The word Calendar has its origin from the Roman word Calends or Kalends meaning a method of distributing time into certain periods adopted for the purpose of civil life.
Thus a calendar may be defined as a system of reckoning time over extended intervals by combining various convenient periods of time.
A calendar is a method of counting the successive days in a systematic and continuous manner using convenient, repeated cycles called years. The measure of the year is calculated by studying the motion of the two prominent luminaries in the sky, namely the sun and the moon.
A solar year is the length of time from one vernal equinox to the next. Alternatively it could be the time between successive Uttarayanas (Winter solstice) or Dakshinayanas (Summer Solstice) of the Sun. The vernal equinox (first day of spring) is the midpoint between Uttarayana and Dakshinayanas. These solar movements define the seasons. The solar year is thus the interval of the cycle of the seasons.
The time period of the successive return of the moon in conjunction or opposition to the
sun in relation to the earth, which is the time period from new moon to new moon, or full
moon to full moon, is the measure of the lunar month, and twelve such months form the
lunar year.
The amanta lunar year starts from the month of Chaitra from the occurrence of the solar month of the same name. The solar year, on the other hand, starts from Vaisakha when the sun enters the mesha rasi.
The mean duration of a lunar month is 29.5306 days and hence the lunar year equals 354.3672 days (29.5306*12). It is 10.89 days short of the sidereal year and 10.87 days short of the tropical year. To keep the lunar calendar adjusted to the solar calendar and to keep the lunar months linked with the solar months and the seasons, an intercalary lunar month has to be added to the lunar year at intervals. A total of seven intercalary months are added in a cycle of 19 lunar years.
((19 * 12) +7) * 29.5306 = 6939.69 days
Actual Number of days that should be in 19 sidereal years:
19 * 365.256363 = 6939.87 days
This kind of a calendar which is kept adjusted to the solar calendar is known as a lunisolar calendar.
Unlike Western calendar, Vedic system follows a Luni-Solar calendar which is
In the Indian luni-solar calendar the intercalary months are not added in a mechanical manner. The Indian astronomers devised a method which uses the true positions of the sun and moon to add the intercalary months. When two new moons occur within one solar month then two lunar months occur with the same name based on the solar month.
The first lunar month of the two is prefixed with the title ‘adhika’ or ‘mala’ and is considered as an intercalary month. The second one starting from the next new moon is prefixed ‘suddha’ and this latter month is considered to be the true or normal month.
Among normal months, adhika months, and kshaya months, the earlier are considered "better" for religious purposes. That means, if a festival should fall on the 10th tithi of the Āshvayuja month (this is called Vijayadashamī) and there are two Āshvayuja months caused by the existence of an adhika Āshvayuja, the first adhika month will not see the festival, and the festival will be observed only in the second nija month. However, if the second month is āshvayuja kshaya then the festival will be observed in the first adhika month itself.
When two months are rolled into one in the case of a kshaya masa, the festivals of both months will also be rolled into this kshaya masa. For example, the festival of Mahashivaratri which was to be observed on the Chaturdashi tithi of the Magha krishna paksha was, in 1983, observed on the corresponding tithi of Pausha-Magha kshaya krishna paksha, since in that year, Pausha and Magha were rolled into one, as we mentioned above.
Indian month names
Determining which name a lunar month takes is somewhat indirect. It is based on the rāshi into which the sun transits within a lunar month, i.e. before the full moon ending the month.
There are twelve rāshi names, there are twelve lunar month names. When the sun transits into the Mesha rāshi in a lunar month, then the name of the lunar month is Chaitra. When the sun transits into Vrishabha, then the lunar month is Vaishākha. So on.
to know that which month will be an Adhik Masa, subtract 928 from the current Shaka Samvat and divide the figure by 19.
If the remainder is 3 then Chaitra masa will be an Adhik Masa.
If the remainder is 11 the Vaisakh masa
If the remainder is 8 then Jyeshtha masa
If the remainder is 16 then Ashadha masa
If the remainder is 5 then Shravan masa
If the remainder is 13 then Bhadrapada masa
If the remainder is 2 then Ashwin Masa.
other than the above figures there will be no Adhik masa
In Year 2018
Current Shaka Samvat is 1940
=(1940 - 928)/19
=Remainder -8 So in the Year 2018 Jyeshtha will be an Adhik Masa
Sun moves faster in the months of Kartika (Scorpio), Margashirsha (Sagittarius) and Pausha (Capricorn) therefore Sun takes lesser time than Moon to cover these three months.
Months from Chaitra to Ashwin only can be a Adhik mas (sometimes it can be Falguna).
Just as there is the lunar year with the extra month (Adhik Maas), so there is a lunar year with a reduced month, with only eleven months in the particular lunar year. The lunar year with eleven months is very rare. It occurs once in 140 years or once in 190 years.
This year there shall be two Jyeshthas. We call them first and second Jyeshtha. There are four Pakshas in two months. First Jyeshtha commences from Krishna Paksha.
It is followed by Shukla Paksha of 1st Jyeshtha, then Krishna Paksha of 2nd Jyeshtha and finally Shukla Paksha of 2nd Jyeshtha.
The Krishna Paksha of 1st Jyeshtha and Shukla Paksha of 2nd Jyeshtha is considered true or pure Jyeshtha month.
The remaining two Pakshas i.e. Shukla Paksha of 1st Jyeshtha and Krishna Paksha of 2nd Jyeshtha comprise to make extra month which is known as Adhik Masa or Mal Masa. No auspicious ceremony except meditation or spiritual activity is performed during this Adhik Masa.
