Kartika (month)

Kartika (month)

Kartika (Kārtika, Hindi: कार्तिक, Marathi: कार्तिक, Nepali: कात्तिक, Sanskrit: कार्तिकः, Telugu: కార్తీకం, Kannada: ಕಾರ್ತಿಕ, Tamil: கார்த்திகை, Bengali: কার্ত্তিক), is a month of Hindu, Bengali and Nepali calendars, named after the Hindu god, Kartikeya.

In the lunar Hindu calendar, Kartika begins with the new moon in November and is the eighth month of the year except in Gujarat, where it marks the new year that falls on Diwali. In the solar religious calendar used in Tamil Nadu, Kartikai begins with the Sun's entry into Scorpio and is the eight month of the year.

In the Vaishnava calendar, Damodara governs this month.