What are the Hindu months
and days called? |
India's cultural
diversities are of eccentric proportions — even when it comes to counting days.
Just imagine people in different part of the country using 30 different date
systems! With so many different calendars, one might land up having a couple of
new year celebrations every month!
Until 1957, when
the government decided to put an end to this colossal confusion, about 30
different calendars were being used for arriving at the dates of various
religious festivals among Hindus, Buddhist and Jains. These calendars were
mostly based on the astronomical practices of local priests and "kalnirnayaks"
or calendar makers. In addition, the Muslims followed the Islamic calendar, and
the Gregorian calendar was used for administrative purposes by the
government.
India's National Calendar The current national
calendar of India was set up in 1957 by the Calendar Reform Committee that
formalized a lunisolar calendar in which leap years coincide with those of the
Gregorian calendar, and the months are named after the traditional Indian months
[see table]. This reformed Indian
calendar began with Saka Era, Chaitra 1, 1879, which corresponds to March 22,
1957.
Epochs and Eras In the Indian civil calendar, the
initial epoch is the Saka Era, a traditional era of Indian chronology that is
said to have begun with King Salivahana's accession to the throne, and is also
the reference for most astronomical works in Sanskrit literature written after
500 AD. In the Saka calendar, the year 2002 AD is 1925.
The other popular
epoch is the Vikram era that is believed to have begun with the coronation of
King Vikramaditya. The year 2002 AD corresponds to 2060 in this system.
However, the Hindu
religious theory of eras divides time in four "yugs" or "yugas" (ages): Satya
Yug, Treta Yug, Dwapar Yug and Kali Yug. We live in the Kali Yug that is
believed to have begun with the death of Krishna, which corresponds to the
midnight between February 17 and 18, 3102 B.C. [see
detail article]
The Panchang The Hindu calendar is called the
"panchang" (or "panchanga" or "Panjika"). It is a vital part of the lives of
Hindus, for it is indispensable in calculating the dates of festivals, and
auspicious times and days for performing various rituals. The Hindu calendar was
initially based on the movements of the moon and allusions to such calendars can
be found in the Rig Veda, dating back to the second millennium B.C. In the first
few centuries A.D., Babylonian and Greek astronomical ideas reformed the Indian
calendar systems, and since then both solar and lunar movements were considered
in calculating dates. However, most religious festivals and auspicious occasions
are still decided on the basis of lunar movements.
The Lunar Year According to the Hindu calendar, a
lunar year consists of 12 months. A lunar month has two fortnights, and begins
with the new moon called "amavasya". The lunar days are called "tithis". Each
month has 30 tithis, which may vary from 20 - 27 hours. During the waxing
phases, tithis are called "shukla" or the bright phase — the auspicious
fortnight, beginning with the full moon night called "purnima". Tithis for the
waning phases are called "krishna" or the dark phase, which is regarded as the
inauspicious fortnight. [see
table]
The various Hindu
calendars are based on eras and epochs. Generally, the Hindu calendar follows
the lunar year that consists of 12 lunar months. A lunar month has two
fortnights. The tables below explain these concepts of the Hindu calendar
system, tell you their Sanskrit names and their correlation with the Gregorian
calendar.
The Hindu
Eras & Epochs
Hindu
|
Western |
Kali Yug |
3012 BC |
Vikram Samvant |
57 AD
|
Saka |
78 AD
|
Months of the
Indian Civil Calendar and Correlation with Gregorian Calendar
|
|
|
1. Chaitra |
30
/ 31* |
March 22 / 21* |
2.
Vaisakha |
31 |
April
21 |
3. Jyaistha |
31 |
May 22 |
4.
Asadha |
31 |
June
22 |
5. Shravana |
31 |
July 23 |
6.
Bhadra |
31 |
August
23 |
7. Asvina |
30 |
September 23 |
8.
Kartika |
30 |
October
23 |
9. Agrahayana |
30 |
November 22 |
10.
Pausa |
30 |
December
22 |
11. Magha |
30 |
January 21 |
12.
Phalguna |
30 |
February
20 |
* Leap
years
Days in the
Hindu Calendar
Hindu |
Western
|
Raviãra |
Sunday (day of Sun) |
Somavãra |
Monday (day of Moon) |
Mañgalvã |
Tuesday (day of Mars) |
Budhavãra |
Wednesday (day of Mercury) |
Guruvãra |
Thursday (day of Jupiter) |
Sukravãra |
Friday (day of Venus) |
Sanivãra |
Saturday (day of Saturn) |
Names of
Fifteen Moon Days in the Hindu Calendar
Hindu |
Western
|
Prathamã |
First |
Dvitïyã |
Second |
Trtïyã |
Third |
Chaturthï |
Fourth |
Pañchamï |
Fifth |
Sasthï |
Sixth |
Saptamï |
Seventh |
Astamï |
Eighth |
Navamï |
Ninth |
Dasamï |
Tenth |
Ekãdasï |
Eleventh |
Dvadasï |
Twelfth |
Trayodasï |
Thirteenth |
Chaturdasï |
Fourteenth |
Panchadasï |
Fifteenth |
Purnimã (Suklapaksha) |
Full
Moon |
Amãvãsyã (Krsnapaksa) |
New
Moon |
|