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All measurements of time have historically
depended on astronomical observations - the day is measured from the
rotation earth on its axis, the week approximates the changing phases of
the Moon, the month is measured from the revolution of the Moon around
earth and the year is measured from the revolution of earth around the
Sun.
Unfortunately earth or moon do not complete their cycle
in full no of days. Moon's cycle is 29.53059 days and earth's orbit around
sun takes 365.242196 days. So 12 months are short of a year, and 13 months
are longer. In this lesson we describe here the history and detailing of
the commonly used Gregorian Calendar along with the different lunar
calendars used in India.
1. Gregorian Calendar : The Gregorian Calender was
first introduced by Julian Calendar. It was based on 365.25 days. The year
was divided in twelve months, of which eleven contained 30 or 31 days and
the 12th had 28 days only. The first month was March and the last month
was February. July is named after Julius Caesar and August after Augustus
Caesar, both months being allocated the full 31 days, as belittled a
Caesar. The seventh month was September, the eight October, the ninth
November the tenth December, after the Latin Septem, Octo, Novem and Decem
for seven, eight, nine & ten respectively.
To account for quarter day, every fourth year the last
month February was a leap year. February contained 29 days. However this
colander was fast by over 11 Minutes every year and by 1500 the error
amounted to approximately 11 days. To correct the calendar, Pope Gregory
ordered that October 15,1582 should follow October 4. The new Calender
also moved the beginning of the year from March 25 to January 1. February
now did not have a leap year in centuries unless perfectly divisible by
400. Thus came the present Gregorian Calendar into existence.
According to the present Gregorian Calender average year is 365.2425
days which is more than the actual by .000304 days, that is, 26 seconds.
This can be accounted for, if we again have February
of 28 days after 3200 years. However, this is not yet accounted in the
Gregorian calendar.
Indian National Calander: This is based on Sun -
Starts when Sayan Sun enters into Aries. It was recommended by the
Calendar Reform Committee and introduced by the Govt. of India from 22nd
March 1957, corresponding to the 1st of Chaitra, 1879 Saka Era. In this
Calender the no. of days assigned to each month and its starting is as
follows :
Month of Gregorian Date
Indian Calender for 1st of the month
Chaitra (30 days March 22 (March 31 days in a 21 in a
leap year)
Vaisakha 31 days April 21
Jyaistha 31 days May 22
Asadha 31 days June 22
Sravana 31 days July 23
Bhadra 31 days Aug 23
Asvina 30 days Sep 23
Kartika 30 days Oct 23
Agrahayana 30 days Nov 22
Pausa 30 days Dec 22
Magha 30 days Jan 21
Phalgun 30 days Feb 20
Lunar Calender : This is the most commonly used
calender in India. This is based on the timing of new Moon. Depending upon
Moon's transit over Sun takes place in which sign, the month is named.
When new moon is in Aries, the month is Vaishakh, in Taurus it is Jyestha
etc.
Lunar calender is of two kinds normally :
(i) Closing at full Moon i.e. Purnimanta
(ii) Closing at New Moon i.e. Amanta.
In Purnimanta the month starts 15 days before the new
Moon & ends on full Moon called Puranmasi meaning "month is
complete." In Amanta month starts after new moon. The months are
named same as in Indian National Calender and they start within 15 days
before or after, of starting of months in Indian National Calender.
Since the speed of Moon is variable and it can cross
over Sun at any degree. New moon may sometimes occur twice in the same
Rasi or may not occur at all in some rasi. This gives formation of Adhik
& Kshay Mah respectively. In case of Adhik month; the two months are
named as first and the other as second. Shukla Paksh of the first and
Krishna Paksh of the second are called the adhik month, which is normally
avoided in most muhurthas. In case of kshay month, one month is divided
into two Pakshas and each month is assigned one Paksh. The first month
having Krishna Paksh is called Kshay Mah and the other is termed normal
Mah.
On the average year as 29.53 x 12 = 354.36 days, which
is less by 11 days compared to earth's cycle. Thus in every three years
there is an Adhik Mah to cover the gap of these 11 days.
Kshay Mah occuse rarely. After or before Kshay Mah
Adhik Mah occurs invariably.
The start of month or day is taken from Sun rise.
Because of variable Moon. speed two tithis may fall between two sunrises
and sometimes it may not fall even once.
This gives rise to formation of Adhik and Kshay
tithis.
Solar Calender : Like Lunar Calender Solar Calender
is based on the movement of Sun. Sun's entry into Aries starts the month
Vaisakh and also the new year. The months are named same as in Indian
National Calender.
Though the moment of Sun's entry into a sign is the
same all over India, yet the commencement of the corresponding month for
civil purposes is not necessarily the same all over India, yet the
commencement of the corresponding month for civil purposes is not
necessarily the same all over India. In Punjab & Orisa the solar month
starts on the day of transit into next sign. Here day means one sunrise to
next-sunrise. In bengal and Assam, if transit happens before midnight (45
Ghatis), the solar month begins next day & when the transit occurs
after 45 Ghatis, the month begins a day after. In Tamil, when the fraction
of the day at which transit occurs does not exceed 30 Ghatis (Sunset), the
solar month begins on the same day else next day. Since the sun takes
different times to transit a sign the month varies from 28 days to 31
days.
The lunar & solar calenders are associated with
vrious eras. Some of the most commanly used are :
1. Vikram Era : 57 more than the A.D. year and
extensively used in Gujarat & all over northern India except Bengal.
In Northern India year starts from Chaitra Purima. It is also popularly
known as "Malava Era" or simply "Samvat".
In Gujarat Amanta month is taken and year starts from
next day of Kartika New Moon i.e. day of Diwali.
2. Saka Era : This is 78 less than A.D. year.
This is also used extensively in North India. Indian National Calender
uses this Saka. It is used both with amanta & Purnimanta months as
well as with solar calender.
To summarise year 1999 will have various Calendars
beginning on the following date:
1. Gregorian Calender : 1st Jan 99.
Different eras have following values :
i. Gregorian
1999 A.D.
ii. Samvat
2056
iii. Saka
1921
iv. Kaliyuga Era. 5100
v. Fusli San
1407
vi. Kollam Era 1175
vii. Bengali San 1406
viii. Hejira
1420
2. National Calender : 22 March 99
3. Lunar Calendars :
Chaitradi : 18/3/99
Kartikadi : 10/10/99
4. Solar Calendars :
Bengal & Assam - 15/04/99
Punjab & Orissa - 14/04/99
South - 14/04/99
5. Kollam Era : A.D. year minus 824 is the Kollam
Era. It is used in Malabar, Cochin & Travancore. It starts with solar
Virgo in North Malabar and with Solar Leo in South Malabar.
6. Bengali San : Current A.D. year minus 593 gives
Bangali San. It starts with Sun entry into Aries.
7. Hejira (Muslim
Calender) :
It is calculated by
subtracting 579 from the current A.D. year. The monthly are based on Moon
and are named as Muharram, Safer, Ravi-Ul-Avval, Ravi Ussani,
Jamadi-Ul-avval, Jamadi Ussani, Rajjab, Sawan, Ramjan, Savval, Jilked and
Jilhej. Muharram the first months coincides with or starts from shukla
Paksh of Vaisakh. The month start normally from 2nd in Shukla Paksh when
Moon is visible in the sky after sun set. The day is counted from sunset
to sunset. The only problem in Muslim Calender is that it can not be
defined in advance since it is based on visibility of Moon. If Moon is not
visible on the day month has to start, it will be started from the next
day only when moon becomes clearly visible.
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