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Month in Indian lunisolar calendars
V??cik???a
(???????), also referred to as
Vrishchika
or
Vrschika
, is a month in the
Indian solar calendar
.
[1]
[2]
It corresponds to the zodiacal sign of
Scorpio
, and approximately overlaps with the later half of November and first half of December in the
Gregorian calendar
.
[1]
In Vedic texts, the Vrscika month is called
Urja
(IAST: ?rja), with which a female goddess is also associated called Urja but in these ancient texts it has no zodiacal associations.
[3]
The solar month of Vrschika overlaps with its lunar month
Agahana
or
Mangsir
, in Hindu lunisolar calendars.
[4]
[5]
The Vrschika marks the end of the autumn season and the start of the winter on the Indian subcontinent, and is preceded by the solar month of
Tul?
, and followed by the solar month of
Dhanu
.
[2]
The Vrschika month is called
Kartigai
in the Tamil Hindu calendar.
[1]
The ancient and medieval era Sanskrit texts of India vary in their calculations about the duration of Vrschika, just like they do with other months. For example, the
Surya Siddhanta
calculates the duration of Vrschika to be 29 days, 11 hours, 46 minutes and 0 seconds.
[5]
In contrast, the
Arya Siddhanta
calculates the duration of the Vrschika month to be 29 days, 12 hours, 12 minutes and 24 seconds.
[5]
The Indian solar month names are significant in epigraphical studies of South Asia. For example,
Vrischika
month, along with other solar months are found inscribed in medieval era temples. The
Vrischika
month, along with the other months, is found inscribed in Chola Empire monuments.
[6]
Vrschika is also an astrological sign in Indian horoscope systems, corresponding to
Scorpio (astrology)
.
[7]
Vrishika is also the twenty-fourth month in the
Darian calendar
for the planet
Mars
, when the
Sun
traverses the western sector of the constellation
Ophiuchus
as seen from Mars.
References
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