Hindu calendar
Bikram Samvat
(
ISO
:
Bikrama Sa?vata
; abbreviated VS and BS), also known as the
Bikram Sambat
in Nepal, is a
Hindu calendar
and official calendar of
Nepal
[1]
historically used in
South Asia
and still used in several
states
.
[2]
[3]
It is a
solar calendar
, using twelve to thirteen lunar months each solar
sidereal years
. The year count of the Vikram Samvat calendar is usually 57 years ahead of the
Gregorian calendar
, except during January to April, when it is ahead by 56 years.
The Vikram Samvat (called Bikram Sambat in Nepal) calendar should not be confused with the Nepal Sambat, a much more recent innovation.
History
[
edit
]
A number of ancient and medieval inscriptions used the Vikram Samvat. Although it was reportedly named after the legendary king
Vikramaditya
, the term "Vikrama Samvat" does not appear in the historical record before the 9th century; the same calendar system is found with other names, such as Krita and Malava.
[4]
In colonial scholarship, the era was believed to be based on the commemoration of King Vikramaditya expelling the
Sakas
from
Ujjain
. However, later epigraphical evidence and scholarship suggest that this theory has no historical basis. During the 9th century, epigraphical artwork began using Vikram Samvat (suggesting that the Hindu calendar era in use became popular as Vikram Samvat); Buddhist and Jain epigraphy continued to use an era based on the Buddha or the Mahavira.
[5]
Vikramaditya legend
[
edit
]
According to popular tradition, King
Vikramaditya
of
Ujjain
established the Vikrama Samvat era after defeating the
?akas
.
Kalakacharya Kathanaka
(
An account of the monk Kalakacharya
), by the
Jain
sage Mahesarasuri, gives the following account: Gandharvasena, the then-powerful king of Ujjain, abducted a nun called Sarasvati, who was the sister of the monk. The enraged monk sought the help of the ?aka ruler King Sahi in
Sistan
. Despite heavy odds but aided by miracles, the ?aka king defeated Gandharvasena and made him a captive. Sarasvati was repatriated, although Gandharvasena himself was forgiven. The defeated king retired to the forest, where he was killed by a tiger. His son, Vikramaditya, being brought up in the forest, had to rule from
Pratishthana
(modern Paithan in
Maharashtra
). Later on, Vikramaditya invaded Ujjain and drove away from the ?akas. To commemorate this event, he started a new era called the "Vikrama era". The Ujjain calendar started around 58?56 BCE, and the subsequent Shaka-era calendar was started in 78 CE at Pratishthana.
[
full citation needed
]
Historical origins
[
edit
]
The association of the era beginning in 57 BCE with Vikramaditya is not found in any source before the 9th century CE; earlier sources call the era "K??a" (343 and 371 CE), "Kritaa" (404), "the era of the
Malava tribe
" (424), or simply "Samvat".
[6]
[7]
The earliest known inscription which calls the era "Vikrama" is from 842. This inscription, from the
Chauhana
ruler Chandamahasena, was found at
Dholpur
and is dated "Vikrama Samvat 898,
Vaishakha
Shukla
2, Chanda" (20 April 842). The earliest known inscription which associates the era with a king called Vikramaditya is dated 971, and the earliest literary work connecting the era to Vikramaditya is
Subhashita-Ratna-Sandoha
(993-994) by the Jain author Amitagati.
[7]
A number of authors believe that the Vikram Samvat was not started by Vikramaditya, who might be a legendary king or a title adopted by a later king who renamed the era after himself.
V. A. Smith
and
D. R. Bhandarkar
believed that
Chandragupta II
adopted the title of Vikramaditya, and changed the era's name to "Vikrama Samvat". According to
Rudolf Hoernle
, the king responsible for this change was
Yashodharman
. Hoernle believed that he conquered Kashmir and is the "Harsha Vikramaditya" mentioned in
Kalhana
's
Rajatarangini
.
[7]
Some earlier scholars believed that the Vikram Samvat corresponded to the
Azes era
of the Indo-Scythian (?aka) king
King Azes
. This was disputed by Robert Bracey after the discovery of an inscription of
Vijayamitra
, which is dated in two eras.
[8]
The theory was discredited by Falk and Bennett, who place the inception of the Azes era in 47?46 BCE.
[9]
Popularity
[
edit
]
The Vikram Samvat has been used by
Hindus
,
Sikhs
,
[10]
and
Pashtuns
.
