Mesha Sankranti

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Mesha Sankranti
Aries zodiac sign, Jantar Mantar, Jaipur, India.jpg
Mesha zodiac sign in Jaipur, India
Also calledSankranti
DateFirst day of meṣa masa (13 Apr on leap years; 14th Apr on all other years)
FrequencyAnnual
Related to Songkran

Mesha Sankranti (also called Mesha Sankramana or Hindu Solar New Year) refers to the first day of the solar cycle year, that is the solar New Year in the Hindu luni-solar calendar. [1] The Hindu calendar also has a lunar new year, which is religiously more significant. The solar cycle year is significant in Assamese, Odia, Punjabi, Malayalam, Tamil, and Bengali calendars. [2]

Contents

The day represents specific solar movement according to ancient Sanskrit texts. [2] Mesha Sankranti is one of the twelve Sankranti in the Indian calendar. The concept is also found in Indian astrology texts wherein it refers to the day of transition of the Sun into the Aries zodiac sign. [3] [4]

The day is important in solar and lunisolar calendars followed on the subcontinent. Mesha Sankranti falls on 13 April usually, sometimes 14 April. This day is the basis for major Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist festivals, of which Vaisakhi and Vesak are the best known. [5] [6] [7]

It is related to the equivalent Buddhist calendar-based New Year festivals in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, parts of Northeast India, parts of Vietnam and Xishuangbanna, China; collectively referred to as Songkran .

Etymology

The phrase Mesha Sankranti consists of two Sanskrit words. Sankranti literally means "going from one place to another, transference, course change, entry into" particularly in the context of sun or planets, while Mesha means sheep or Aries constellation. [8] The term Mesha Sankranti connotes a specific day based on time keeping practices developed in the ancient Sanskrit texts of the Vedanga field of study called Jyotisha and later texts such as the Surya Siddhanta. [2]

Observance

Many regional calendars have two elements: lunar and solar. The lunar element is based on the movement of the moon and counts each month from either new moon to new moon, full moon to full moon, or the day after the full moon to the next full moon. [9] The lunar element forms the basis of religious calendars and begin the year in Chaitra. [10] Many regions begin the local new year with the commencement of the lunar calendar: Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra and Goa; Cheti Chand for the Sindhi Hindus; [11] and Navreh for the Kashmiri Hindus. [12] In Gujarat, the regional year commences with the lunar month of Kartika after Diwali. [13]

The solar element of lunisolar calendars begin the year on Mesha Sankranti. This day is observed by people across India, even in regions which begin the new year using the lunar calendar. However, some regions also begin the regional new year on Mesha Sankranti.

See also

Related Research Articles

The Hindu calendar, also called Panchanga, is one of various lunisolar calendars that are traditionally used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with further regional variations for social and Hindu religious purposes. They adopt a similar underlying concept for timekeeping based on sidereal year for solar cycle and adjustment of lunar cycles in every three years, but differ in their relative emphasis to moon cycle or the sun cycle and the names of months and when they consider the New Year to start. Of the various regional calendars, the most studied and known Hindu calendars are the Shalivahana Shaka found in the Deccan region of Southern India and the Vikram Samvat (Bikrami) found in Nepal and the North and Central regions of India – both of which emphasize the lunar cycle. Their new year starts in spring. In regions such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the solar cycle is emphasized and this is called the Tamil calendar and Malayalam calendar and these have origins in the second half of the 1st millennium CE. A Hindu calendar is sometimes referred to as Panchangam (पञ्चाङ्गम्), which is also known as Panjika in Eastern India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lunar New Year</span> Beginning of a year in a lunar calendar

Lunar New Year is the beginning of a new year based on lunar calendars or, informally but more widely, lunisolar calendars. Lunar calendars follow the lunar phase while lunisolar calendars follow both the lunar phase and the time of the solar year. The event is celebrated by numerous cultures in various ways at diverse dates.

Sankranti refers to the transmigration of the sun from one zodiac to another in Indian astronomy. In Saurmanavarsha, there are twelve Sankrantis corresponding with twelve months of a year. The Sankrantis can be broadly classified into four main categories: Ayan (Solstice), Vishuva (Equinox), Vishnupadi and Shadshitimukhi sankrantis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pausha</span> Tenth month of the Hindu lunar calendar

Pausha, also called Paush, Poush, Pausa or Pushya, is the tenth month of the Hindu calendar, corresponding with December/January of the Gregorian calendar. In the Indian national calendar, Pausha is also the tenth month of the year, beginning on 21 December and ending on 19 January.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magha (month)</span> Eleventh month of the Hindu lunar calendar

Magha is the eleventh month of the Hindu calendar, corresponding to January/February of the Gregorian calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Magha is also the eleventh month of the year, beginning on 20 January and ending on 18 February.

