Chaitra () is a
month
A month is a unit of time, used with calendars, that is approximately as long as a natural phase cycle of the Moon; the words ''month'' and ''Moon'' are cognates. The traditional concept of months arose with the cycle of Moon phases; such lunar mo ...
of the
Hindu calendar
The Hindu calendar, also called Panchangam, Panchanga (), is one of various lunisolar calendars that are traditionally used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with further regional variations for social and Hindu religious purposes ...
.
In the standard
Hindu calendar
The Hindu calendar, also called Panchangam, Panchanga (), is one of various lunisolar calendars that are traditionally used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with further regional variations for social and Hindu religious purposes ...
and
India's national civil calendar, Chaitra is the first month of the year. It is the last month in the
Bengali calendar, where it is called Choitro. Chaitra or Chait is also the last month in the Nepali calendar (the
Vikram Samvat), where it commences in mid-March. Chittirai is the first month in the
Tamil calendar
The Tamil calendar (தமிழ் நாட்காட்டி) is a Sidereal time, sidereal solar calendar used by the Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It is also used in Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry, and by the Tamil ...
. In the Sindhi calendar, this month is referred to as Chet and is marked by the celebration of the
Cheti Chand (birth of
Jhulelal, an incarnation of Vishnu). In the
Vaishnava calendar,
Vishnu
Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
governs this month. In solar religious calendars, Chaitra begins with the Sun's entry into
Aries.
In the more traditional reckoning, the first month commences in March or April of the
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...
, depending upon whether the
adhika masa (extra month for alignment of lunar or solar calendar) was observed in the year. The first day of Chaitra is marked as the , the Hindu lunar new year.
Names
* 'sot'
* 'choitro'
* 'Chait'
* 'chaitra'
*
Hindi
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
and 'chaitra'
* 'chaitra''
* 'chaitram'
* 'chait'
* 'chaitra'
* 'cēt'
* 'chet'
* 'chet'
* 'chittirai'
* 'chaitramu'
Festivals
According to
Jain texts
Jain literature () refers to the literature of the Jainism, Jain religion. It is a vast and ancient literary tradition, which was initially transmitted orally. The oldest surviving material is contained in the canonical ''Jain Agamas'', which ...
, Mahavira was born on the thirteenth day of the bright half of the moon in the month of ''
Chaitra'' in the year 599 BCE (Chaitra Sud 13). So
Jains celebrate Mahavir Janma Kalyanak, one of the most important religious festivals in
Jainism
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion whose three main pillars are nonviolence (), asceticism (), and a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality (). Jainism traces its s ...
during Chaitra.
The month of ''Chaitra'' is also associated with the departure of spring.
Holi
Holi () is a major Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love and Spring.The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...".Yudit Greenberg, Encyclopedia of Love in World ...
, the Hindu spring festival of colours, is celebrated on the full moon day (
Purnima) of
Phalguna, the month before ''Chaitra'', exactly six days after which the
Chaiti form of the
Chhath
Chhath is an ancient Hindu festival, native to eastern India and southern Nepal. It is celebrated especially in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Eastern Uttar Pradesh; and Koshi, Gandaki, Bagmati, Lumbini and Madhesh province ...
festival is observed.
In ''Chandramana'' (lunar) religious calendars, Chaitra begins with the new moon in March−April and is the first month of the year. The nine-day festival Chaitra
Navratri or
Navadurga (or "Nava Durga", the 'nine forms of the Goddess
Durga') starts from ''Chaitra Shukla
Pratipada''. The first day of month Chaitra is celebrated as Hindu New Year's Day, known as
Gudi Padwa in
Maharashtra
Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
,
Puthandu in
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
and
Ugadi in
Karnataka
Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...
,
Telangana
Telangana is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated in the Southern India, south-central part of the Indian subcontinent on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ele ...
, and
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
. In
West Bengal
West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
, Basanti Puja, Annapurna Puja, Ram Nabami, Neel Puja and Chorok Puja ( 'Gajon') are held consecutively before the beginning of Bengali New Year on
Poila Baishakh.
See also
*
Astronomical basis of the Hindu calendar
*
Chitragupta
*
Hindu units of measurement
*
Hindu astronomy
Astronomy has a long history in the Indian subcontinent, stretching from pre-historic to modern times. Some of the earliest roots of Indian astronomy can be dated to the period of Indus Valley civilisation or earlier. Astronomy later develope ...
*
Jyotisha
*
Nisan
Nisan (or Nissan; from ) in the Babylonian and Hebrew calendars is the month of the barley ripening and first month of spring. The name of the month is an Akkadian language borrowing, although it ultimately originates in Sumerian ''nisag' ...
References
External links
Chaitra Navratri
{{Indian astronomy
*01