Vikram Samvat: Difference between revisions

What links here Related changes Page information Get shortened URL
Created by 2409:4071:E04:3590:2390:3008:3E5A:20A8
Last edited March 27, 2026
← Older edit
VisualWikitext
m 1 revision imported
m adjusted content
 
Line 1: Line 1:
The '''Vikram era''', or '''Vikram samvat''' is a Indian (Hindustani)  calendar starting in [[57 BC]]. The Vikram Samvat calendar starts half a century before the Gregorian calendar and works on an Indian calendar cycle.
{{Short description|Hindu calendar}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2017}}
{{Hinduism}}


The calendar starts in the month of [[Vaisakha]], which usually falls in the [[Gregorian Calendar|Gregorian]] month of [[April]].
'''Vikram Samvat''' ([[ISO 15919|ISO]]: ''Vikrama Saṁvata''; abbreviated VS), also known as the '''Vikrami''' or '''Bikrami calendar''', is a [[Hindu calendar]] historically used in the [[Indian subcontinent]] and still also used in several [[States and union territories of India|Indian states]] and [[Nepal]].<ref>{{cite book | author=Masatoshi Iguchi| title=Java Essay: The History and Culture of a Southern Country| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rFvsBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA135 | year=2015| publisher=TPL |isbn=978-1-78462-885-7| page=135}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | author=Edward Simpson| title=Muslim Society and the Western Indian Ocean: The Seafarers of Kachchh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dtI1ynX9x-UC&pg=PA113 |year=2007| publisher=Routledge| isbn=978-1-134-18484-2| pages=113–114}}</ref> It is a [[lunisolar calendar]], using twelve lunar months each solar [[sidereal year]]. The year count of the Vikram Samvat calendar is usually 57 years ahead of the [[Gregorian calendar]], except during January to March/April, when it is ahead by 56 years.


The date marks the day when the King [[Vikramāditya]] beat the [[Sakas]], who had invaded [[Ujjain]]. A new calendar was started to honor this achievement.
Vikram Samvat is an official calendar of [[Nepal]] where the first month is Baisakh and the last month is Chaitra. Unlike India where it is used only for religious dates (with first month starting with Chaitra), the solar version of Vikram Samvat is a [[civil calendar]] for general usage.


[[Image:Westindischer Maler um 1400 001.jpg|thumb|300px|Kalakacharya and the Saka King]]
== History ==
{{Multiple image
| align =
| direction =
| total_width = 500
| image1 =
| alt1 = Bilingual plaque
| caption1 = Plaque with description of Barnala inscription
| image2 =
|alt2=Inscribed square pillar with rounded corners
| caption2 = Barnala Yupa pillar, Rajasthan
| header = Barnala inscription
}}A number of ancient and medieval inscriptions used the Vikram Samvat. Although it was reportedly named after the legendary king [[Vikramaditya]] ([[Chandragupta II|Chandragupta 2]]), the term "Vikrama Samvat" does not appear in the historical record before the 9th century; the same calendar system is found with other names, such as Krita and Malava.<ref name="Salomon1998p182">{{cite book | author=Richard Salomon| title=Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the Other Indo-Aryan Languages| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t-4RDAAAQBAJ |year=1998| publisher=Oxford University Press| isbn=978-0-19-509984-3| pages=182–183}}</ref> In colonial scholarship, the era was believed to be based on the commemoration of King Vikramaditya expelling the [[Saka]]s from [[Ujjain]]. However, later epigraphical evidence and scholarship suggest that this theory has no historical basis. During the 9th century, epigraphical artwork began using Vikram Samvat (suggesting that the Hindu calendar era in use became popular as Vikram Samvat); [[Buddhist]] and Jain epigraphy continued to use an era based on the Buddha or the [[Mahavira]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Richard Salomon|title=Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the Other Indo-Aryan Languages|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t-4RDAAAQBAJ |year=1998|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-509984-3|pages=182–183, 194–195}}</ref>


== The story ==
=== Kalakacharya Kathanaka and the origin ===
The story of this event is told by a sadhu (Jain monk) called Mahesara Suri.
[[File:Westindischer Maler um 1400 001.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|alt=Two illustrated portions of a manuscript|The Jain monk Kalakacharya and the Saka king (''Kalakacharya Katha'' manuscript, [[Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya]], [[Mumbai]])]]
According to popular tradition, King [[Vikramaditya]] of [[Ujjain]] established the Vikrama Samvat era after defeating the [[Indo-Scythians|Śakas]].


The powerful king of Ujjain, called Gardabhilla, kidnapped a sadhvi (Jain nun), who was the sister of the sadhu. The sadhu went to the Saka King to get help, and in the end, the Saka King beat Gardabhilla and captured him and made him a prisoner. But in the end, Gardabhilla was forgiven and run away to a forest, where he was killed by a tiger.
''Kalakacharya Kathanaka'' (''An account of the monk Kalakacharya''), by the [[Jainism|Jain]] sage Mahesarasuri, gives the following account: Gandharvasena, the then-powerful king of Ujjain, abducted a nun called Sarasvati, who was the sister of the monk. The enraged monk sought the help of the Śaka ruler, King Sahi in [[Sistan]]. Despite heavy odds but aided by miracles, the Śaka king defeated Gandharvasena and made him a captive. Sarasvati was repatriated, although Gandharvasena himself was forgiven. The defeated king retired to the forest, where he was killed by a tiger. His son, Vikramaditya, being brought up in the forest, had to rule from [[Pratishthana]] (modern Paithan in [[Maharashtra]]). Later on, Vikramaditya invaded Ujjain and drove away the Śakas. To commemorate this event, he started a new era called the "Vikrama era". The Ujjain calendar started around 58–56 BCE, and the subsequent Shaka-era calendar was started in 78 CE at Pratishthana.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brown |first=W. Norman (William Norman) |url=http://archive.org/details/storyofkalakatex00brow |title=The story of Kālaka; texts, history, legends, and miniature paintings of the Śvetāmbara Jain hagiographical work, the Kālakācāryakathā. |date=1933 |publisher=Washington [Baltimore, Md., The Lord Baltimore press] |others=Smithsonian Libraries}}</ref>