[11]
One of several regional Hindu calendars in use on the
Indian subcontinent
, it is based on twelve
synodic
lunar months and 365
solar days
.
[10]
[12]
The lunar year begins with the new moon of the month of
Chaitra
.
[13]
This day, known as Chaitra Sukhladi, is a restricted (optional) holiday in India.
[14]
[
failed verification
]
The calendar remains in use by people in
Nepal
serving as its national calendar where the first month is Baisakh and the last month is Chaitra. It is also symbolically used by Hindus of north, west and central India.
[4]
In south India and portions of east and west India (such as Assam, West Bengal and Gujarat), the
Indian national calendar
is widely used.
[15]
With the arrival of Islamic rule, the
Hijri calendar
became the official calendar of
sultanates
and the
Mughal Empire
. During
British colonial rule
of the Indian subcontinent, the
Gregorian calendar
was adopted and is commonly used in urban areas of India.
[16]
The predominantly-Muslim countries of
Pakistan
and
Bangladesh
have used the Islamic calendar since 1947, but older texts included the Vikram Samvat and Gregorian calendars. In 2003, the India-based Sikh
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee
controversially adopted the
Nanakshahi calendar
.
[10]
Alongside
Nepal Sambat
, Vikram Samvat is one of two official calendars used in Nepal.
[17]
Calendar system
[
edit
]
Like the Hebrew and Chinese calendars, the Vikram Samvat is
lunisolar
.
[10]
In common years, the year is 354 days long,
[18]
while a leap month (
adhik maas
) is added in accordance to the
Metonic cycle
roughly once every three years (or 7 times in a 19-year cycle) to ensure that festivals and crop-related rituals fall in the appropriate season.
[10]
[12]
Early Buddhist communities in India adopted the ancient
Hindu calendar
, followed by the Vikram Samvat and local
Buddhist calendars
. Buddhist festivals are still scheduled according to a lunar system.
[19]
The Vikram Samvat has two systems. It began in 56 BCE in the southern Hindu calendar system (
amaanta
) and 57?56 BCE in the northern system (
purnimaanta
). The Shukla Paksha, when most festivals occur, coincides in both systems.
[15]
[6]
The lunisolar Vikram Samvat calendar is 56.7 years ahead of the solar
Gregorian calendar
; the year 2081 BS begins mid-April 2024 CE, and ends mid-April 2025 CE.
The
Rana dynasty
of Nepal made the Bikram Sambat the official Hindu calendar in 1901 CE, which began as 1958
BS
.
[20]
The new year in Nepal begins with the first day of the month of
Baisakh
, which usually falls around 13?15 April in the Gregorian calendar and ends with the last day of the month
Chaitra
. The first day of the new year is a
public holiday
in Nepal.
Bisket Jatra
, an annual carnival in
Bhaktapur
, is also celebrated on Baishakh 1. In 2007,
Nepal Sambat
was also recognised as a national calendar alongside Bikram Sambat.
In India, the reformulated
Saka calendar
is officially used (except for computing dates of the traditional festivals). In the Hindi version of the preamble of the
constitution of India
, the date of its adoption (26 November 1949) is presented in Vikram Samvat as Margsheersh Shukla Saptami Samvat 2006. A call has been made for the Vikram Samvat to replace the Saka calendar as India's official calendar.
[21]
New Year
[
edit
]
- Chaitra Navaratri
: the second most celebrated, named after
vasanta
which means spring. It is observed in the lunar month of
Chaitra
(post-winter, March?April). In many regions the festival falls after spring harvest, and in others during harvest. It also marks the first day of the Hindu calendar, hence also known as the
Hindu Lunar New Year
according to Vikram Samvat calendar.
[22]
[23]
- Vaisakhi
:
- Vaisakhi marks the beginning of
Hindu Solar New Year
in
Punjab
, Northern, Eastern, North-eastern and Central India according to the solar Vikram Samvat calendar.
[24]
[25]
and marks the first day of the month of
Vaisakha
, which is usually celebrated on 13 or 14 April every year and is a historical and religious festival in
Hinduism
.
- Baisakh (Nepal)
: The first day of Baisakh is celebrated as Nepalese New Year
[26]
because it is the day which marks Hindu Solar New Year
[27]
as per the solar Nepali Bikram Sambat.
