Indian national calendar
Encyclopedia
The Indian national calendar (sometimes called Saka calendar) is the official civil calendar in use in India
. It is used, alongside the Gregorian calendar
, by The Gazette of India
, news broadcasts by All India Radio
, and calendars and communications issued by the Government of India
.
The term may also ambiguously refer to the Hindu calendar
, and the Saka era is commonly used by different calendars as well.
In leap years
, Chaitra has 31 days and starts on March 21 instead. The months in the first half of the year all have 31 days, to take into account the slower movement of the sun across the ecliptic
at this time.
The names of the months are derived from older, Hindu
lunisolar calendar
s, so variations in spelling exist, and there is a possible source of confusion as to what calendar a date belongs to.
Years are counted in the Saka Era, which starts its year 0 in the year 78
of the Common Era
. To determine leap years, add 78 to the Saka year - if the result is a leap year in the Gregorian calendar, then the Saka year is a leap year as well. Its structure is like the Persian calendar.
, in an attempt to harmonise this practice. Despite this effort, local variations based on older sources such as the Surya Siddhanta
may still exist.
Usage officially started at Chaitra 1, 1879 Saka Era, or March 22, 1957. However, government officials seem to largely ignore the New Year's Day
of this calendar in favour of the religious calendar.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is used, alongside the Gregorian calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
, by The Gazette of India
The Gazette of India
The Gazette of India is an authorised legal document and official journal of Government of India containing the mode of operations under the law of the land...
, news broadcasts by All India Radio
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
, and calendars and communications issued by the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
.
The term may also ambiguously refer to the Hindu calendar
Hindu calendar
The hindu calendar used in ancient times has undergone many changes in the process of regionalization, and today there are several regional Indian calendars, as well as an Indian national calendar. Nepali calendar, Bengali calendar, Malayalam calendar, Tamil calendar, Telugu calendar, Kannada...
, and the Saka era is commonly used by different calendars as well.
Calendar structure
| Month (Sanskrit) | Length | Start date (Gregorian) | Tropical Zodiac | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chaitra Chaitra Chaitra is a month of the Hindu calendar.... |
30/31 | March 22* | Aries |
| 2 | Vaishākha Vaisakha Vaishakha or Baisakha is a month of the Hindu calendar. It is the first month of the Nepalese calendar and the Bengali calendar . In the Indian national calendar Vaisakha is the second month of the year, beginning on April 21 and ending on May 20.In the Hindu solar calendar, Vaisakha begins in... |
31 | April 21 | Taurus |
| 3 | Jyaishtha Jyeshta Jyeshta is a month of the Hindu calendar, also known as Jeth or Iethe. In India's national civil calendar, Jyestha is the third month of the year, beginning on 21 May and ending on 22 June... |
31 | May 22 | Gemini |
| 4 | Āshādha Aashaadha Aashaadha is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Aashaadh is the fourth month of the year, beginning on 22 June and ending on 22 July. The month is known as Aadi in Tamil... |
31 | June 22 | Cancer |
| 5 | Shrāvana Shraavana Shraavana is a month of the Hindu calendar, also known as Sawan. In India's national civil calendar, Shraavan is the fifth month of the Hindu year, beginning in late July and ending in the third week of August. In the Tamil calendar, it is known as Aavani and is the fifth month of the solar year... |
31 | July 23 | Leo |
| 6 | Bhādrapada Bhaadra Bhaadra or Bhadrapada is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar , Bhaadra is the sixth month of the year, beginning on 23 August and ending on 22 September. Known as Purattaasi, it is the sixth month of the Tamil solar calendar... |
31 | August 23 | Virgo |
| 7 | Āshvini Ashvini Asvini is the first nakshatra in Hindu astrology, corresponding to the head of Aries, including the stars β and γ Arietis.The name aśvinī is used by Varahamihira... |
30 | September 23 | Libra |
| 8 | Kārtika Kartika (month) Kartika , is a month of Hindu and Bengali calendars, named after the Hindu god, Kartikeya.... |
30 | October 23 | Scorpio |
| 9 | Agrahayana Agrahayana Agrahayana or Margashirsha, is a month of the Hindu calendar and Tamil calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Agrahayana is the ninth month of the year, beginning on 22 November and ending on 21 December. Since Vedic times, this month is known as Maargashirsha after the Nakshatra ... |
30 | November 22 | Sagitarius |
| 10 | Pausha Pausha Pausha is a month of the Hindu calendar In the Indian national calendar, Pausha is the tenth month of the year, beginning with the solstice on 22 December and ending on 20 January.... |
30 | December 22 | Capricorn |
| 11 | Māgha Maagha Maagha is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Maagh is the eleventh month of the year, beginning in January and ending in February.... |
30 | January 21 | Aquarius |
| 12 | Phālguna Phalguna Phalguna is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Phaalgun is the twelfth month of the year, beginning on 20 February and ending on 21 March .In lunar religious calendars, Phaalgun may begin on either the new moon or the full moon... |
30 | February 20 | Pisces |
In leap years
Leap Years
Leap Years is a 2001 drama television series that aired on the Showtime cable network. The show was created by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, who had created the American version of the series Queer as Folk. It followed a group of friends in New York City...
