Hi all,
Tomorrow 15 April, is the start of the Hindu New Year.
Acalendar showing Hindumonths and important dates is here.
[link= http://www.bangalinet.com/bengalicalendar.htm ]http://www.bangalinet.com/bengalicalendar.htm[/link]
Today is the last day of the month of Chaitra.
Tomorrow starts Baisakh, the Month in which Rabindranath Thakur and Gautama Tathagata (the Buddha) was born. And yours truly, as it happens. AFAIK, Buddhists callthe month"Vesak".
Buddha Purnima is marked there too. It falls on the 18 Vesak, or 2 May this year. More info from:
[link= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesak ]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesak[/link]
Shubha Nababarsha to one and all.
Prashna
RE: Shubha Nababarsha, Happy New Year!
Hi Prashna,
I'm confused! I would normally say that the New Year is just after Diwali in October/November. Having done some research I see that the festival that comes up at this time of year, Ugadi, is a new year as you describe it. It's part of the lunisolar calendar that was devised by the Indian government in 1957: .
So how would you distinguish the two New Years that I've described? I've only every celebrated the one after Diwali.
Sejual
RE: Shubha Nababarsha, Happy New Year!
ORIGINAL: Crystal Cub
I'm confused!
So how would you distinguish the two New Years that I've described? I've only every celebrated the one after Diwali.
Sejual
Hi Crystal Cub,
You ALMOST confused me. But not quite.
I have always known Baisakh to be the first month, in all the years I was growing up in India. Not just in WEst Bengal, my home state but in many parts of India.
Fot the most authoritative account please see:
[link= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_calendar#Months_of_the_lunisolar_calendar ]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_calendar#Months_of_the_lunisolar_calendar[/link]
You will find that Baisakh is indeed the first month.
But hey, if you wish to celebrate New Year in October after Diwali, please carry on.
Enjoy and be true.
Regards.
Prashna
RE: Shubha Nababarsha, Happy New Year!
ORIGINAL: Crystal Cub
I would normally say that the New Year is just after Diwali in October/November.
So how would you distinguish the two New Years that I've described? I've only every celebrated the one after Diwali.
Sejual
Hi Sejual,
A bit more on the Calendar front.
In Bengal the tradition is to celebrate the New Year on 1 Baisakh. You can see this in the following two newspapers from Kolkata. If you cannot read Bengali, you may find this difficult.
[link= http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/Ananda_Bazar_Patrika/400x60/0 ]http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/Ananda_Bazar_Patrika/400x60/0[/link]
[link= http://www.suprovat.com/ ]http://www.suprovat.com/[/link]
The official New year was indeed set for 1st Chaitra. You can see another confirmation here:
[link= http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_calendar/ ]http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_calendar/[/link]
In Bengal we just did not know about it. It did not matter to us. As you know India is far more of a federal country!
The most comprehensive article on the subject I have seen is here:
[link= http://tanmoy.tripod.com/bengcal.html#shakacal ]http://tanmoy.tripod.com/bengcal.html#shakacal[/link]
Meanwhile in Porbandar, Gujerat (1448 miles to the West of Kolkata see: [link= http://www.mapsofindia.com/distances/porbandar.html ]http://www.mapsofindia.com/distances/porbandar.html[/link] ) The Hindu New year is indeed celebrated on the first day of Diwali, as you can see here:
[link= http://www.diwalifestival.org/diwali-new-year.html ]http://www.diwalifestival.org/diwali-new-year.html[/link]
Hope this clarifies.
Prashna