Mala Masa - which month will be adhik or kshay

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.

Adhik Masa 2018 -What to do in purushottama masa

Adhik Maas is extra lunar month in Hindu calendar and it is also known as Mal-Maas, Purushottam Maas, Malimmacha and Lond Maas (लोंद मास).
In 2018 Lunar Year will be of 13 Months, with a Adhik Masa.
Jyeshtha will be Adhik Masa from 16 May to 13 June 2018. Adhik masa is considered as asacred month for japa, pilgrimage, scripture reading. People perform various religious rituals, fasting.

All efforts with the intention of worldly gains are strictly prohibited during Adhik masa as mentioned in scriptures –

“न कुर्यादधिके मासि काम्यं कर्म कदाचन.” 

During this period, marriages, tonsures (mundan), inaugurations of new home, fasting with desire of some worldy gains, buying new ornaments and vehicles are prohibited.   

Purushottam Maas is considered inauspicious and no activities like weddings or moving into a new house are conducted. It is a time for prayer, fasting, charity, and self-improvement.

 1. बार्हस्पत्ये: यस्मिन् मासे न संक्रांतिः संक्रांति द्वयमेव वा ।। असंस्पर्शौतु तौ मासे लप्तमासश्च निन्दितः।।

 2. वशिष्ठ: वापीकूपतड़ागादि प्रतिष्ठा यज्ञ कर्म च। न कुर्यान्मलमासे तु संसर्पाहस्पतौतथा।।

 3. कृत्यशिरोमणौ: वस्तुतस्तु यद्वर्षे क्षयाख्यमासस्तत्र पूर्वापरमधिमासद्वयं तत् त्रितयमपि-सर्वकर्म वहिस्कृतम्। 

Adhik Masa - A unique concept of Hindu Calender

Concept of Adhik Masa in Vedic Calendar is a unique concept which synchronize the anamoly of Solar and Lunar calendar (Luni-Solar Calendar). Hindu scholars attempted to keep time by observing and calculating the cycles of sun (Surya), moon and the planets. The Hindu texts used the lunar cycle for setting months and days, but the solar cycle to set the complete year. This created a mismatch between the lunar years (354 days), versus solar year (365 days). To cover up this mismatch an intercalary month started being added at every 32½ months on average. With this the Vedic calendar keeping and astronomical observations became more sophisticated, the Hindu calendar became more sophisticated with complex rules and greater accuracy.