Which calendar is used in India?
India is rich in cultural, religious, and administrative diversity, which is why the country follows multiple calendars rather than a single unified one. Different calendars are used for official purposes, everyday activities, as well as religious and regional celebrations. This coexistence allows modern governance and traditional practices to function side by side.
The Official Calendar of India: The Saka Calendar
The official civil calendar used by the Government of India is the Saka Calendar, commonly referred to as the Indian National Calendar. It was adopted in 1957 to standardize dates used in official government publications, while continuing to coexist with the Gregorian calendar.
The Saka Calendar is solar-based, and broadly aligned with the Gregorian calendar. The year begins with Chaitra 1, which usually falls on March 21, or March 22 in a leap year. It consists of 12 months, with Chaitra as the first month.
The Saka Calendar is primarily used in:
- Government gazettes and official documents.
- National calendars and official almanacs.
- Official broadcasts by All India Radio and Doordarshan.
But it does not supersede the Gregorian calendar in everyday administrative use.
The Gregorian Calendar in India
The Gregorian calendar is the most commonly used calendar in India for daily and international purposes. It is commonly used for:
- Business and commerce
- Education and examinations
- Administrative and legal procedures.
- Travel, visas, and international communication.
Although it is not native to India, the Gregorian calendar plays a central role in modern governance and international coordination.
Traditional Hindu Calendars
India follows several traditional Hindu calendars, many of which are lunisolar, combining lunar cycles with solar movements, while some regional calendars are primarily solar-based. These calendars are primarily used to determine:
- Religious festivals
- Auspicious dates
- Rituals and ceremonies
Examples include:
- Vikram Samvat (in common use in North India)
- The modern Saka Calendar is a standardized civil version of the historical Shalivahana Shaka era.
- Tamil Calendar
- Bengali Calendar
Because these calendars follow different lunar, lunisolar, or solar calculation systems, their dates vary each year when compared with the Gregorian calendar.
Islamic and Regional Calendars
Muslims in India follow the Islamic Hijri calendar, which is purely lunar, and they use it to mark religious occasions like Ramadan, Eid, and Muharram.
Some regional calendars are also used in a number of states in India, including the Malayalam calendar of Kerala or the Assamese calendar.
Conclusion
Finally, India has formally adopted the Saka Calendar in some civil uses and the Gregorian Calendar on a daily and international basis, but still adheres to a number of regional and various traditional calendars based on religious and cultural practice. This system of multi-calendars indicates the depth of history and diversity of Indian society, where tradition and the modern administration can exist side by side.
