Indian Calendar

Why is it the way it is !?!

 

One of the often asked questions is why do our festival dates do not match the western calendar and how does our calendar work ?  How comes we have so many different "New Year" festivals !

Like most ancient calendars, ours works on the lunar cycle.  We follow the moon, as most ancient agricultural societies did. Like most well developed civilisations, we are also aware of other heavenly bodies and their cycles - and know that the lunar cycle is not the only way to measure time.  The other main cycle being that of the Sun.

In nature, it takes a number of years for these two cycles to coincide.  For practical purposes, we brought these two cycles together by adding an extra "month" every 3 years.  The western calendar adds a day every 4 years and alternates the number of days a month has to achieve the same effect.

Lunar cycle is easy to calculate, as it is easy for everyone to follow.  Being a natural cycle, it was always in harmony with the world and it had practical applications.   Farmers, fishermen, merchants and monarchs were able to use the lunar cycle to plan their annual activities.

 

As to our new year(s) - Different societies in India celebrate different days as their New Year. 

In a nation as vast - culturally and geographically - as ours, much has happened over the past several millennia's.  Different tribes, communities, nations and people have decided to use different life changing events as their "cultural markers".  As a society, we enjoy festivals of all descriptions.  Historically, we have celebrated each other's New Years, as its always a good excuse for a party !

Some have used astronomical events as their new year - and so use Makar Sankranti - (14-15th Jan) - when the Sun enters the sign of Capricorn and its Northern cycle becomes noticeable.  Keralites, and a lot of South Indians use "Pongal" as their New Year.

Some use changes in season as their New Year, as this is a strong natural marker for agricultural societies.  Hence, Vasant Panchami, Baisakhi, Bali Pratipada (Gudi Padvo), Guru Purnima, Divali etc are marked as New Year by different societies. 

Some of these seasonal celebrations are invested with cultural importance and often mythical and historical events are associated with them.  This gives them greater significance in the minds and lives of the people.

Eg - Start of the summer season is an important time for the farmers.  Spring harvest is finished and there is a lull in the farm work for farmers.  They are repairing buildings, tools etc, readying for the monsoon season.  Bali Partipada is celebrated on this day, marking the victory of Vaman over Bali.  Later the victory of Vikramaditya was associated with this same festival and celebrated as the start of the Vikram Samvat - used as an important calendar date throughout North India.

Divali is the end of monsoon season and harvest is gathered and sold by now.  There is plenty of money for everyone and so they invest this in the way we have always done - buying silver, gold and land !  Return of Lord Rama from the forest is celebrated at the same time.  Due to this being the season of plenty, there is general thanks giving to the Gods. So, we worship Kali, Sarasvati and Lakshmi at this time.  Later, worship of Krishna and other Gods was added to this essential festival.  This is hence marked as a major New Year in the North.

New Year can be community specific too Eg - Brahmins celebrate Guru Purnima as their New Year, as this is an important spiritual festival for them.  Tribes, sects and even kingdoms celebrated their own New Years.  This is our cultural heritage.  It has made us what we are.  Our experiences have shaped our history and help us to keep alive our diversity.

Let us celebrate this diversity !!

 

© Bhagwat Shah

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