What date is it really? The Hindu Calendar - Storytrails
Every sight has a story to tell
Become a member

What date is it really? The Hindu Calendar

When is New Year's day? Well, that depends on who you ask. For many in the north, Diwali is New Year's day. But it falls on different days each year. The Tamil, Malayalees, Punjabis and Assamese celebrate their New Year on 14 April. But the Telugus, Kannadigas and Maharashtrians celebrate their New Year on different dates. How are these dates determined and why are calendars so different for people in the same country? This story will you through time of how calendars evolved, how ancient Indians and people across the world measured time.

When exactly does the new year begin? That depends on who is answering. For many North Indians, Diwali is New Year’s Day. But it falls on a different date each year. April 14th is Puthandu, Vishu, Baisakhi, and Bihu – the New Year’s Day for Tamils, Malayalees, Punjabis, and Assamese. But Ugadi and Gudi Padawa – the New Year’s Day for Telugus, Kannadigas and Marathis falls on a different date each year. How are these dates determined and why are calendars so different? This is the story of how ancient Indians and people across the world measured time.

Editing credits: Studio A, Chennai

Music, Sound Design, Mix & Master – S. S. Sriram (instagram.com/ss.sriram)

Illustrations: Vibha Surya

Wardrobe Sponsor – Rare Rabbit (https://thehouseofrare.com/)

  1. Farming video – Pixabay
  2. Day and Night – Pexels, https://www.pexels.com/video/campers-view-of-the-sky-from-dusk-until-dawn-2735069/
  3. Claudius Ptolemy – By TraditionaL aSTROLOGER – magazine, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15640474
  4. The astronomer, Painting by Johannes Vermeer – By Johannes Vermeer – https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/wd/bQELiVC_QJaAlQ, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116806430
  5. Arab Mathematicians – By wellcomecollection.org – https://wellcomecollection.org/works/uxszh74n, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=110498177
  6. Arabic Calendar – By مشاري محمد بن خنين from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – [https://www.flickr.com/photos/x_meshari/6400065593/ 1433 \ 01 \ زثعق.٣ظ٣٣ظظ٣ذظ٣ظظ٣ظ٣ظ *€*٣٧٢01], CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48486875
  7. Aryabhatta – By 1940368 Hemateja – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=95798970
  8. Meghnad Saha – Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39500054
  9. Panchangam – By Azhagiya manavalan – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18245305
END OF STORY

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Pinterest
Email

You might also be interested in

Ravana meeting Sita

Why Is Diwali Not a Festival for Some Hindu Communities?

Diwali, or the ‘festival of lights’ is one of the most popular festivals in India. There are many myths and legends associated with it, and different regions in India celebrate it in different ways and for different reasons. But did you know that there are certain Hindu communities that don’t celebrate it?

A Story of Two Indian Festivals

The Varaha Mandapa, a 7th century rock-cut cave temple in Mamallapuram, is home to many fascinating tales set in stone. One of the most spectacular panels in the cave features the Trivikrama or Vamana avatar of Vishnu, in which he defeats the demon king Mahabali. This epic tale also happens to be the origin story of Onam, the harvest festival of Kerala.

The Jaipur jars that helped a maharaja cross the oceans

What connects a pair of gigantic silver jars in the Jaipur city palace to the Cellular Jail in the Andaman? Surprisingly, a long-held Indian taboo called Kalapani that prevented Indians from traveling overseas. This is the story of a clever workaround that the British used, to move Indian soldiers across the world during World War I.