Calendar Structure
| Month (Sanskrit) | Length | Start date (Gregorian) | Tropical Zodiac | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chaitra | 30/31 | March 22* | Aries |
| 2 | Vaishākha | 31 | April 21 | Taurus |
| 3 | Jyaishtha | 31 | May 22 | Gemini |
| 4 | Āshādha | 31 | June 22 | Cancer |
| 5 | Shrāvana | 31 | July 23 | Leo |
| 6 | Bhādrapada | 31 | August 23 | Virgo |
| 7 | Āshvini | 30 | September 23 | Libra |
| 8 | Kārtika | 30 | October 23 | Scorpio |
| 9 | Agrahayana | 30 | November 22 | Sagitarius |
| 10 | Pausha | 30 | December 22 | Capricorn |
| 11 | Māgha | 30 | January 21 | Aquarius |
| 12 | Phālguna | 30 | February 20 | Pisces |
In leap years, Chaitra has 31 days and starts on March 21 instead. The months in the first half of the year all have 31 days, to take into account the slower movement of the sun across the ecliptic at this time.
The names of the months are derived from older, Hindu lunisolar calendars, so variations in spelling exist, and there is a possible source of confusion as to what calendar a date belongs to.
Years are counted in the Saka Era, which starts its year 0 in the year 78 of the Common Era. To determine leap years, add 78 to the Saka year - if the result is a leap year in the Gregorian calendar, then the Saka year is a leap year as well. Its structure is like the Persian calendar.
Read more about this topic: Indian National Calendar
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