Later on Vikramaditya invaded Ujjain and drove away the Sakas. To commemorate this event he started a new era called the Vikrama era.
=== {{anchor|Historical Origins}}Origins and historical development ===
The association of the era beginning in 57 BCE with Vikramaditya is not found in any source before the 9th century CE; earlier sources call the era "Kṛṭa" (343 and 371 CE), "Kritaa" (404), "the era of the [[Malavas|Malava tribe]]" (424), or simply "Samvat".<ref name="AA_1989"/><ref name="MS_1974"/> The earliest known inscription which calls the era "Vikrama" is from 842. This inscription, from the [[Chauhan dynasty|Chauhan]]a ruler Chandamahasena, was found at [[Dholpur]] and is dated "Vikrama Samvat 898, [[Vaishakha]] [[Shukla paksha|Shukla]] 2, Chanda" (20 April 842). The earliest known inscription which associates the era with a king called Vikramaditya is dated 971, and the earliest literary work connecting the era to Vikramaditya is ''Subhashita-Ratna-Sandoha'' (993–994) by the Jain author Amitagati.<ref name="MS_1974">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4dVRvVyHaiQC&pg=PA100 |title=History of Classical Sanskrit Literature |author=M. Srinivasachariar |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |year=1974 |isbn=9788120802841 |pages=94–111 }}</ref>


{{history-stub}}
A number of authors believe that the Vikram Samvat was not started by Vikramaditya, who might be a legendary king or a title adopted by a later king who renamed the era after himself. [[Vincent Arthur Smith|V. A. Smith]] and [[D. R. Bhandarkar]] believed that [[Chandragupta II]] adopted the title of Vikramaditya, and changed the era's name to "Vikrama Samvat". According to [[Rudolf Hoernlé]], the king responsible for this change was [[Yashodharman]]. Hoernlé believed that he conquered Kashmir and is the "Harsha Vikramaditya" mentioned in [[Kalhana]]'s ''[[Rajatarangini]]''.<ref name="MS_1974"/>


[[Category:History of India]]
Some earlier scholars believed that the Vikram Samvat corresponded to the [[Azes era]] of the Indo-Scythian (Śaka) king [[Azes I|King Azes]]. This was disputed by Robert Bracey after the discovery of an inscription of [[Vijayamitra]], which is dated in two eras.<ref>{{cite book |author=Alf Hiltebeitel |title=Reading the Fifth Veda: Studies on the Mahābhārata |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lLfHSOWKB-sC |date=2011 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-18566-1 |page=103}}</ref> The theory was discredited by Falk and Bennett, who place the inception of the Azes era in 47–46 BCE.<ref>Falk and Bennett (2009), pp. 197-215.</ref>
[[Category:50s BC establishments]]
 
[[Category:Calendars]]
== Usage and regional significance ==
 
The Vikram Samvat has been used by [[Hindus]], [[Sikhs]],<ref name="nesbittbc">{{cite book | author=Eleanor Nesbitt| title=Sikhism: a Very Short Introduction | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XebnCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA122 | year=2016| publisher=Oxford University Press| isbn=978-0-19-874557-0| pages=122–123}}</ref> and [[Pashtuns]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jazab |first=Yousaf Khan |title=An Ethno-Linguistic Study of the Karlanri Varieties of Pashto |publisher=Pashto Academy, University of Peshawar |year= |isbn= |location= |pages=342–343}}</ref> One of several regional Hindu calendars in use on the [[Indian subcontinent]], it is based on twelve [[Lunar month#Synodic month|synodic]] lunar months and 365 [[Solar time|solar days]].<ref name=nesbittbc/><ref name="Fuller2004p109"/> The lunar year in India begins with the new moon of the month of [[Chaitra]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=djvXAAAAMAAJ&q=chaitra+sukhladi Davivajña, Rāma (1996) Muhurtacintāmaṇi. Sagar Publications]</ref>
 
The calendar remains in use by people in [[Nepal]] serving as its national calendar where the first month is Baisakh and the last month is Chaitra. It is also symbolically used by Hindus of north, west and central India.<ref name="Salomon1998p182"/> Alongside [[Nepal Sambat]], Bikram Sambat is one of two official calendars used in Nepal.<ref>{{cite book | author=Bal Gopal Shrestha| title=The Sacred Town of Sankhu: The Anthropology of Newar Ritual, Religion and Society in Nepal| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9EwsBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA13 | year=2012| publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing| isbn=978-1-4438-3825-2| pages=13–14}}</ref> In south India and portions of east and west India (such as Assam, West Bengal and Gujarat), the [[Indian national calendar]] is widely used.<ref name="Salomon1998p181"/>
 
With the arrival of Islamic rule, the [[Islamic calendar|Hijri calendar]] became the official calendar of [[sultan]]ates and the [[Mughal Empire]]. During [[British Raj|British colonial rule]] of the Indian subcontinent, the [[Gregorian calendar]] was adopted and is commonly used in urban areas of India.<ref>{{cite book | author1=Tim Harper| author2=Sunil Amrith |author2-link=Sunil Amrith | title=Sites of Asian Interaction: Ideas, Networks and Mobility| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XbiLBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA56 |year=2014| publisher=Cambridge University Press| isbn=978-1-316-09306-1| pages=56–57}}</ref> The predominantly-Muslim countries of [[Pakistan]] and [[Bangladesh]] have used the Islamic calendar since 1947, but older texts included the Vikram Samvat and Gregorian calendars. In 2003, the India-based Sikh [[Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee]] controversially adopted the [[Nanakshahi calendar]].<ref name=nesbittbc/>
 
