Introduction
The purpose and message behind many of the popular religious festivals are based on great philosophies and morals designed and introduced for the benefit of humanity. Firstly, it is a grand occasion for celebration, fun and frolic for the members of the family – great get together for children, elders, youngsters, friends and relatives. In today’s mechanical world, such religious functions provide a good get-together, calm and peace. Next, these festivals also convey important messages – a kind of thanks giving to the Gods/ Mother Nature.
The Science of Calendars
There are many common astronomical principles between various calendars systems practised in a society and its astrological schools. So let us take a quick look at the astronomical background of some of the popular calendar systems in vogue across cultures. To this end, the first point that we need to understand is that calendars vary amongst themselves based on the calendar era system they comply with. In simple terms a Calendar Era, prescribes the numbering standard of the year.
Models of Calendars
Classification of calendar are further varies depending on whether the its calculations are based on the cyclic movements of the sun (solar calendar), or whether its based on that of the moon (lunar calendar). Sometimes an hybrid combination of used to make the best of both worlds (luni-solar) calendars. We shall now briefly take a look at some of these models
सोम /चन्द्र वर्षपद (soma / chandra varṣapada - lunar calendar):
The Lunar Calendar which is predominantly used by the Muslim countries and is also the most commonly used for timing of the festivals of almost all the religions including Hinduism, Judaism, Islam and also Christianity (other than Christmas). In fact etymologically, the English word ‘month’ is related to the root word ‘moon’. Similarly, in Tamil also the word ‘¾¢í¸û’ (thingaL) stands for both ‘moon’ and ‘month’. The lunar calendar is based on the चन्द्र मन (candra mana - lunar cycel/reckoning) and consititute 30 तिथि (tithi – lunar day) in a मास (māsa - month), which can be calculated either as
· तारकमण मासक (tārakamaṇa māsaka - Sidereal Month) which is roughly the period of moon revolutionary orbit around earth which is around 27.32 days and is calculated with respect to the celestial sphere relative to a fixed star. It is derived from the Latin word sidus meaning star.
· Synodic month also called as lunation, which is basically calculated as the average period of the moon’s revolution with respect to the sun that is the mean time between two full moons or new moons. It is derived from the Greek words syn + hodo, which means meeting the sun. The synodic month is around 29.5306 days and hence a lunar year comprises 354.3672 days.
The name of a lunar month is based on the नक्षत्र (nakṣatra –aster / lunar mansion) associated with the पुर्निम तिथि (purnima tithi – full moon day) of the respective month.
The solar calendar is based on the ऋतु वर्श (ṛtu varśa - tropical year) calculated as the mean interval between vernal (spring) equinoxes (occurring somewhere between the months of March-April according to the Gregorian calendar (modern international calendar). The solar calendar can also be of two kinds based on the calculation rules into
· मध्यम (madhyama) System: Based on arithmetic averages (arithmetic mean). Gregorian and Julian are examples of the same. The ऋतु वर्श (ṛtu varśa - tropical year) is typically defined as the arithmetical average (mean) between two Vernal/Spring Equinoxes and its length is usually calculated based on the following formula
Where T is is the time reckoned from J2000 measured in Julian centuries of 36,525 ephemeris days measured from noon January 1, 2000
· स्पस्त (spasta) system: Based on actual observations of true calendars. Persian and Bahai, Hindu (Orissa, Bengal, Tamil and Kerala) calendar is an example of this.
The time by sun to travel one degree of the zodiac is calculated as a solar day. Around 30 such days constitute a सण्करमन (saṇkaramana - solar month/cycle). In fact the average mean length of a solar month is 30.438030 days to be precise. The name of the solar month is based on the रासि (rāsi - sign) the Sun is passing/entering through during that period. The astronmical event of the sun entering a specific zodiac रासि (rāsi - sign) is called as its सण्करान्ति (saṇkarānti). Thus when the Sun enters the मकर रासि (makara rāsi), the month is called by the name मकर (makaram).
An important point that we must remember here is that, in principle the probability of the actual occurance of सण्करान्ति (saṇkarānti) event can potentially happen at any time during the day (or even night for that matter). However, as per Indian convention, the सयान दिन (sayāna dina– day of the month), always is measured between 6am and 6am (of the following day), there are some regional variations ( in the calendar systems across India) in determining the starting day of the month, particularly in terms of whether the new month commences on the same day of occurrence or the following day. And this is one of the main reasons for observing variations in the number of days in a month as well as the commencement dates of the months between regional calendars. Moreover variations are also due to the underlying computational algorithm standards used viz. सूर्य सिद्धान्त (sūrya siddhānta), द्रिगनित्त (driganitta), गर्ग्य सिद्धान्त (gargya siddhānta) etc.
