Hindu Months

Hindu months are, actually, based on the calendars. India boasts of around thirty Hindu calendars. In fact, numerous and diverse people of India are habituated using different Hindu calendar based on their own region, culture and tradition. Solar calendar determines months with the entrance of the sun into the twelve zodiac signs or ‘rashis’ (in Hindi). Since both the Indian and western zodiacs have originated from the Sumer, they match with each other. And it is due to this that there are twelve solar months ranging from 29 to 32 days. Each month is named after zodiac sign into which the sun is entering every time. Here is a list of the solar Hindu month names:

• Mesha—Aries: April and May
• Vrushabha—Taurus: May and June
• Mithuna—Gemini: June and July
• Karka—Cancer: July and Aug
• Singha—Leo: Aug and Sept
• Kanya—Virgo: Sept and Oct
• Tula—Libra: Oct and Nov
• Vrushchika—Scorpio Nov and Dec
• Dhanu—Sagittarius: Dec and Jan
• Makara—Capricorn: Jan and Feb
• Kumbha—Aquarius: Feb and Mar
• Meen—Pisces: Mar and Apr

A lunar Hindu month is dependent on the movement of the moon. The duration of the month, indeed, runs from new moon to new moon. In south India, the month reaches its zenith when there is Full moon or ‘purnima’ (in Hindi), whereas in North India, months begin with the full moon. Traditionally, people adopted lunar Hindu months in the Indian national calendar around 1957. Hence, the more appropriate and uniform Hindu calendar would be that of the ‘lunisolar’ Hindu calendar, the one that makes each month count 30 or 31 days. Check the list of the Hindu months:

• Chaitra—22nd March (21st March in a leap year)
• Vaisakha—21st April
• Jyaistha—22nd May
• Asadha—22nd June
• Sravana—23rd July
• Bhadra—23rd August
• Asvina—23rd September
• Kartika—23rd October
• Margashirsh or Agrahayana—22nd November
• Pausa—22nd December
• Magha—21st January
• Phalgun—20th February

Celebrationsonnet offers a brief knowledge on Hindu months. For further information on Hindu months and Hindu calendars, keep flipping through the pages of the website.