=={{anchor|The Calendar System}}Calendar system==
Like the Hebrew and Chinese calendars, the Vikram Samvat is [[lunisolar calendar|lunisolar]].<ref name=nesbittbc/> In common years, the lunar year is 354 days long,<ref>{{cite book | author=Orazio Marucchi| title=Christian Epigraphy: An Elementary Treatise with a Collection of Ancient Christian Inscriptions Mainly of Roman Origin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PoBjBYdzrkQC&pg=PA289 |year=2011| publisher=Cambridge University Press| isbn=978-0-521-23594-5| page=289}}, Text: "...the lunar year consists of 354 days..."</ref> while a leap lunar month ([[Hindu calendar#Corrections between lunar and solar months|''adhika māsa'']]) is added roughly in accordance to the [[Metonic cycle]], namely, 7 times every 19 years, to ensure that festivals and crop-related rituals fall in the appropriate season.<ref name=nesbittbc/><ref name="Fuller2004p109">{{cite book | author=Christopher John Fuller| title=The Camphor Flame: Popular Hinduism and Society in India| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=To6XSeBUW3oC| year=2004| publisher=Princeton University Press| isbn=978-0-69112-04-85| pages=109–110}}</ref> Early Buddhist communities in India adopted the ancient [[Hindu calendar]], followed by the Vikram Samvat and local [[Buddhist calendar]]s. Buddhist festivals are still scheduled according to a lunar system.<ref>{{cite book | author=Anita Ganeri| title=Buddhist Festivals Through the Year| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B-EawToG-6YC&pg=PT11| year=2003| publisher=BRB| isbn=978-1-58340-375-4| pages=11–12}}</ref>
 
The Vikram Samvat has two systems. It began in 56 BCE in the southern Hindu calendar system ([[Hindu calendar#Amānta and Purnimānta systems|''amaanta'']]) and 57–56 BCE in the northern system ([[Hindu calendar#Amānta and Purnimānta systems|''purnimaanta'']]). The Shukla Paksha, when most festivals occur, coincides in both systems.<ref name="Salomon1998p181">{{cite book | author=Richard Salomon| title=Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the other Indo-Aryan Languages| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XYrG07qQDxkC&pg=PA181| year=1398| publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]| isbn=978-0-19-535666-3| pages=181–183}}</ref><ref name="AA_1989">{{cite book | author=Ashvini Agrawal |title=Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hRjC5IaJ2zcC&pg=PA174 |year=1989 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-0592-7 |pages=174–175 }}</ref> The lunisolar Vikram Samvat calendar is 56.7 years ahead of the solar [[Gregorian calendar]]; the year {{#time:Y|+57 years}} VS (''amaanta'') begins on 19 March 2026 and will include an ''adhika māsa'' (extra lunar month), making the lunar year 13 months long.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hindu New Year 2026 To Have 13 Months |url=https://news.abplive.com/religion/hindu-new-year-2026-to-have-13-months-know-about-this-rare-calendrical-shift-its-significance-and-more-1820894}}</ref> The solar Bikram Sambat used in Nepal begins in mid-April {{CURRENTYEAR}} CE.
 
===New Year===
*'''[[Navaratri#Chaitra Navaratri|Chaitra Navaratri]]''': the second most celebrated, named after ''vasanta'' which means spring. It is observed in the lunar month of [[Chaitra]] (post-winter, March–April). In many regions the festival falls after spring harvest, and in others during harvest. It also marks the first day of the Hindu calendar, hence also known as the '''Hindu Lunar New Year''' according to Vikram Samvat calendar.<ref>{{cite news|work=[[The Hindustan Times]] | url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/more-lifestyle/chaitra-navratri-2020-significance-history-behind-the-nine-day-festival-and-how-will-it-be-different-this-year/story-QhzJsRqlahKGlp9gAbWe8M.html|title=Chaitra Navratri 2020: Significance, history behind the nine-day festival and how will it be different this year |date=2020-03-30 |access-date=2021-02-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=India TV News |date=2015-03-21 |title=Difference between Vasanta and Sharad Navaratri |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/lifestyle/news/navaratri-vasanta-sharad-difference-4812.html |access-date=2020-10-11 |website=India TV News |language=en}}</ref>
*'''[[Vaisakhi]]''':
**Vaisakhi marks the beginning of '''Hindu Solar New Year''' in [[Punjab]], Northern, Eastern, North-eastern and Central India according to the solar Vikram Samvat calendar.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Rinehart|first1=Robin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hMPYnfS_R90C&q=Vaisakhi+hindu&pg=PA139|title=Contemporary Hinduism: Ritual, Culture, and Practice|last2=Rinehart|first2=Robert|date=2004|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-57607-905-8|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Kelly|first1=Aidan A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wBcbAAAAYAAJ&q=Baisakhi+hindu|title=Religious Holidays and Calendars: An Encyclopaedic Handbook|last2=Dresser|first2=Peter D.|last3=Ross|first3=Linda M.|date=1993|publisher=Omnigraphics, Incorporated|isbn=978-1-55888-348-2|language=en}}</ref> and marks the first day of the month of [[Vaisakha]], which is usually celebrated on 13 or 14 April every year and is a historical and religious festival in [[Hinduism]].
**'''[[Vaisakhi#Hindu Celebrations outside India|Baisakh (Nepal)]]''': The first day of Baisakh is celebrated as Nepalese New Year<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cg8iAQAAMAAJ&q=Nepalese+New+Year+baisakhi&pg=PA13|title=International Commerce|date=1970|publisher=Bureau of International Commerce.|language=en}}</ref> because it is the day which marks Hindu Solar New Year<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Fodor's|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8ME4aHbiyX4C&q=Hindu+solar+New+Year+baisakhi|title=India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, 1984|last2=Staff|first2=Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc|date=12 December 1983|publisher=Fodor's Travel Publications|isbn=978-0-679-01013-5|language=en}}</ref> as per the solar Nepali Bikram Sambat.
*Varsha Pratipada or ''Bestu Varas:'' It is considered an auspicious day celebrated in the Indian state of Gujarat to mark the New Year according to the Vikram Samvat Hindu calendar. It falls on the first day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kartika. The day is significant as it symbolizes the beginning of the agricultural year, and farmers traditionally start their new accounting books on this day.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-05 |title=Gujarati New Year 2021: Significance and all you need to know about special occasion |url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/gujarati-new-year-2021-significance-and-all-you-need-to-know-about-special-occasion-10112301.html |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=Firstpost |language=en}}</ref>
 
