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April 8 was celebrated as the first day of the Vikram Samvat 2054
by the devout Hindus in the country. This day is celebrated with
greater enthusiasm in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Gujarat. Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and
Madhya Pradesh. For the Hindus of these States, Chaitra Shukla
Pratipada also known as Yugadi Ugadi, Varsha Pratipada, Cheti Chand
etc, is the most auspicious day to begin the year.
Whereas, the Hindus of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Punjab, Kashmir
and the neighbouring Hindu Kingdom of Nepal will observe April 13
(April 14 in West Bengal and Assam) as their new year day, the
first day of the month of Vaishakh, called Baishakhi and its
variation in the West Bengal and Orissa, Rangoli Bihu in Assam and
Baishakh ek Gatey in Nepal Incidentally, in Nepal, this year's new
year day will also herald Vikram Samvat 2054.
One wonders if Chaitra Shukla Pratipada is the new year day, why
say that it fell this year on April 8. Isn't it like asking when
does the 8.30 p.m. train depart? Similar is the case with the
second set of nay year day - too varies as on April 13 and 14.
The reason of this duality is not the result of subservience to
western culture and hence adoption of what is called the Christian
calendar. We all are aware that the basic unit of
time-reckoning-leaving aside hours, minutes, dander, pala, anupala
and vipala- is the day, period between two successive sunrises or
midnights. Irrespective of our loyalty to the Hindu or the
Christian calendar, we have to accept that all of us take the day
as the unit of a year. And days and nights are caused by the
earth's moving round the Sun or apparently, by the "raising" and
"setting" of the Sun.
Chaitra Shukla Pratipada is the function of the Moon. Since almost
all religious functions of Hindus are observed in accordance with
the tithis (roughly the duration of the Moon in one nakshtra (star
clusters such as Ashwini, Bharani, Krittika, etc), they are sacred
for all Hindus. Whether it is Holi, Diwali or Dussehra, they are
particular tithis. However, one cannot follow one's routine
according to tithis because a tithi might change at the dead of
night and one cannot begin one's day with that moment. Hence,
willy-nilly, we have to look to the Sun for practicable
time-reckoning.
The month, according to the movement of the Moon, consists of 29
solar days, and a lunar year of 354 days-shorter by about 11 days
than the solar year which consists of 365 days and about six hours.
We are all aware that every third year there is an Adhikamaas or a
Malmaas in the Hindu calendar, in which one particular month occurs
twice in a year. This is done in order to conform to the solar
year so that seasons do not occur any time during the, year, as it
is the case with the Islamic calendar. Although the Arabs were
expert astronomers, the Islamic calendar never considered
introducing the Adhikamaas. As a result the holy month of Ramadan
and the festival of Id rotates throughout the year (solar).
Earlier we have said that Chaitra Shukla Pratipada this year was
the first day of the Vikram Samvat 2054, and the Nepali year on
Baishakh Ek Gatey (April 13 this year) also heralds the beginning
of the Vikram Samvat 2054. The difference is that in Nepal the
solar calendar is followed (as it is done in Punjab, Kashmir,
Kerala, Tamilnadu, Bengal, Assam and Orissa) and not the lunar
calendar. Hence in the solar calendar one has "dates", and in the
lunar, tithis. Thus the birthday of Rabindranath Thakur is on the
25th day of Baishakh and not on any tithi according to the lunar
calendar.
The Government of India, after due deliberations, had accepted in
1957 the Saka era as the "official calendar" of the country. It was
adopted from Chaitra 1 of the Saka era 1879 corresponding to March
22, 1957. The months here are solar in nature which means the
duration is from the Sun's transit from one rashi to another. The
five months of the Saka beginning from Vaishakh are each of 31 days
but the next seven months from Ashwin to Chaitra are of 30 day's
each (Chaitra has 31 days in a leap year), totalling 365 days.
This is an accurate calendar, much more accurate than the Gregorian
calendar the world follows as we in India do (Nepal, however,
follows its Solar Vikram Samvat). Besides, it is the "official
calendar". The Government should therefore follow this calendar and
the Vice-President and the Prime Minister among others should stop
rushing to the President on January 1 with huge bouquets of flowers
in order to greet him on that day. The new year day, according to
the "official calendars was on Chaitra (Solar) 1, 1919 Saka era
(March 22, '97)
It is no use being dogmatic about any particular calendar but one
that is most convenient and practicable and solar in is the best
suited to humankind.
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