The luni-solar Hindu calendar. Months are lunar (each ~29.5 days), but adhika-masa intercalations keep alignment with the solar year. Each month is named for the nakshatra in which Purnima typically falls. The Amanta (South) and Purnimanta (North) conventions differ in where the month boundaries sit — same lunar fortnight, different names. Below: full month-by-month reference + 6 ritus + key calendar notes.
№ 1
Chaitra · चैत्र
Mar - Apr
Named after: Chitra (Spica)
Ritu: Vasanta (Spring)
Major festivals
Ugadi / Gudi Padwa (Shukla Pratipada — New Year for Karnataka, Telangana, AP, Maharashtra)
Sri Rama Navami (Shukla Navami — Lord Rama's birthday)
Hanuman Jayanti (Purnima — Hanuman's birthday in North India)
Onam (Thiruvonam day — Kerala harvest festival, King Mahabali's annual visit)
Anant Chaturdashi (Shukla Chaturdashi — closes Ganesha festival + worship of Vishnu Ananta)
Pitri Paksha starts (Krishna Pratipada — 15 days of ancestor worship)
Auspiciousness — First half (Shukla) very auspicious for Ganesha + Onam. Second half (Krishna — Pitri Paksha) inauspicious for new ventures, only ancestor rites allowed.
Agriculture — Monsoon receding. Mid-season weeding. First Onam-harvest in Kerala.
Character — Ganesha + Mahalakshmi (Onam) + Pitris — all three honoured in successive halves.
№ 7
Ashwina · आश्विन (आश्विज)
Sep - Oct
Named after: Ashwini
Ritu: Sharad (Autumn — clear sky)
Major festivals
Mahalaya Amavasya (Krishna Amavasya — peak day of Pitri Paksha)
Sharad Navaratri (Shukla 1-9 — the great 9-day Devi festival)
Auspiciousness — Mid-month onwards — VERY auspicious. Marriage season resumes from Prabodhini Ekadashi. Dhanteras through Bhai Dooj = the great Diwali sequence.
Auspiciousness — Generally inauspicious for marriages (cold, harvest still active). However Vaikuntha Ekadashi is supreme for Vaishnava worship.
Agriculture — Mid-Rabi. Winter cold peaks.
Character — Tapas-month for sadhakas (cold helps sit still for long sadhana). The "Dhanurmasa" (mid-Dec to mid-Jan, Tamil "Margazhi") is held supremely sacred for Tiruppavai recitation in Sri Vaishnava tradition.
№ 11
Magha · माघ
Jan - Feb
Named after: Magha
Ritu: Shishira (late) → Vasanta (early Spring)
Major festivals
Mauni Amavasya (Krishna Amavasya — silent observance day; bath in Sangam at Prayag = supreme)
Vasanta Panchami / Saraswati Puja (Shukla Panchami — Saraswati's special day, ideal for child's aksharabhyasa)
Bhishma Ashtami (Shukla Ashtami — Bhishma's death day)
Maha Shivaratri (Krishna Chaturdashi — supreme Shaiva festival; alternative date in Phalguna for some regions)
Magha Purnima (Magha-mela at Prayag closes — entire month is Magh-mela)
Auspiciousness — Magha-snanam (bathing at sacred rivers throughout month) is the supreme tapas. Marriages auspicious.
Agriculture — Late winter. Rabi maturing.
Character — Snana-month. Prayagraj Magh Mela. Every river-bath in this month grants special merit.
№ 12
Phalguna · फाल्गुन
Feb - Mar
Named after: Purva + Uttara Phalguni
Ritu: Vasanta (Spring)
Major festivals
Holika Dahan / Choti Holi (Purnima eve — bonfire, Prahlada's rescue from Holika)
Holi / Phalguna Purnima (Purnima — supreme spring festival, Krishna playing with gopis)
Maha Shivaratri (Krishna Chaturdashi — supreme Shiva night; some traditions place it here)
Phalguna Sankashti Chaturthi
Auspiciousness — Spring auspicious. Marriages auspicious.
Agriculture — Final Rabi harvest. Wheat ready.
Character — Holi month. The cosmic play of colours — Krishna at Vrindavan. Year closes with bonfire + colour play.
The 6 Ritus (seasons)
Vasanta (Spring)
Chaitra-Vaishakha
Renewal. Krishna says: "Among ritus I am the flowering Vasanta."
Grishma (Summer)
Jyeshtha-Ashadha
Heat. The month of tapas. Hard ground.
Varsha (Monsoon)
Shravana-Bhadrapada
Rains. The greatest festival season for Shiva + Devi.
Sharad (Autumn)
Ashwina-Kartika
Clear skies. Harvest. Devi worship + Diwali.
Hemanta (Pre-winter)
Margashirsha-Pausha
Cool dry. Wedding season + tapas.
Shishira (Winter)
Magha-Phalguna
Cold. Magh-snana + Holi.
Calendar notes
Amanta vs Purnimanta — South India uses Amanta convention (months end at Amavasya / new moon). North India (except Bengal + Assam) uses Purnimanta convention (months end at Purnima / full moon). The same lunar fortnight ends up named for different months depending on convention — be careful when matching dates.
Adhika-masa — Adhika-masa (intercalary month) inserted every ~32.5 months to keep lunar months aligned with solar year. The adhika-masa carries the same name as the next month but prefixed with "Adhika".
Uttarayana vs Dakshinayana — 2 ayanas (half-years) — Uttarayana (Sun moving north, ~Dec 21 - Jun 21, Devas' day) + Dakshinayana (Sun moving south, Jun 21 - Dec 21, Devas' night). Makara Sankranti marks the start of Uttarayana; Karka Sankranti marks Dakshinayana.
Live panchang — See /wisdom/panchang for today\'s tithi + nakshatra + yoga + karana + vara (the five limbs of the day). The Hindu calendar is computed daily from these five. See also Vrata calendar for the full vrata rules, Ekadashi 2026 for all 24 ekadashi dates, and Jyotisha for the astrological framework.