=={{anchor|Divisions of a Year}}Divisions of a year==
{{See also|Astronomical basis of the Hindu calendar}}
The Vikram Samvat uses lunar months and solar [[sidereal year]]s. Because 12 months do not match a sidereal year, correctional months (''adhika māsa'') are added or (occasionally) subtracted (''kshaya masa''). A lunar year consists of 12 months, and each month has two [[fortnight]]s, with a variable duration ranging from 29 to 32 days. The [[lunar day]]s are called ''[[tithi]]s''. Each month has 30 ''tithis'', which vary in length from 20 to 27 hours. The [[Lunar phase#Waxing and waning|waxing phase]], beginning with the day after the new moon ''([[amavasya]])'', is called ''gaura'' or ''[[Paksha#Shukla Paksha|shukla paksha]]'' (the bright or auspicious fortnight). The waning phase is called ''[[Paksha#Krishna Paksha|krishna]]'' or ''[[vadhya paksha]]'' (the dark fortnight, considered inauspicious).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hinduism.about.com/od/history/a/calendar.htm|title=What Is the Hindu Calendar System?|website=Learn Religions|access-date=15 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506050840/https://www.learnreligions.com/the-hindu-calendar-system-1770396|archive-date=6 May 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
 
==={{anchor|Lunar Metrics}}Lunar metrics===
 
* A ''[[tithi]]'' is the time it takes for the [[longitude|longitudinal]] angle between the Moon and the Sun to increase by 12[[degree (angle)|°]].<ref name="Chap14">Burgess, Ebenezer [https://books.google.com/books?id=jpE7AAAAcAAJ ''Translation of the Sûrya-Siddhânta: A text-book of Hindu astronomy, with notes and an appendix''] originally published: ''Journal of the American Oriental Society'', vol. 6, (1860), pp. 141–498, Chapter 14, Verse 12</ref> ''Tithis'' begin at various times of the day, and vary in duration.
* A ''[[paksha]]'' (or ''pakṣa'') is a lunar fortnight and consists of 15 ''tithis''.
* A ''māsa'', or [[lunar month]] (about 29.5 days), is divided into two ''paksas''.
* A ''ritu'' (season) is two ''māsas''.<ref name="Chap14" />
* An ''ayana'' is three ''ritus''.
* A year is two ''ayanas''.<ref name="Chap14" />
 
=== Months ===
The classical Vikram Samvat is generally 57 years ahead of Gregorian Calendar, except during January to March/April, when it is ahead by 56 years. The month that the new year starts varies by region or sub-culture.
 
The names of months in the Vikram Samvat in Sanskrit and Nepali,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Nilsson|first=Usha|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZvUvAFCQWPoC&q=Chait+Chaitra&pg=PA68|title=Mira Bai (Rajasthani Poetess)|date=1997|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|isbn=978-81-260-0411-9|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/IndianCalendricSystem-SK-Chatterjee|title=Indian Calendric System|last=Chatterjee|first=SK|publisher=Government of India.|year=1990|page=17|language=en}}</ref> with their roughly corresponding Gregorian months, respectively are:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! S.No || Vikram Samvat months || Gregorian months || Days
|-
| ''1'' || ''[[Vaisakha|Vaiśākha]]'' or Baisakh || April–May || 30/31
|-
| ''2'' || ''[[Jyeshtha (month)|Jyēṣṭha]]'' or Jestha or Jeth || May–June || 31/32
|-
| ''3'' || ''[[Ashadha|Āṣāḍha]]'' or Asar or Asadh || June–July || 31/32
|-
| ''4'' || ''[[Shraavana|Śrāvaṇa]]'' or Saaun or Shrawan || July–August || 31/32
|-
| ''5'' || ''[[Bhadra (Hindu calendar)|Bhādrapada]]'' or Bhādra or Bhadau
|August–September || 30/31/32
|-
| ''6'' || ''[[Ashvin|Āśvin]]'' or Aasoj or Ashwin || September–October || 30/31
|-
| ''7'' || ''[[Kartik (month)|Kārtika]]'' or Kattik or Kartik || October–November || 29/30
|-
| ''8'' || ''[[Agrahayana|Agrahāyaṇa]]'' or Mangsir or Mārgaśīrṣa or Aghan || November–December || 29/30
|-
| ''9'' || ''[[Pausha|Pauṣa]]'' or Paush or Poush or Push || December–January || 29/30
|-
| ''10'' || ''[[Magha (month)|Māgha]]'' or Maagh || January–February || 29/30
|-
| ''11'' || ''[[Phalguna|Phālguna]]'' or Falgun || February–March || 29/30
|-
| ''12'' || ''[[Chaitra|Caitra]]'' or Chait or Chaitra || March–April || 30/31
|-
|}
 
