Blackburn, Bonnie;
The Oxford Companion to the Year: An Exploration of Calendar Customs and Time-Reckoning
Oxford University Press, USA, 2000, 976 pages
ISBN 0192142313 9780192142313
topics: | astronomy | calendar
Hindu Calendar 717 National calendar - introduced starting chaitra of saka year 1879 = march 22 1957. chaitra: 30 22 mar - 20 apr [leap years 31d : from 21 mar - 20 apr] vaisakha 31 21 apr - 21 may jyaistha 31 22 may asadha 31 22 jun bhadra 30 23 jul asvina 30 23 aug kartika 30 23 aug agrahayana 30 22 nov pausa 30 22 dec magha 30 21 jan phalguna 30 20 feb - 21 mar [in leap year : till 20 mar] Saka Leap year 1618 = AD 1996/7 : YYYY mod 4 = 2
vikram samvat : starts chaitra shuklapaksha - but in Gujarat from Kartika; years computed from 58BC bengali san : AD594; sun's entry into Aries (mid-Apr) saptarshi kala of Kashmir : 3177BC; chaitra shuklapaksha kollam era of Kerala : AD825; sun's entry into Leo (mid-Aug) Fasli era of N India; AD593; Ashvina krishNapaksha (mid-Sept) Kaliyuga era : 3102BC; sun's entry into Aries (mid-Apr) Buddha Nirvana era; lunar years from 544BC; vaishAkha bright; mahavira nirvana era : lunar years from 527BC, Kartika krshNa;
Ram navami : chaitra S9 - birth of Rama
Rathayatra - AshaDha S2 (june-july)
Teej = Sravana S3 (jul-aug); women undergo austerities for husband
nAga panchami: shravana S5; mainly S india - cobra as guardian
raksha bandhan : sravana S15 (fullmoon Jul-Aug)
janmashtami sravana K8 (Jul-Aug); birth of Krishna at midnight
ganesh chaturthi: bhadra S4 (Aug-Sep); birth of ganesh
onam : bhAdra S12 (aug-sep) Kerala - birth of vAmaNa
dussehhra, durga puja, navaratri : asvina S1-10; Durga's victory over
Mahishashur;
diwali : asvina K13-15 + S1; (oct-nov new moon);
2nd day : vishnu's victory over narkasur (filth-demon), who dragged
beautiful women to live in his dirty den
3d day: accounts are closed; frequent gambling. legend of frenetic
gambling by siva, parvati, ganesh and kartik. stopped only
when Vishnu turns himself into the dice; Parvati, having
lost, was restrained just in time from cursing the dice.
gamblers at this time are blessed.
4th day: flour models of Bali, who was tricked out of power by Vishnu
disguised as the vAmaNa, many feel unfairly.
bhrAtri dvitiyA: kartika S2; sisters honour brothers
birthday of guru nanak : kartika S15
martyrdom of Tegh bahadur : margasirsha (agrahayana) S5.
Pongal: sun's entry into makara (mid-Jan). 3d day - cattle are worshipped
vasanta panchami, sri panchami: mAgha S5 (jan-feb)
auspicious colour is yellow, from mustard flower in bloom.
saraswati puja; letter Om is traced on child's tongue with reed pen
maha sivaratri : mAgha K14 (near new moon of Feb-Mar) - darkest night of
year; Siva is worshipped
holi : phAlguna S15 (feb-mar) - spring festival; restraints are abandoned,
colours sprinkled.
defeat of the sorceress holikA, brother of prahlad, who tried to make
him worship their wicked father instead of vishnu.
alternately: holika immolated herself in the fire so that her
brother, year-god Samvat, could be restored to life. [New
year starts the following day]
S.India - madanabhasma by Shiva; rati persuades siva to let madana be
reborn, but remain invisible