The following table lists some of important regions in India following the solar calendar model.
State | Epoch | सयान दिन (sayāna dina– day of the month) calculation |
Tamil Nadu | कलि (kali) | If the सण्करान्ति (saṇkarānti) event, that is Sun entering the specific रासि (rāsi - sign) happens before sunset (6 pm), the month begins on the same day, else the month begins on the next day. |
Orissa | सलिवहन सह (salivahana saka) | The month commences on the same day of the सण्करान्ति (saṇkarānti) event. |
West Bengal | कलि (kali) | If the सण्करान्ति (saṇkarānti) event occurs between the sunrise (6am) and the corresponding midnight (12am), the month begins the following day, else it begins the day after (following 2nd day) |
Tripura | कलि (kali) | Same rule as in West Bengal |
Punjab | सलिवहन सह (salivahana saka) | Same rule as in Orissa.. |
Haryana | सलिवहन सह (salivahana saka) | Same rule as in Orissa. |
Assam |
| Same rule as in West Bengal |
Luni-Solar calendars:
The Luni-Solar calendar is a hybrid concept leveraging both the tropical year (solar year) as well as the phases of the moon (lunar months). As the lunar year is around 11 days shorter than the solar year, in a luni-solar calendar this difference is reconcilled by adding intercalary months. Hindu (Andhra, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh etc), Jewish, Easter, Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan & Korean. The lunisolar calendars are again classified based on the calculation of the lunar months either as
· अमन्त (amanta): In this system, the beginning of the month is calculated from अमावश्य (amāvaśya - new moon) to अमावश्य (amāvaśya - new moon). Timings for the most of the hindu religious events are based on this method and hence it is called as मुख्यमन (mukhyamana) system. Traditionally, the months of the year are based on the solar months, and begins from the month of º¢ò¾¢¨Ã (chiththirai): This system is complied with by the following states in India by the Hindus
State | Epoch |
Karnataka | सलिवहन सह (salivahana saka) |
Maharashtra | सलिवहन सह (salivahana saka) |
Andhra Pradesh | सलिवहन सह (salivahana saka) |
Gujarat | विक्रम (virama) |
Goa | सलिवहन सह (salivahana saka) |
Table 59: Indian Lunisolar amanta calendar epochs
· पुर्निमन्त (purnimanta) system callculated from पूर्निम (pūrnima – full moon) to पूर्निम (pūrnima – full moon). This system is complied by the following states in India by the Hindus,
State | Epoch |
Bihar | विक्रम (virama) |
Madhya Pradesh | विक्रम (virama) |
Rajasthan | विक्रम (virama) |
Uttar Pradesh | विक्रम (virama) |
Himachal Pradesh | विक्रम (virama) |
Table 60: Indian Lunisolar purnimanta calendar epochs
Varieties of Calendar Eras
The starting date of an era is called its Epoch. The following are some of the popular calendar systems in vogue across cultures with their associated baseline epochs
# | Calendar System | Epoch | Description |
Christian / Western | |||
1 | Julian Calendar | 1,721,424.5 BC | This was originally introduced by the Great Roman Emperor Julius Caesor and hence is named after him. |
2 | Gregorian Calendar | 01/01/0001 | This was originally introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, |
Hindu / Indian | |||
1 | सलिवहन सह (salivahana saka) | 78 C.E | This was introduced by Emperor सलिवहन महा राजा (salivahana mahā rājā) based on चैत्रादि निरयन (caitrādi nirayana) – lunisolar calendar |
2 | कलि (kali) | Feb 17/18th 3101 BCE | This is based on मेशदि निरयन सूर्य (meśadi nirayana sūrya – true solar sidreal) |
3 | कार्तिकादि विक्रम सम्वत् (kārtikādi vikrama samvat) | 57 CE | This model was introduced by Emperor विक्रमादित्य महा राजा (vikramāditya mahā rājā) based on निरयन सोमसूर्य (nirayana somasūrya – sidreal lunisolar). As the name indicates, the year begins in the month of कार्तिक (kārtika – mid Oct to mid Nov) |
4 | चैत्रादि विक्रम सम्वत् (caitrādi vikrama samvat) | 57 CE | This model was introduced by Emperor विक्रमादित्य महा राजा (vikramāditya mahā rājā) based on निरयन सोमसूर्य (nirayana somasūrya – sidreal lunisolar). As the name indicates, the year begins in the month of चैत्र (chaitra) |
4 | सक शक (saka śaka) – National | 1st चित्र (Chaitra) 1879, which corresponds to 22nd March 1957 | Baselined as the era of the Indian National Calendar, by the Calendar Reforms Committee, Government of India. This is based on सयन सूर्य (sayana sūrya – tropical solar) calendar model |