== Abbreviations ==
Whilst the calendar notation is commonly abbreviated as ''V.S.'' ("Vikram Samvat"), another alternative abbreviation is ''Bk.'' ("Bikrami") or simply as ''S.'' ("Sammat").<ref>{{Cite book |last=Doornenbal |first=Marius Albert |title=A Grammar of Bantawa: Grammar, Paradigm Tables, Glossary and Texts of a Rai Language of Eastern Nepal |publisher=LOT |year=2009 |isbn=9789460930089 |pages=XV |quote=V.S. The abbreviation V.S stands for Vikram Samvat, which is the calendar system current in Nepal. This calendar system is 56 or 57 years ahead of the Gregorian calendar, with New Year falling around the 14th of April. Vikram Samwat 2055, for example, was from April 1998 to April 1999.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Cole |first=W. Owen |title=A Popular Dictionary of Sikhism: Sikh Religion and Philosophy |last2=Sambhi |first2=Piara Singh |date=15 August 2005 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781135797607 |edition=reprint |pages=53–54 |quote=Some Sikh authors use the Samvat era for dating purposes but mostly the Gregorian calendar and Common Era have been adopted, sometimes with Samvat, abbreviated to S, or Bikrami, Bk, provided in brackets. For example, the birth of Guru Nanak according to the Bala janam sakhi which is the basis for celebrating it in October/November may be given as Kartik (or the alternative form, Kattak), puranmashi, S 1526, or 20 October, 1469 C.E.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=The Encyclopedia of Sikhism |publisher=Punjabi University |year=2002 |isbn=8173801002 |editor-last=Singh |editor-first=Harbans |edition=4th |location=Patiala |pages=xvii |chapter=Dates – Abbreviations}}</ref> The Bk. abbreviation is often used by [[Punjabis]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dilgeer |first=Harjinder Singh |title=The Sikh Reference Book |publisher=Sikh Educational Trust for Sikh University Centre, Denmark |year=1997 |pages=42 |quote=BIKRAMI SAMMAT: - A Calendar named after a Hindu king Vikramaditya. In Punjabi Vikrami is pronounced as Bikrami. Its abbreviation is Bk.}}</ref>
 
==Present situation==
The [[Rana dynasty]] of Nepal made the Vikram Samvat the official Hindu calendar in 1901 CE, which began as 1958 VS.<ref name="Crump">{{Cite book|last=Crump|first=William D.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cDTfCwAAQBAJ&q=BIKRAM+SAMBAT&pg=PA38|title=Encyclopedia of New Year's Holidays Worldwide|date=2014-04-25|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-9545-0|language=en}}</ref> The new year in Nepal begins with the first day of the month of [[Baisakh]], which usually falls around 13–15 April in the Gregorian calendar and ends with the last day of the month [[Chitra (nakshatra)|Chaitra]]. The first day of the new year is a [[Public holidays in Nepal|public holiday]] in Nepal. [[Bisket Jatra]], an annual carnival in [[Bhaktapur]], is also celebrated on Baishakh 1. In 2007, [[Nepal Sambat]] was also recognised as a national calendar alongside Vikram Samvat.{{fact|date=March 2026}}
 
In India, the reformulated [[Indian national calendar|Saka calendar]] is officially used (except for computing dates of the traditional festivals). In the Hindi version of the preamble of the [[constitution of India]], the date of its adoption (26 November 1949) is presented in Vikram Samvat as Margsheersh Shukla Saptami Samvat 2006. A call has been made for the Vikram Samvat to replace the Saka calendar as India's official calendar.<ref name=tfpj12>{{cite news | title=Vikram Samvat should be declared national calendar| url=http://freepressjournal.in/vikram-samvat-should-be-declared-national-calendar/| access-date=28 March 2012| newspaper=[[The Free Press Journal]]| date=15 February 2012| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426123959/http://freepressjournal.in/vikram-samvat-should-be-declared-national-calendar/| archive-date=26 April 2014| df=dmy-all}}</ref>
 
=={{anchor|See Also}}See also==
* [[Saka era]]
* [[Hindu units of time]]
* [[Hindu calendar]]
* [[Vira Nirvana Samvat]]
*[[Muhurta]]m
*[[Vikramaditya]]
*[[Chandragupta II]]
 
== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}
 
==Further reading==
{{EB1911 poster|Vikramaditya}}
* Harry Falk and Chris Bennett (2009). "Macedonian Intercalary Months and the Era of Azes." ''Acta Orientalia'' 70, pp.&nbsp;197–215.
* "The Dynastic Art of the Kushan", John Rosenfield.
* {{Cite NIE|wstitle=Samvat|short=x}}
 
==External links==
* [http://www.cc.kyoto-su.ac.jp/~yanom/pancanga/ Kyoto University Gregorian – Saka – Vikrami Calendar Converter Tool, version 3.14], Prof. Michio Yano and M. Fushimi. For Kartikadi Vikram used in North India to AD, select Try,Vikram Purnimanta.
 
{{Hindu calendar}}
{{calendars}}
 
[[Category:Punjabi culture]]
[[Category:Time in India]]
[[Category:Specific calendars]]
[[Category:Hindu calendar|*]]
[[Category:Memorials to Vikramaditya]]
[[Category:Lunisolar calendars]]
[[Category:Calendar eras]]
[[Category:Observances set by the Vikram Samvat calendar|*]]
[[Category:Time in Nepal]]
[[Category:Nepali calendar]]
[[Category:Malavas]]
[[Category:History of Ujjain]]

Latest revision as of 05:46, 27 March 2026


Part of a series on
Hinduism
Origins
Main traditions
Deities
Trimurti
Tridevi
Other major Devas / Devis
Concepts
Worldview
Supreme Reality
God
Life
Mind
Liberation
Ethics
Liberation
Practices
Worship
Meditation and Charity
Yoga
Ashrama Dharma
Festivals
Philosophical schools
Six Astika schools
Other schools
Gurus, saints, philosophers
Ancient
Medieval
Modern
Texts
Scriptures
Vedas
Divisions
Upanishads
Other scriptures
Vedangas
Puranas
Itihasas
Upavedas
Shastras and Sutras
Text classification
Society
Other topics

Vikram Samvat (ISO: Vikrama Saṁvata; abbreviated VS), also known as the Vikrami or Bikrami calendar, is a Hindu calendar historically used in the Indian subcontinent and still also used in several Indian states and Nepal.[1][2] It is a lunisolar calendar, using twelve lunar months each solar sidereal year. The year count of the Vikram Samvat calendar is usually 57 years ahead of the Gregorian calendar, except during January to March/April, when it is ahead by 56 years.

Vikram Samvat is an official calendar of Nepal where the first month is Baisakh and the last month is Chaitra. Unlike India where it is used only for religious dates (with first month starting with Chaitra), the solar version of Vikram Samvat is a civil calendar for general usage.

