not straightforward, say so when you speak to us — it is a common question and there is usually a way.