5 | सक शक (saka śaka) – Traditional | मेशदि निरयन सूर्य (meśadi nirayana sūrya – true solar sidreal) | |
Islamic | |||
| हेजिर (hejira) | Lunar Calendar beginning in the month of October | |
Buddhist | |||
| बुद्ध निर्वान (buddha nirvāna) | Based on निरयन सोमसूर्य (nirayana somasūrya – sidreal lunisolar) in the month of वैशाक (vaiśāka – mid May to mid June), coinciding with बुद्ध महा पूर्निम (buddha mahā pūrnima) the महा निर्वान दिन (mahā nirvāna dina – Grand Liberation Day)as well as महा अवतार दिन (mahā avatāra dina - grand incarnation day) of साख्य मुनि सिद्धार्त (sākhya muni siddhārta)better known as गौतम बुद्ध (gautama buddha) | |
Jainist | |||
| महावीर निर्वान (mahāvīra nirvāna) | Based on निरयन सोमसूर्य (nirayana somasūrya – sidreal lunisolar) in the month of in the month of कार्तिक (kārtika – mid Oct to mid Nov) coiniciding with the महा निर्वान दिन (mahā nirvāna dina – Grand Liberation Day) of the twentyfourth तीर्तन्कर (tīrtankara) - वर्धमान् महावीर (vardhamān mahāvīra) | |
Thus, it would be evident that there are multiple baselines (standards) used in different calendar models by different cultures and faiths. Even within Hinduism itself you can observe that there are considerable variations and customizations and that is one of the reasons, why one could observe many differences in dates between different regions (states) within India, even with respect to same religious events. Moreover, there are also subtle differences between calendar system used purely for social / civil purposes and the others useds for capturing religious events. For example, the offical national civil calendar, as per the Calendar Reforms Committee, Government of India, the Civil year starts formally on the 21st March (in terms of Gregorian Calendar), every year. Thus, accordingly the first युगादि (yugādi – year begining) is correspondingly mapped to the first day of चन्द्रमन माश (candramana māśa – lunar month) - चैत्र (chaitra), corresponding to the सुर्यमन माश (suryamana māśa – solar month). Whereas, for all religious purposes, according to, say the traditional ¾Á¢ú Àﺡí¸õ (tamizh panjaangam – Tamil Almanac) the युगादि (yugādi – year begining) is mapped to April 14th (Gergorian Calendar) every year; hence April 14th is when the चन्द्रमन माश (candramana māśa) of चैत्र (chaitra)
बृहस्पति चक्र (bṛhaspati cakra - Jupiter / Jovian Cycle)
In addition to baselining the orbital (revolution) patterns of the sun and moon for month measurements across solar, lunar and luni-solar calendar models discussed above, some schools, accommodate for the 60 years measurement cycles of the Jovian planet बृहस्पति /गुरु/ ÌÕ (bṛhaspati /guru – Jupiter) as well. The sidereal period of Jupiter’s orbital revolution is estimated to be around 12 years approximately (11 years, 314 days & 839 minutes). In contrast, the corresponding sidereal period of Sun is only one year. In other words, a year of solar sidereal cycle can be considered as month of Jovian cycle and the Jovian month names are mapped to the zodiac names (solar month names). That is, the first month of Jovian year is considered as º¢ò¾¢¨Ã / मेश (chiththirai / meśa - aries), which is actually equivalent to 12 solar months in a regular solar year.
From a religious perspective, every five jovian years (which equals 60 solar years), is considerd one काल चक्र (kāla cakra – time cycle) with sprokes.viz. प्रभव (prabhava), विभव (vibhava), शुक्ल (sukla), प्रमोदुत (pramoduta), प्रजोत्पत्ति (prajotpatti), आन्गिरस (angirasa), स्रिमुख (srimukha), भव (bhava), युव (yuva), धतु (dhatu), ईश्वर (isvara), बहुधान्य (bahudhanya), प्रमादि (pramadi), विक्रम (vikrama), विशु (visu), चित्रभनु (citrabhanu), सुभानु (subhanu), धारन (dharana), पार्थिव (parthiva), व्यय (vyaya), सर्वजित् (sarvajit), सर्वधारि (sarvadhari), विरोधि (virodhi), विक्रुति (vikruti), कर (kara), नन्दन (nandana), विजय (vijaya), जय (jaya), मन्मथ (manmatha), दुर्मुखि (durmukhi), हेय्विलम्बि (heyvilambi), विलम्बि (vilambi), विकारि (vikari), सार्वरि (sarvari), प्लव (plava), सुभक्रुत् (subhakrut), सोभक्रुत् ,(sobhakrut), क्रोधि (krodhi), विस्वावसु (visvavasu)
Sample Hindu religious calendar for 2020
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