History[edit | edit source]

A number of ancient and medieval inscriptions used the Vikram Samvat. Although it was reportedly named after the legendary king Vikramaditya (Chandragupta 2), the term "Vikrama Samvat" does not appear in the historical record before the 9th century; the same calendar system is found with other names, such as Krita and Malava.[3] In colonial scholarship, the era was believed to be based on the commemoration of King Vikramaditya expelling the Sakas from Ujjain. However, later epigraphical evidence and scholarship suggest that this theory has no historical basis. During the 9th century, epigraphical artwork began using Vikram Samvat (suggesting that the Hindu calendar era in use became popular as Vikram Samvat); Buddhist and Jain epigraphy continued to use an era based on the Buddha or the Mahavira.[4]

Kalakacharya Kathanaka and the origin[edit | edit source]

Two illustrated portions of a manuscript
The Jain monk Kalakacharya and the Saka king (Kalakacharya Katha manuscript, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai)

According to popular tradition, King Vikramaditya of Ujjain established the Vikrama Samvat era after defeating the Śakas.

Kalakacharya Kathanaka (An account of the monk Kalakacharya), by the Jain sage Mahesarasuri, gives the following account: Gandharvasena, the then-powerful king of Ujjain, abducted a nun called Sarasvati, who was the sister of the monk. The enraged monk sought the help of the Śaka ruler, King Sahi in Sistan. Despite heavy odds but aided by miracles, the Śaka king defeated Gandharvasena and made him a captive. Sarasvati was repatriated, although Gandharvasena himself was forgiven. The defeated king retired to the forest, where he was killed by a tiger. His son, Vikramaditya, being brought up in the forest, had to rule from Pratishthana (modern Paithan in Maharashtra). Later on, Vikramaditya invaded Ujjain and drove away the Śakas. To commemorate this event, he started a new era called the "Vikrama era". The Ujjain calendar started around 58–56 BCE, and the subsequent Shaka-era calendar was started in 78 CE at Pratishthana.[5]

Origins and historical development[edit | edit source]

The association of the era beginning in 57 BCE with Vikramaditya is not found in any source before the 9th century CE; earlier sources call the era "Kṛṭa" (343 and 371 CE), "Kritaa" (404), "the era of the Malava tribe" (424), or simply "Samvat".[6][7] The earliest known inscription which calls the era "Vikrama" is from 842. This inscription, from the Chauhana ruler Chandamahasena, was found at Dholpur and is dated "Vikrama Samvat 898, Vaishakha Shukla 2, Chanda" (20 April 842). The earliest known inscription which associates the era with a king called Vikramaditya is dated 971, and the earliest literary work connecting the era to Vikramaditya is Subhashita-Ratna-Sandoha (993–994) by the Jain author Amitagati.[7]

A number of authors believe that the Vikram Samvat was not started by Vikramaditya, who might be a legendary king or a title adopted by a later king who renamed the era after himself. V. A. Smith and D. R. Bhandarkar believed that Chandragupta II adopted the title of Vikramaditya, and changed the era's name to "Vikrama Samvat". According to Rudolf Hoernlé, the king responsible for this change was Yashodharman. Hoernlé believed that he conquered Kashmir and is the "Harsha Vikramaditya" mentioned in Kalhana's Rajatarangini.[7]

Some earlier scholars believed that the Vikram Samvat corresponded to the Azes era of the Indo-Scythian (Śaka) king King Azes. This was disputed by Robert Bracey after the discovery of an inscription of Vijayamitra, which is dated in two eras.[8] The theory was discredited by Falk and Bennett, who place the inception of the Azes era in 47–46 BCE.[9]

Usage and regional significance[edit | edit source]

The Vikram Samvat has been used by Hindus, Sikhs,[10] and Pashtuns.[11] One of several regional Hindu calendars in use on the Indian subcontinent, it is based on twelve synodic lunar months and 365 solar days.[10][12] The lunar year in India begins with the new moon of the month of Chaitra.[13]

The calendar remains in use by people in Nepal serving as its national calendar where the first month is Baisakh and the last month is Chaitra. It is also symbolically used by Hindus of north, west and central India.[3] Alongside Nepal Sambat, Bikram Sambat is one of two official calendars used in Nepal.[14] In south India and portions of east and west India (such as Assam, West Bengal and Gujarat), the Indian national calendar is widely used.[15]

With the arrival of Islamic rule, the Hijri calendar became the official calendar of sultanates and the Mughal Empire. During British colonial rule of the Indian subcontinent, the Gregorian calendar was adopted and is commonly used in urban areas of India.[16] The predominantly-Muslim countries of Pakistan and Bangladesh have used the Islamic calendar since 1947, but older texts included the Vikram Samvat and Gregorian calendars. In 2003, the India-based Sikh Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee controversially adopted the Nanakshahi calendar.[10]

Calendar system[edit | edit source]

Like the Hebrew and Chinese calendars, the Vikram Samvat is lunisolar.[10] In common years, the lunar year is 354 days long,[17] while a leap lunar month (adhika māsa) is added roughly in accordance to the Metonic cycle, namely, 7 times every 19 years, to ensure that festivals and crop-related rituals fall in the appropriate season.[10][12] Early Buddhist communities in India adopted the ancient Hindu calendar, followed by the Vikram Samvat and local Buddhist calendars. Buddhist festivals are still scheduled according to a lunar system.[18]

The Vikram Samvat has two systems. It began in 56 BCE in the southern Hindu calendar system (amaanta) and 57–56 BCE in the northern system (purnimaanta). The Shukla Paksha, when most festivals occur, coincides in both systems.[15][6] The lunisolar Vikram Samvat calendar is 56.7 years ahead of the solar Gregorian calendar; the year 2083 VS (amaanta) begins on 19 March 2026 and will include an adhika māsa (extra lunar month), making the lunar year 13 months long.[19] The solar Bikram Sambat used in Nepal begins in mid-April 2026 CE.