, Chaitra has 31 days and starts on March 21 instead. The months in the first half of the year all have 31 days, to take into account the slower movement of the sun across the ecliptic
Ecliptic
The ecliptic is the plane of the earth's orbit around the sun. In more accurate terms, it is the intersection of the celestial sphere with the ecliptic plane, which is the geometric plane containing the mean orbit of the Earth around the Sun...
at this time.
The names of the months are derived from older, Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
lunisolar calendar
Lunisolar calendar
A lunisolar calendar is a calendar in many cultures whose date indicates both the moon phase and the time of the solar year. If the solar year is defined as a tropical year then a lunisolar calendar will give an indication of the season; if it is taken as a sidereal year then the calendar will...
s, so variations in spelling exist, and there is a possible source of confusion as to what calendar a date belongs to.
Years are counted in the Saka Era, which starts its year 0 in the year 78
78
Year 78 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Novius and Commodus...
of the Common Era
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
. To determine leap years, add 78 to the Saka year - if the result is a leap year in the Gregorian calendar, then the Saka year is a leap year as well. Its structure is like the Persian calendar.
Adoption
The calendar was introduced by the Calendar Reform Committee in 1957, as part of the Indian Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac, which also contained other astronomical data, as well as timings and formulae for preparing Hindu religious calendarsHindu calendar
The hindu calendar used in ancient times has undergone many changes in the process of regionalization, and today there are several regional Indian calendars, as well as an Indian national calendar. Nepali calendar, Bengali calendar, Malayalam calendar, Tamil calendar, Telugu calendar, Kannada...
, in an attempt to harmonise this practice. Despite this effort, local variations based on older sources such as the Surya Siddhanta
Surya Siddhanta
The Surya Siddhanta is one of the earliest siddhanta in archeo-astronomy of the Hindus by an unknown author. It describes the archeo-astronomy theories, principles and methods of the ancient Hindus. This siddhanta is supposed to be the knowledge that the Sun god gave to an Asura called Maya. Asuras...
may still exist.
Usage officially started at Chaitra 1, 1879 Saka Era, or March 22, 1957. However, government officials seem to largely ignore the New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
of this calendar in favour of the religious calendar.
See also
- Hindu calendarHindu calendarThe hindu calendar used in ancient times has undergone many changes in the process of regionalization, and today there are several regional Indian calendars, as well as an Indian national calendar. Nepali calendar, Bengali calendar, Malayalam calendar, Tamil calendar, Telugu calendar, Kannada...
- Saka era
- Bengali calendarBengali calendarThe Bengali calendar or Bangla calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used by the Bengali people. It is used in the eastern Indian states of West Bengal, Assam and Tripura and in Bangladesh...
, a related Indic calendar - Persian calendar
- Indian New Year's daysIndian New Year's daysOwing to the vast cultural and ethnic diversity of India, New Year's Day is celebrated in different times of the year at different places. Generally Lunar calendar has been the base of calculations from the ancient times. Most of these celebrations are based on the months in the Lunar Hindu Calendar...