- Varsha Pratipada or
Bestu Varas:
It is considered an auspicious day celebrated in the Indian state of Gujarat to mark the New Year according to the Vikram Samvat Hindu calendar. It falls on the first day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kartika. The day is significant as it symbolizes the beginning of the agricultural year, and farmers traditionally start their new accounting books on this day.
[28]
Divisions of a year
[
edit
]
The Vikram Samvat uses lunar months and solar
sidereal years
. Because 12 months do not match a sidereal year, correctional months (
adhika m?sa
) are added or (occasionally) subtracted (
kshaya masa
). A lunar year consists of 12 months, and each month has two
fortnights
, with a variable duration ranging from 29 to 32 days. The
lunar days
are called
tithis
. Each month has 30
tithis
, which vary in length from 20 to 27 hours. The
waxing phase
, beginning with the day after the new moon
(
amavasya
)
, is called
gaura
or
shukla paksha
(the bright or auspicious fortnight). The waning phase is called
krishna
or
vadhya paksha
(the dark fortnight, considered inauspicious).
[29]
Lunar metrics
[
edit
]
- A
tithi
is the time it takes for the
longitudinal
angle between the Moon and the Sun to increase by 12
°
.
[30]
Tithis
begin at various times of the day, and vary in duration.
- A
paksha
(or
pak?a
) is a lunar fortnight and consists of 15
tithis
.
- A
m?sa
, or
lunar month
(about 29.5 days), is divided into two
paksas
.
- A
ritu
(season) is two
m?sas
.
[30]
- An
ayana
is three
ritus
.
- A year is two
ayanas
.
[30]
Months
[
edit
]
The classical Vikram Samvat is generally 57 years ahead of Gregorian Calendar, except during January to April, when it is ahead by 56 years. The month that the new year starts varies by region or sub-culture.
Upto 12 April 2024, it will be 2080 BS in the BS calendar. The names of months in the Vikram Samvat in Sanskrit and Nepali,
[31]
[32]
with their roughly corresponding Gregorian months, respectively are:
Vikram Samvat months
|
Gregorian months
|
Vai??kha
or Baisakh
|
April?May
|
Jy???ha
or Jestha or Jeth
|
May?June
|
?sh?dha
or Asar or Asadh
|
June?July
|
Shr?va?a
or Sawan or Shrawan
|
July?August
|
Bh?drapada
or Bh?dra or Bhadau
|
August?September
|
Ashvin
or Asoj
|
September?October
|
K?rtika
or Kattik or Kartik
|
October?November
|
Agrah?ya?a
or Mangsir/M?rga??r?a or Aghan
|
November?December
|
Pau?a
or Paush or Poush
|
December?January
|
M?gha
or Magh
|
January?February
|
Ph?lguna
or Falgun
|
February?March
|
Chaitra
or Chait or Chaitra
|
March?April
|
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Crump, William D. (25 April 2014).
Encyclopedia of New Year's Holidays Worldwide
. McFarland.
ISBN
978-0-7864-9545-0
.
- ^
Masatoshi Iguchi (2015).
Java Essay: The History and Culture of a Southern Country
. TPL. p. 135.
ISBN
978-1-78462-885-7
.
- ^
Edward Simpson (2007).
Muslim Society and the Western Indian Ocean: The Seafarers of Kachchh
. Routledge. pp. 113?114.
ISBN
978-1-134-18484-2
.
- ^
a
b
Richard Salomon (1998).
Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the Other Indo-Aryan Languages
. Oxford University Press. pp. 182?183.
ISBN
978-0-19-509984-3
.
- ^
Richard Salomon (1998).
Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the Other Indo-Aryan Languages
. Oxford University Press. pp. 182?183, 194?195.
ISBN
978-0-19-509984-3
.
- ^
a
b
Ashvini Agrawal (1989).
Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas
. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 174?175.
ISBN
978-81-208-0592-7
.
- ^
a
b
c
M. Srinivasachariar (1974).
History of Classical Sanskrit Literature
. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 94?111.
ISBN
9788120802841
.
- ^
Alf Hiltebeitel (2011).
Reading the Fifth Veda: Studies on the Mah?bh?rata
. BRILL. p. 103.
ISBN
978-90-04-18566-1
.
- ^
Falk and Bennett (2009), pp. 197-215.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
Eleanor Nesbitt (2016).
Sikhism: a Very Short Introduction
. Oxford University Press. pp. 122?123.
ISBN
978-0-19-874557-0
.