New Year[edit | edit source]

  • Chaitra Navaratri: the second most celebrated, named after vasanta which means spring. It is observed in the lunar month of Chaitra (post-winter, March–April). In many regions the festival falls after spring harvest, and in others during harvest. It also marks the first day of the Hindu calendar, hence also known as the Hindu Lunar New Year according to Vikram Samvat calendar.[20][21]
  • Vaisakhi:
    • Vaisakhi marks the beginning of Hindu Solar New Year in Punjab, Northern, Eastern, North-eastern and Central India according to the solar Vikram Samvat calendar.[22][23] and marks the first day of the month of Vaisakha, which is usually celebrated on 13 or 14 April every year and is a historical and religious festival in Hinduism.
    • Baisakh (Nepal): The first day of Baisakh is celebrated as Nepalese New Year[24] because it is the day which marks Hindu Solar New Year[25] as per the solar Nepali Bikram Sambat.
  • Varsha Pratipada or Bestu Varas: It is considered an auspicious day celebrated in the Indian state of Gujarat to mark the New Year according to the Vikram Samvat Hindu calendar. It falls on the first day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kartika. The day is significant as it symbolizes the beginning of the agricultural year, and farmers traditionally start their new accounting books on this day.[26]

Divisions of a year[edit | edit source]

See also: Astronomical basis of the Hindu calendar

The Vikram Samvat uses lunar months and solar sidereal years. Because 12 months do not match a sidereal year, correctional months (adhika māsa) are added or (occasionally) subtracted (kshaya masa). A lunar year consists of 12 months, and each month has two fortnights, with a variable duration ranging from 29 to 32 days. The lunar days are called tithis. Each month has 30 tithis, which vary in length from 20 to 27 hours. The waxing phase, beginning with the day after the new moon (amavasya), is called gaura or shukla paksha (the bright or auspicious fortnight). The waning phase is called krishna or vadhya paksha (the dark fortnight, considered inauspicious).[27]

Lunar metrics[edit | edit source]

  • A tithi is the time it takes for the longitudinal angle between the Moon and the Sun to increase by 12°.[28] Tithis begin at various times of the day, and vary in duration.
  • A paksha (or pakṣa) is a lunar fortnight and consists of 15 tithis.
  • A māsa, or lunar month (about 29.5 days), is divided into two paksas.
  • A ritu (season) is two māsas.[28]
  • An ayana is three ritus.
  • A year is two ayanas.[28]

Months[edit | edit source]

The classical Vikram Samvat is generally 57 years ahead of Gregorian Calendar, except during January to March/April, when it is ahead by 56 years. The month that the new year starts varies by region or sub-culture.

The names of months in the Vikram Samvat in Sanskrit and Nepali,[29][30] with their roughly corresponding Gregorian months, respectively are:

S.No Vikram Samvat months Gregorian months Days
1 Vaiśākha or Baisakh April–May 30/31
2 Jyēṣṭha or Jestha or Jeth May–June 31/32
3 Āṣāḍha or Asar or Asadh June–July 31/32
4 Śrāvaṇa or Saaun or Shrawan July–August 31/32
5 Bhādrapada or Bhādra or Bhadau August–September 30/31/32
6 Āśvin or Aasoj or Ashwin September–October 30/31
7 Kārtika or Kattik or Kartik October–November 29/30
8 Agrahāyaṇa or Mangsir or Mārgaśīrṣa or Aghan November–December 29/30
9 Pauṣa or Paush or Poush or Push December–January 29/30
10 Māgha or Maagh January–February 29/30
11 Phālguna or Falgun February–March 29/30
12 Caitra or Chait or Chaitra March–April 30/31

Abbreviations[edit | edit source]

Whilst the calendar notation is commonly abbreviated as V.S. ("Vikram Samvat"), another alternative abbreviation is Bk. ("Bikrami") or simply as S. ("Sammat").[31][32][33] The Bk. abbreviation is often used by Punjabis.[34]

Present situation[edit | edit source]

The Rana dynasty of Nepal made the Vikram Samvat the official Hindu calendar in 1901 CE, which began as 1958 VS.[35] The new year in Nepal begins with the first day of the month of Baisakh, which usually falls around 13–15 April in the Gregorian calendar and ends with the last day of the month Chaitra. The first day of the new year is a public holiday in Nepal. Bisket Jatra, an annual carnival in Bhaktapur, is also celebrated on Baishakh 1. In 2007, Nepal Sambat was also recognised as a national calendar alongside Vikram Samvat.[citation needed]

