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Hindu (Vedic) Calendar and Months

There are a total of 12 months in the Hindu calendar:


1. Chaitra or Chaitra


Chaitra marks the beginning of Spring. It is the first month of the year in the Hindu calendar and begins when there is new moon towards the end of March or beginning of April. There are important festivals in this month, namely, Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti.


2. Vaisākha or Vaishaka


It roughly begins from 21st April and ends on 22nd May. This month also witnesses Buddha Purnima, which is celebrated as the birthday of Gautama Buddha. The harvest festival, Baisakhi, is also observed during this month.


3. Jyaishtha or Jayestha


The third month starts about 22nd May and lasts until 21st June. Vats Poornima falls in this month and is a widely celebrated festival in Karnataka and Maharashtra. Women celebrate this festival by praying for their husbands and tie threads around a banyan tree. Sitalsasthi Carnival, a significant occasion in Odisha, is also conducted in this month.


4. Asadha or Ashada


The fourth month of Hindu calendar begins on 21st June and ends around 22nd July. Guru Purnima is a major festival celebrated in this month. Shayani Ekadashi is also observed during this time.

5. Sravana or Shravan


The fifth month begins around 23rd July and ends on 23rd August. There are a number of joyous festivals that fall during this month. Krishna Janmashtami is observed as the day of Lord Krishna's birth. Then comes the Raksha Bandhan which celebrates the bond between a brother and a sister. Nag Panchami also falls during this period when Lord Naga is worshiped.


6. Bhadra or Bhadrapada


The sixth Hindu month begins about 23 August and ends on 23rd September. Anant Chaturdashi and Madhu Purnima are major festivals celebrated during this month.


7. Ashvina


The seventh month starts around 23rd September and lasts until 23rd October. Some major festivals fall in this months, such as Durga Puja, Dussehra, Diwali and Kali Puja.


8. Kartika or kartik


The month continues from 23rd October to 22nd November. Kartik Poornima also celebrated as Dev Deepavali in the region of Varanasi, falls in this month. This day also coincides with Mahavira's nirvana and Guru Nanak Jayanti.


9. Agrahāyaṇa or Mārgaśīrṣa


This ninth month begins on 22nd November and ends around 22nd December. Mokṣada Ekadasi, Klabhairava Aṣṭami falls in this month.


10. Pausa or Pausha


The tenth month begins on 22nd December and ends around 21st January. Harvest festivals like Makar Sankranti and Pongal are observed during this month.


11.Magha


This month begins on the 21st January and ends around 20th February. Vasant Panchami, also known as Saraswati Puja, is celebrated with enthusiasm among different states. Rathasapthami is another major celebrated festival observed during the Hindu eleventh month.


12.Phalguna or Phalgun


The last month begins on 20th February and ends around 21st March. North India observes Holi during this time. Goa and Konkan celebrate Shigmo in this month.


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