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Indian national calendar
The Indian national calendar, also called the Shaka calendar or Śaka calendar, is a solar calendar that is used alongside the Gregorian calendar by The Gazette of India, in news broadcasts by All India Radio, and in calendars and official communications issued by the Government of India. It was adopted in 1957 following the recommendation of the Calendar Reform Committee.
Śaka Samvat is generally 78 years behind the Gregorian calendar, except from January–March, when it is behind by 79 years.
The calendar months follow the signs of the tropical zodiac rather than the sidereal zodiac normally used with the Hindu and Buddhist calendars.
Chaitra is the first month of the calendar and begins on or near the March equinox. Chaitra has 30 days and starts on 22 March, except in leap years, when it has 31 days and starts on 21 March. All months other than Chaitra start on fixed dates in the Gregorian calendar. The months in the first half of the year all average out to having 31 days, to take into account the slower movement of the sun across the ecliptic at this time. This is similar to the Iranian Solar Hijri calendar.
The names of the months are derived from the older Hindu lunisolar calendar, so variations in spellings exist, and there is a possible source of confusion as to what calendar a date belongs to. The traditional lunar calendar months were named based on the position of the Full Moon (opposite the Sun), thus the solar month names are derived from lunar nakshatra 180° from the position of the Sun.
The names of the weekdays are derived from the seven classical planets (see Navagraha). The first day of the week is Ravivāra (Sunday). The official calendar reckoned by the government of India has Sunday as the first and Saturday as the last day of the week.
Years are counted in the Shaka era, which starts its year 0 in the year 78 CE of the Common Era. To determine leap years, add 78 to the Shaka year – if the result is a leap year in the Gregorian calendar, then the Shaka year is a leap year as well.
Senior Indian Astrophysicist Meghnad Saha was the head of the Calendar Reform Committee under the aegis of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. It was Saha's effort which led to the formation of the committee in 1952. The task before the committee was to prepare an accurate calendar based on scientific study, which could be adopted uniformly throughout India. The committee had to undertake a detailed study of thirty different calendars prevalent in different parts of the country. The task was further complicated by the integration of those calendars with religion and local sentiments.
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Indian national calendar AI simulator
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Indian national calendar
The Indian national calendar, also called the Shaka calendar or Śaka calendar, is a solar calendar that is used alongside the Gregorian calendar by The Gazette of India, in news broadcasts by All India Radio, and in calendars and official communications issued by the Government of India. It was adopted in 1957 following the recommendation of the Calendar Reform Committee.
Śaka Samvat is generally 78 years behind the Gregorian calendar, except from January–March, when it is behind by 79 years.
The calendar months follow the signs of the tropical zodiac rather than the sidereal zodiac normally used with the Hindu and Buddhist calendars.
Chaitra is the first month of the calendar and begins on or near the March equinox. Chaitra has 30 days and starts on 22 March, except in leap years, when it has 31 days and starts on 21 March. All months other than Chaitra start on fixed dates in the Gregorian calendar. The months in the first half of the year all average out to having 31 days, to take into account the slower movement of the sun across the ecliptic at this time. This is similar to the Iranian Solar Hijri calendar.
The names of the months are derived from the older Hindu lunisolar calendar, so variations in spellings exist, and there is a possible source of confusion as to what calendar a date belongs to. The traditional lunar calendar months were named based on the position of the Full Moon (opposite the Sun), thus the solar month names are derived from lunar nakshatra 180° from the position of the Sun.
The names of the weekdays are derived from the seven classical planets (see Navagraha). The first day of the week is Ravivāra (Sunday). The official calendar reckoned by the government of India has Sunday as the first and Saturday as the last day of the week.
Years are counted in the Shaka era, which starts its year 0 in the year 78 CE of the Common Era. To determine leap years, add 78 to the Shaka year – if the result is a leap year in the Gregorian calendar, then the Shaka year is a leap year as well.
Senior Indian Astrophysicist Meghnad Saha was the head of the Calendar Reform Committee under the aegis of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. It was Saha's effort which led to the formation of the committee in 1952. The task before the committee was to prepare an accurate calendar based on scientific study, which could be adopted uniformly throughout India. The committee had to undertake a detailed study of thirty different calendars prevalent in different parts of the country. The task was further complicated by the integration of those calendars with religion and local sentiments.