- ^
Jazab, Yousaf Khan.
An Ethno-Linguistic Study of the Karlanri Varieties of Pashto
. Pashto Academy, University of Peshawar. pp. 342?343.
- ^
a
b
Christopher John Fuller (2004).
The Camphor Flame: Popular Hinduism and Society in India
. Princeton University Press. pp. 109?110.
ISBN
978-0-69112-04-85
.
- ^
Davivajna, R?ma (1996) Muhurtacint?ma?i. Sagar Publications
- ^
India.gov.in
- ^
a
b
Richard Salomon (1398).
Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the other Indo-Aryan Languages
.
Oxford University Press
. pp. 181?183.
ISBN
978-0-19-535666-3
.
- ^
Tim Harper;
Sunil Amrith
(2014).
Sites of Asian Interaction: Ideas, Networks and Mobility
. Cambridge University Press. pp. 56?57.
ISBN
978-1-316-09306-1
.
- ^
Bal Gopal Shrestha (2012).
The Sacred Town of Sankhu: The Anthropology of Newar Ritual, Religion and Society in Nepal
. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 13?14.
ISBN
978-1-4438-3825-2
.
- ^
Orazio Marucchi (2011).
Christian Epigraphy: An Elementary Treatise with a Collection of Ancient Christian Inscriptions Mainly of Roman Origin
. Cambridge University Press. p. 289.
ISBN
978-0-521-23594-5
.
, Text: "...the lunar year consists of 354 days..."
- ^
Anita Ganeri (2003).
Buddhist Festivals Through the Year
. BRB. pp. 11?12.
ISBN
978-1-58340-375-4
.
- ^
Crump, William D. (25 April 2014).
Encyclopedia of New Year's Holidays Worldwide
. McFarland.
ISBN
978-0-7864-9545-0
.
- ^
"Vikram Samvat should be declared national calendar"
.
The Free Press Journal
. 15 February 2012. Archived from
the original
on 26 April 2014
. Retrieved
28 March
2012
.
- ^
"Chaitra Navratri 2020: Significance, history behind the nine-day festival and how will it be different this year"
.
The Hindustan Times
. 30 March 2020
. Retrieved
12 February
2021
.
- ^
Desk, India TV News (21 March 2015).
"Difference between Vasanta and Sharad Navaratri - India TV"
.
www.indiatvnews.com
. Retrieved
11 October
2020
.
- ^
Rinehart, Robin; Rinehart, Robert (2004).
Contemporary Hinduism: Ritual, Culture, and Practice
. ABC-CLIO.
ISBN
978-1-57607-905-8
.
- ^
Kelly, Aidan A.; Dresser, Peter D.; Ross, Linda M. (1993).
Religious Holidays and Calendars: An Encyclopaedic Handbook
. Omnigraphics, Incorporated.
ISBN
978-1-55888-348-2
.
- ^
International Commerce
. Bureau of International Commerce. 1970.
- ^
Fodor's; Staff, Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc (12 December 1983).
India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, 1984
. Fodor's Travel Publications.
ISBN
978-0-679-01013-5
.
{{
cite book
}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link
)
- ^
"Gujarati New Year 2021: Significance and all you need to know about special occasion"
.
Firstpost
. 5 November 2021
. Retrieved
15 November
2023
.
- ^
"What Is the Hindu Calendar System?"
.
Learn Religions
.
Archived
from the original on 6 May 2019
. Retrieved
15 September
2019
.
- ^
a
b
c
Burgess, Ebenezer
Translation of the Surya-Siddhanta: A text-book of Hindu astronomy, with notes and an appendix
originally published:
Journal of the American Oriental Society
, vol. 6, (1860), pp. 141?498, Chapter 14, Verse 12
- ^
Nilsson, Usha (1997).
Mira Bai (Rajasthani Poetess)
. Sahitya Akademi.
ISBN
978-81-260-0411-9
.
- ^
Chatterjee, SK (1990).
Indian Calendric System
. Government of India. p. 17.
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Harry Falk and Chris Bennett (2009). "Macedonian Intercalary Months and the Era of Azes."
Acta Orientalia
70, pp. 197?215.
- "The Dynastic Art of the Kushan", John Rosenfield.
- "Samvat"
.
New International Encyclopedia
. 1905.
External links
[
edit
]
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limited use
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By specialty
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Reform proposals
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Displays and
applications
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Year naming
and numbering
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