Thus a calendar may be defined as a system of reckoning time over extended intervals by combining various convenient periods of time.
A calendar is a method of counting the successive days in a systematic and continuous manner using convenient, repeated cycles called years. The measure of the year is calculated by studying the motion of the two prominent luminaries in the sky, namely the sun and the moon.
A solar year is the length of time from one vernal equinox to the next. Alternatively it could be the time between successive Uttarayanas (Winter solstice) or Dakshinayanas (Summer Solstice) of the Sun. The vernal equinox (first day of spring) is the midpoint between Uttarayana and Dakshinayanas. These solar movements define the seasons. The solar year is thus the interval of the cycle of the seasons.
The time period of the successive return of the moon in conjunction or opposition to the
sun in relation to the earth, which is the time period from new moon to new moon, or full
moon to full moon, is the measure of the lunar month, and twelve such months form the
lunar year.
The amanta lunar year starts from the month of Chaitra from the occurrence of the solar month of the same name. The solar year, on the other hand, starts from Vaisakha when the sun enters the mesha rasi.
The mean duration of a lunar month is 29.5306 days and hence the lunar year equals 354.3672 days (29.5306*12). It is 10.89 days short of the sidereal year and 10.87 days short of the tropical year. To keep the lunar calendar adjusted to the solar calendar and to keep the lunar months linked with the solar months and the seasons, an intercalary lunar month has to be added to the lunar year at intervals. A total of seven intercalary months are added in a cycle of 19 lunar years.
((19 * 12) +7) * 29.5306 = 6939.69 days
Actual Number of days that should be in 19 sidereal years:
19 * 365.256363 = 6939.87 days
This kind of a calendar which is kept adjusted to the solar calendar is known as a lunisolar calendar.
Unlike Western calendar, Vedic system follows a Luni-Solar calendar which is
In the Indian luni-solar calendar the intercalary months are not added in a mechanical manner. The Indian astronomers devised a method which uses the true positions of the sun and moon to add the intercalary months. When two new moons occur within one solar month then two lunar months occur with the same name based on the solar month.
The first lunar month of the two is prefixed with the title ‘adhika’ or ‘mala’ and is considered as an intercalary month. The second one starting from the next new moon is prefixed ‘suddha’ and this latter month is considered to be the true or normal month.
Among normal months, adhika months, and kshaya months, the earlier are considered "better" for religious purposes. That means, if a festival should fall on the 10th tithi of the Āshvayuja month (this is called Vijayadashamī) and there are two Āshvayuja months caused by the existence of an adhika Āshvayuja, the first adhika month will not see the festival, and the festival will be observed only in the second nija month. However, if the second month is āshvayuja kshaya then the festival will be observed in the first adhika month itself.
When two months are rolled into one in the case of a kshaya masa, the festivals of both months will also be rolled into this kshaya masa. For example, the festival of Mahashivaratri which was to be observed on the Chaturdashi tithi of the Magha krishna paksha was, in 1983, observed on the corresponding tithi of Pausha-Magha kshaya krishna paksha, since in that year, Pausha and Magha were rolled into one, as we mentioned above.
Indian month names
Determining which name a lunar month takes is somewhat indirect. It is based on the rāshi into which the sun transits within a lunar month, i.e. before the full moon ending the month.
There are twelve rāshi names, there are twelve lunar month names. When the sun transits into the Mesha rāshi in a lunar month, then the name of the lunar month is Chaitra. When the sun transits into Vrishabha, then the lunar month is Vaishākha. So on.
If the remainder is 3 then Chaitra masa will be an Adhik Masa.
If the remainder is 11 the Vaisakh masa
If the remainder is 8 then Jyeshtha masa
If the remainder is 16 then Ashadha masa
If the remainder is 5 then Shravan masa
If the remainder is 13 then Bhadrapada masa
If the remainder is 2 then Ashwin Masa.
other than the above figures there will be no Adhik masa
In Year 2018
Current Shaka Samvat is 1940
=(1940 - 928)/19
=Remainder -8 So in the Year 2018 Jyeshtha will be an Adhik Masa
Sun moves faster in the months of Kartika (Scorpio), Margashirsha (Sagittarius) and Pausha (Capricorn) therefore Sun takes lesser time than Moon to cover these three months.
Months from Chaitra to Ashwin only can be a Adhik mas (sometimes it can be Falguna).
Just as there is the lunar year with the extra month (Adhik Maas), so there is a lunar year with a reduced month, with only eleven months in the particular lunar year. The lunar year with eleven months is very rare. It occurs once in 140 years or once in 190 years.
This year there shall be two Jyeshthas. We call them first and second Jyeshtha. There are four Pakshas in two months. First Jyeshtha commences from Krishna Paksha.
It is followed by Shukla Paksha of 1st Jyeshtha, then Krishna Paksha of 2nd Jyeshtha and finally Shukla Paksha of 2nd Jyeshtha.
The Krishna Paksha of 1st Jyeshtha and Shukla Paksha of 2nd Jyeshtha is considered true or pure Jyeshtha month.
The remaining two Pakshas i.e. Shukla Paksha of 1st Jyeshtha and Krishna Paksha of 2nd Jyeshtha comprise to make extra month which is known as Adhik Masa or Mal Masa. No auspicious ceremony except meditation or spiritual activity is performed during this Adhik Masa.
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