Knowra Hindu calendar Hindu calendar A family of traditional Indian lunisolar and solar calendars used to set religious observances, ritual dates, and, in some regions, civil dates. Its systems reconcile lunar months with the solar year in different ways.
Lunar month : A time interval defined by the Moon’s phases or motion relative to the Sun. Many Hindu calendars organize months around lunar cycles.
Sidereal month : The time the Moon takes to return to the same position relative to the stars. It is one astronomical measure underlying lunar calendrical calculations.
Hindu festivals : Religious celebrations observed in Hindu traditions, often on dates set by lunar or solar calendar rules. Festival dates are among the calendar’s most visible uses.
Indian national calendar : India’s official civil calendar, based on the Saka era and a solar year. Unlike many Hindu religious calendars, it is standardized for national civil use.
Tithi : A lunar day defined by each twelve-degree increase in the angular separation between the Sun and Moon. Tithis, rather than fixed civil days, determine many ritual dates.
Synodic month : The average time between successive identical phases of the Moon, such as new moon to new moon. Lunar months based on phases follow this cycle.
Diwali : A major Hindu festival of lights, generally observed in autumn according to regional calendrical rules. Its date is commonly determined by a lunar tithi.
Bengali calendar : A regional calendar used in Bengal, with a solar structure and distinct month names and year reckoning. Its regional rules differ from widely used Hindu lunisolar systems.
Paksha : A fortnight in a lunar month, comprising either the waxing or waning phase of the Moon. Each lunar month is divided into two pakshas for dating observances.
Tropical year : The interval between successive vernal equinoxes, which tracks the seasonal cycle. Seasonal alignment depends on relating lunar months to the solar year.
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