Chaitra is a
monthA month is a unit of time, used with calendars, which was first used and invented in Mesopotamia, as a natural period related to the motion of the Moon; month and Moon are cognates. The traditional concept arose with the cycle of moon phases; such months are synodic months and last approximately...
of the
Hindu calendarThe hindu calendar used in ancient times has undergone many changes in the process of regionalization, and today there are several regional Indian calendars, as well as an Indian national calendar. Nepali calendar, Bengali calendar, Malayalam calendar, Tamil calendar, Telugu calendar, Kannada...
.
In
India's national civil calendarThe Indian national calendar is the official civil calendar in use in India. It is used, alongside the Gregorian calendar, by The Gazette of India, news broadcasts by All India Radio, and calendars and communications issued by the Government of India.The term may also ambiguously refer to the...
Chaitra is the first month of the
yearA year is the orbital period of the Earth moving around the Sun. For an observer on Earth, this corresponds to the period it takes the Sun to complete one course throughout the zodiac along the ecliptic....
while it is the last month of the year in
Nepali calendarThe Nepali Calendar is a traditional solar calendar used in Nepal for both civil and religious purposes. The year begins in the month Baishakh; usually around 14 April....
where
BaisakhVaishakha or Baisakha is a month of the Hindu calendar. It is the first month of the Nepalese calendar and the Bengali calendar . In the Indian national calendar Vaisakha is the second month of the year, beginning on April 21 and ending on May 20.In the Hindu solar calendar, Vaisakha begins in...
is the first month. With the
calendarA calendar is a system of organizing days for social, religious, commercial, or administrative purposes. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months, and years. The name given to each day is known as a date. Periods in a calendar are usually, though not...
reforms, it coincides with the northern spring equinox on
MarchMarch is in present time held to be the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is one of the seven months which are 31 days long....
20.
In the more traditional reckoning, the first month commences in March or
AprilApril is the fourth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and one of four months with a length of 30 days. April was originally the second month of the Roman calendar, before January and February were added by King Numa Pompilius about 700 BC...
of the
Gregorian CalendarThe Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
, depending upon whether the lunar or solar system is used. There is no fixed date in Gregorian calendar for 1st day of Chaitra i.e. the beginning of the Hindu New Year.
It is the last month in the Bengali calendars (the Bônggabdo), where it is called
ChoitroChoitro is the last of the twelve months of the Bangla Calendar. It falls from mid-March to mid-April and is the last month of Spring.Choitro is also known as:*Chait in the Nepali Bikram Sambat calendar....
. It commences in mid-March. It is also the last month in the Nepalese calendar (the Bikram Sambat), where it commences in mid-March. Chitterai is the first month in the Tamil calendar and starts in mid-April.
In the Vaishnava calendar,
VishnuVishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
governs this month.
Festivals
The month of Chaitra is also associated with the coming of Spring, since
HoliHoli , is a religious spring festival celebrated by Hindus. Holi is also known as festival of Colours. It is primarily observed in India, Nepal, Pakistan, and countries with large Indic diaspora populations following Hinduism, such as Suriname, Malaysia, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, United...
, the spring festival of colour, is celebrated on the eve of Chaitra (namely, the last day of Phalgun month). Exactly 6 days after which the festival of
Chaiti ChhathChhath is an ancient Hindu festival dedicated to the Hindu Sun God, Surya, also known as Surya Shashti. The Chhath Puja is performed in order to thank Surya for sustaining life on earth and to request the granting of certain wishes. The Sun, considered the god of energy and of the life-force, is...
is observed.
In lunar religious calendars, Chaitra begins with the new moon in March/April and is the first month of the year. The first of Chaitra – is celebrated as New Year's Day, known as
Gudi PadwaGudi Padwa or Gudhi Padwa , is the Marathi name for the Hindu holiday of Chaitra Shukla Pratipada. It is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month to mark the beginning of the New year according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar...
in
MaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, Chaitrai Vishu or Puthandu in
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
and
UgadiYugadi or Ugadi or "Samvatsradi" , Konkani/Marathi: युगादी yugādi, , formed by sandhi of yuga "age" and ādi "beginning": the beginning of an age) is the New Year's Day for the people of the Deccan region of India. It falls on the different day every year because the Hindu calendar is a lunisolar...
in
KarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
and
Andhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
.
Other important festivals in the month are; Ram Navami, the birth anniversary of
Lord RamRama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
celebrated on the 9th day of Chaitra, and
HanumanHanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...
JayanthiHanuman Jayanti is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Hanuman, the Vanara god, widely venerated throughout India especially in North India. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the Shukla Paksha, during the month of Chaitra...
that falls on the last day (purnima) of Chaitra.
In the Tamil solar religious calendar, Chitterai begins with the
SunThe Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
's entry into
AriesAries is one of the constellations of the zodiac, located between Pisces to the west and Taurus to the east. Its name is Latin for ram, and its symbol is , representing a ram's horns...
in mid-April, and is the first month of the year.
Chaitra is considered to be a very auspicious month in which the
creationCreation may refer to:In religion and philosophy:*Creation myth, stories of the supernatural creation of the Earth and its inhabitants*Genesis creation narrative, The Biblical account of creationIn science and technology:...
of the universe was started.
