Difference between North and South Indian Hindu Calendars

December 14, 2020 Incredible India Valli Sarvani No comments

Festivals in India are celebrated as per the Hindu calendar or lunar calendar. The Hindu calendar counts the lunar phases and months are also counted as per it. There are two types of Hindu calendar, Amavasyant calendar and Purnimant calendar.

While Amavasyant means the ending with no moon, Purnimant means ending with a full moon.

In Amavasyant calendar, the month begins just after the day of no moon day and continues till the next Amavasya. Similarly, the Purnimant calendar begins the day after full moon day and continues till the next full moon.

In Amavasyant calendar, the first 15 days of the month are Shukla Paksha, the waxing period and the next 15 days are Krishna Paksha, the waning period. This is opposite in the Purnimant calendar where the first 15 days are Krishna Paksha followed by Shukla Paksha.

While some parts of India follow the Amavasyant calendar, the remaining areas follow the Purnimant calendar. That’s why there is a difference between the lunar months in both areas.

Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tripura follow the Amavasyant calendar. The remaining areas follow the Purnimant calendar.

Hence there is a difference in the onset of months in different regions. However, there is no difference in the festival days. This is because festivals are celebrated based on the lunar phase. The auspicious and bad timings are also the same across the country. The only difference is around 15 days of difference in the lunar month based on the type of Hindu calendar they follow.

Significance: Unlike the Gregorian calendar, the Hindu calendar comprises 354 days. As a result, it includes an extra month, Adhik, every three years. This extra month is believed to be more auspicious to gain blessings from God and achieve Moksha.

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