In India, the reformulated Saka calendar is officially used (except for computing dates of the traditional festivals). In the Hindi version of the preamble of the constitution of India, the date of its adoption (26 November 1949) is presented in Vikram Samvat as Margsheersh Shukla Saptami Samvat 2006. A call has been made for the Vikram Samvat to replace the Saka calendar as India's official calendar.[36]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Masatoshi Iguchi (2015). Java Essay: The History and Culture of a Southern Country. TPL. p. 135. ISBN 978-1-78462-885-7.
  2. ↑ Edward Simpson (2007). Muslim Society and the Western Indian Ocean: The Seafarers of Kachchh. Routledge. pp. 113–114. ISBN 978-1-134-18484-2.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Richard Salomon (1998). Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the Other Indo-Aryan Languages. Oxford University Press. pp. 182–183. ISBN 978-0-19-509984-3.
  4. ↑ Richard Salomon (1998). Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the Other Indo-Aryan Languages. Oxford University Press. pp. 182–183, 194–195. ISBN 978-0-19-509984-3.
  5. ↑ Brown, W. Norman (William Norman) (1933). The story of Kālaka; texts, history, legends, and miniature paintings of the Śvetāmbara Jain hagiographical work, the Kālakācāryakathā. Smithsonian Libraries. Washington [Baltimore, Md., The Lord Baltimore press].
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Ashvini Agrawal (1989). Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 174–175. ISBN 978-81-208-0592-7.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 M. Srinivasachariar (1974). History of Classical Sanskrit Literature. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 94–111. ISBN 9788120802841.
  8. ↑ Alf Hiltebeitel (2011). Reading the Fifth Veda: Studies on the Mahābhārata. BRILL. p. 103. ISBN 978-90-04-18566-1.
  9. ↑ Falk and Bennett (2009), pp. 197-215.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Eleanor Nesbitt (2016). Sikhism: a Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. pp. 122–123. ISBN 978-0-19-874557-0.
  11. ↑ Jazab, Yousaf Khan. An Ethno-Linguistic Study of the Karlanri Varieties of Pashto. Pashto Academy, University of Peshawar. pp. 342–343.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Christopher John Fuller (2004). The Camphor Flame: Popular Hinduism and Society in India. Princeton University Press. pp. 109–110. ISBN 978-0-69112-04-85.
  13. ↑ Davivajña, Rāma (1996) Muhurtacintāmaṇi. Sagar Publications
  14. ↑ Bal Gopal Shrestha (2012). The Sacred Town of Sankhu: The Anthropology of Newar Ritual, Religion and Society in Nepal. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 13–14. ISBN 978-1-4438-3825-2.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Richard Salomon (1398). Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the other Indo-Aryan Languages. Oxford University Press. pp. 181–183. ISBN 978-0-19-535666-3.
  16. ↑ Tim Harper; Sunil Amrith (2014). Sites of Asian Interaction: Ideas, Networks and Mobility. Cambridge University Press. pp. 56–57. ISBN 978-1-316-09306-1.
  17. ↑ Orazio Marucchi (2011). Christian Epigraphy: An Elementary Treatise with a Collection of Ancient Christian Inscriptions Mainly of Roman Origin. Cambridge University Press. p. 289. ISBN 978-0-521-23594-5., Text: "...the lunar year consists of 354 days..."
  18. ↑ Anita Ganeri (2003). Buddhist Festivals Through the Year. BRB. pp. 11–12. ISBN 978-1-58340-375-4.
  19. ↑ "Hindu New Year 2026 To Have 13 Months".
  20. ↑ "Chaitra Navratri 2020: Significance, history behind the nine-day festival and how will it be different this year". The Hindustan Times. 30 March 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  21. ↑ India TV News (21 March 2015). "Difference between Vasanta and Sharad Navaratri". India TV News. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  22. ↑ Rinehart, Robin; Rinehart, Robert (2004). Contemporary Hinduism: Ritual, Culture, and Practice. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-57607-905-8.
  23. ↑ Kelly, Aidan A.; Dresser, Peter D.; Ross, Linda M. (1993). Religious Holidays and Calendars: An Encyclopaedic Handbook. Omnigraphics, Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-55888-348-2.
  24. ↑ International Commerce. Bureau of International Commerce. 1970.
  25. ↑ Fodor's; Staff, Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc (12 December 1983). India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, 1984. Fodor's Travel Publications. ISBN 978-0-679-01013-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  26. ↑ "Gujarati New Year 2021: Significance and all you need to know about special occasion". Firstpost. 5 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  27. ↑ "What Is the Hindu Calendar System?". Learn Religions. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 Burgess, Ebenezer Translation of the Sûrya-Siddhânta: A text-book of Hindu astronomy, with notes and an appendix originally published: Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 6, (1860), pp. 141–498, Chapter 14, Verse 12
  29. ↑ Nilsson, Usha (1997). Mira Bai (Rajasthani Poetess). Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 978-81-260-0411-9.
  30. ↑ Chatterjee, SK (1990). Indian Calendric System. Government of India. p. 17.
  31. ↑ Doornenbal, Marius Albert (2009). A Grammar of Bantawa: Grammar, Paradigm Tables, Glossary and Texts of a Rai Language of Eastern Nepal. LOT. pp. XV. ISBN 9789460930089. V.S. The abbreviation V.S stands for Vikram Samvat, which is the calendar system current in Nepal. This calendar system is 56 or 57 years ahead of the Gregorian calendar, with New Year falling around the 14th of April. Vikram Samwat 2055, for example, was from April 1998 to April 1999.
  32. ↑ Cole, W. Owen; Sambhi, Piara Singh (15 August 2005). A Popular Dictionary of Sikhism: Sikh Religion and Philosophy (reprint ed.). Routledge. pp. 53–54. ISBN 9781135797607. Some Sikh authors use the Samvat era for dating purposes but mostly the Gregorian calendar and Common Era have been adopted, sometimes with Samvat, abbreviated to S, or Bikrami, Bk, provided in brackets. For example, the birth of Guru Nanak according to the Bala janam sakhi which is the basis for celebrating it in October/November may be given as Kartik (or the alternative form, Kattak), puranmashi, S 1526, or 20 October, 1469 C.E.
  33. ↑ Singh, Harbans, ed. (2002). "Dates – Abbreviations". The Encyclopedia of Sikhism (4th ed.). Patiala: Punjabi University. pp. xvii. ISBN 8173801002.
  34. ↑ Dilgeer, Harjinder Singh (1997). The Sikh Reference Book. Sikh Educational Trust for Sikh University Centre, Denmark. p. 42. BIKRAMI SAMMAT: - A Calendar named after a Hindu king Vikramaditya. In Punjabi Vikrami is pronounced as Bikrami. Its abbreviation is Bk.
  35. ↑ Crump, William D. (25 April 2014). Encyclopedia of New Year's Holidays Worldwide. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-9545-0.
  36. ↑ "Vikram Samvat should be declared national calendar". The Free Press Journal. 15 February 2012. Archived from the original on 26 April 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2012.

Further reading[edit | edit source]

  • Harry Falk and Chris Bennett (2009). "Macedonian Intercalary Months and the Era of Azes." Acta Orientalia 70, pp. 197–215.
  • "The Dynastic Art of the Kushan", John Rosenfield.
  • "Samvat" . New International Encyclopedia. 1905.

External links[edit | edit source]

Template:Calendars

Retrieved from "https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vikram_Samvat&oldid=465434"
Discover more