"Chaitra" can also be used as a name, with the meaning of "Spring" or "Aries Sign"
Chaitramasi jagadbrahma sasarju prathamehaani
Shukla paksha samagranthu thadaa suryodaye sathi
Pravarthayaa maasa thatha kaalasya gananaamapi
Grahannaagaa nruthoonmaa saaswathsaraa nwathsaraadhipaan
According to the
SlokaSloka may refer to:* Sloka, Latvia, a neighbourhood of Jūrmala, Latvia* Sloka meter, a Sanskrit meter* Śloka, a Hindu prayer* Sloka Gora, a small settlement in central Slovenia* Sloka...
Chaturvarga Chintamani, Lord Brahma created the universe on the first day of Shukla paksha (first fortnight / first half of the month) in the month of Chaitra. He also gradually included planets, stars, ruthu (seasons) and rains.
In this month, the fifteen days in Shukla paksha are dedicated to fifteen deities. Each day of the month is dedicated to a different god.
| Shukla Paksha |
Krishna Paksha |
| 1. Prathama Prathama Blood Centre is blood bank situated at Ahmedabad, jointly established in 2000, by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Advanced Transfusion Medicine Research Foundation as non-profit voluntary organization...
|
1. Prathama |
| 2. Dwitiya Dwitiya is the Sanskrit word for "second", and is the second day in the lunar fortnight of the Hindu calendar. Each month has two Dwitiya days, being the second day of the "bright" and of the "dark" fortnights respectively...
|
2. Dwitiya |
| 3. Tritiya Tritiya is the Sanskrit word for "three", and is the third day in the lunar fortnight of the Hindu calendar. Each month has two Tritiya days, being the third day of the "bright" and of the "dark" fortnights respectively...
|
3. Tritiya |
| 4. Chaturthi Chaturthi or Chaviti , is the fourth day of any lunar month in the Hindu calendar.-Festivals of Chaturthi:* Ganesh Chaturthi is one of prominent Chaturthi on which Lord Ganesha makes his presence on the earth....
|
4. Chaturthi |
| 5. Panchami Panchami is the fifth day of the fortnight in Hindu lunar calendar.-Festivals:Nag Panchami is a Hindu festival celebrated by Hindus in most parts of India. It is celebrated in Shravan month. On this day, people worship Nāga Devata . People go to temples and snake pits and worship the snakes...
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5. Panchami |
| 6. Shashti Shashti is the sixth day or tithi of a pakSha or fourteen-day phase of the moon. The word comes from the Sanskrit cardinal ShaRh , whence the ordinal number ShaShTha , fem...
|
6. Shashti |
| 7. Saptami Saptami is the seventh day of the fortnight in Hindu lunar calendar.-Festivals:Ratha Saptami: Lord Vishnu in his form as Surya is usually worshiped on this day...
|
7. Saptami |
| 8. Ashtami - Festivals :Krishna Janmashtami or Gokul Ashtami: is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna, an avatar of Hindu deity Vishnu.Krishna Janmashtami is observed on the Ashtami tithi, the eighth day of the dark half or Krishna Paksha of the month of Bhaadra in the Hindu calendar, when...
|
8. Ashtami |
| 9. Navami -Festivals:* Sri Rama Navami is a Hindu festival, celebrating of the birth of Lord Rama. It is celebrated in Chaitra month .* Swaminarayan Jayanti is a Hindu Fesival celebrating the birth of Lord Swaminarayan.It is celebrated in Chaitra month on the ninth day which actually falls onto Sri Rama...
|
9. Navami |
| 10.Dashami Dashami is the Sanskrit word for "ten", and is the tenth day in the lunar fortnight of the Hindu calendar. Each month has two Dashami days, being the tenth day of the "bright" and of the "dark" fortnights respectively...
|
10.Dashami |
| 11.Ekadashi Ekadashi , also spelled as Ekadasi, is the eleventh lunar day of the shukla or krishna paksha of every lunar month in the Hindu calendar . In Hinduism and Jainism it is considered a spiritually beneficial day...
|
11.Ekadashi |
| 12.Dwadashi |
12.Dwadashi |
| 13.Thrayodashi Thrayodashi is the Sanskrit word for "thirteen", and is the thirteenth day in the lunar fortnight of the Hindu calendar. Each month has two Thrayodashi days, being the thirteenth day of the "bright" and of the "dark" fortnights respectively...
|
13.Thrayodashi |
| 14.Chaturdashi In the Hindu calendar, Chaturdashi is the 14th day of the waxing phase or waning phase of the moon. This is the day prior to new moon or full moon...
|
14.Chaturdashi |
| 15.Pournima Full moon is a lunar phase.Full Moon may also refer to:- Literature :* Full Moon , a novel by P. G. Wodehouse* Full Moon o Sagashite or Full Moon, a manga* Full Moon Press, an American small-press publisher...
|
15. Amavasya Amavasya is the Indian name for a New moon. The word Amavasya is common to many Indian languages especially Sanskrit, Hindi, Assamese, Kannada, Bengali, Konkani, Marathi, Oriya, Telugu, and Gujarati...
|
See also
- Choitro
Choitro is the last of the twelve months of the Bangla Calendar. It falls from mid-March to mid-April and is the last month of Spring.Choitro is also known as:*Chait in the Nepali Bikram Sambat calendar....
- Hindu units of measurement
Vedic and Puranic units of time span from the Paramáńu to the mahamanvantara . Its clearly given in Hindu Vedic knowledge that the creation and destruction of the universe is a cyclical process and the timespan of the universe is 311.04 trillion years...
- Hindu astronomy
Historical Indian astronomy develops as a discipline of Vedanga or one of the "auxiliary disciplines" associated with the study of the Vedas.The oldest extant text of astronomy is the treatise by Lagadha, dated to the Mauryan era ....
- Jyotish