Vṛścik‌‌‌a(वृश्चिक), also referred to as Vrishchika or Vrschika, is a month in the Indian solar calendar. It corresponds to the zodiacal sign of Scorpio, and approximately overlaps with the later half of November and first half of December in the Gregorian calendar.

Samvatsara (संवत्सर) is a Sanskrit term for a "year" in Vedic literature such as the Rigveda and other ancient texts. In the medieval era literature, a samvatsara refers to the "Jovian year", that is a year based on the relative position of the planet Jupiter, while the solar year is called varsha. A jovian year is not equal to a solar year based on the relative position of Earth and Sun.

Karkaṭa, also referred to as Karka or Karkatha, is a month in the Indian solar calendar. It corresponds to the zodiacal sign of Cancer, and overlaps approximately with the later half of July and early half of August in the Gregorian calendar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pana Sankranti</span> Odia new year

Pana Sankranti,, also known as Maha Bishuba Sankranti, is the traditional new year day festival of Odia people in Odisha, India. The festival occurs in the solar Odia calendar on the first day of the traditional solar month of Meṣa, hence equivalent lunar month Baisakha. This falls on the Purnimanta system of the Indian Hindu calendar. It therefore falls on 13/14 April every year on the Gregorian calendar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mesha (month)</span> Month in Indian lunisolar calendars

Meṣa, or Mesha (मेष), is a month in the Indian solar calendar. It corresponds to the zodiacal sign of Aries, and overlaps with about the second half of April and about the first half of May in the Gregorian calendar. Generally Mesha month starts on 13th or 14th of April, called as Mesha Sankranti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vṛṣabha</span> Month in Indian lunisolar calendars

Vṛṣabha, or Vrishabha, is a month in the Indian solar calendar. It corresponds to the zodiacal sign of Taurus, and overlaps with about the second half of May and about the first half of June in the Gregorian calendar. The first day of the month is called Vrishbha Sankranti, and it generally falls on May 14 or 15.

Siṃha is one of the twelve months in the Indian solar calendar.

Kanyā is one of the twelve months in the Indian solar calendar.

Tulā is one of the twelve months in the Indian solar calendar.

Mīna, or Meena, is a month in the Indian solar calendar. It corresponds to the zodiacal sign of Pisces, and overlaps with about the later half of March and about the early half of April in the Gregorian calendar. First day of the Meena month, called as Meena Sankranti generally falls on March 14.

Mithuna is a month in the Indian solar calendar. It corresponds to the zodiacal sign of Gemini, and overlaps with about the second half of June and about the first half of July in the Gregorian calendar.

Makara is a month in the Indian solar calendar. It corresponds to the zodiacal sign of Capricorn, and overlaps with about the later half of January and approximately early half of February in the Gregorian calendar.

Kumbha is a month in the Indian solar calendar. It corresponds to the zodiacal sign of Aquarius, and overlaps with about the second half of January and about the first half of February in the Gregorian calendar.

The traditional New Year in many South and Southeast Asian cultures is based on the sun's entry into the constellation Aries. In modern times, it is usually reckoned around 14 April.

References

  1. ↑ Robert Sewell; Śaṅkara Bālakr̥shṇa Dīkshita; Robert Schram (1996). Indian Calendar. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. pp. 31–32. ISBN   978-81-208-1207-9.
  2. 1 2 3 Robert Sewell; Śaṅkara Bālakr̥shṇa Dīkshita; Robert Schram (1996). Indian Calendar. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. pp. 29–35. ISBN   978-81-208-1207-9.
  3. ↑ K V Singh (2015). Hindu Rites and Rituals: Origins and Meanings. Penguin Books. p. 33. ISBN   978-93-85890-04-8.
  4. ↑ Glossary of Native, Foreign, and Anglicized Words Commonly Used in Ceylon in Official Correspondence and Other Documents. Asian Educational Services. 1996. pp. 66–67. ISBN   978-81-206-1202-0.
  5. ↑ K.R. Gupta; Amita Gupta (2006). Concise Encyclopaedia of India. Atlantic Publishers. p. 998. ISBN   978-81-269-0639-0.
  6. ↑ Christian Roy (2005). Traditional Festivals: A Multicultural Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. pp. 479–480. ISBN   978-1-57607-089-5.
  7. ↑ Mark Juergensmeyer; Wade Clark Roof (2011). Encyclopedia of Global Religion. SAGE Publications. p. 530. ISBN   978-1-4522-6656-5.
  8. ↑ Sankranti, Sanskrit English Dictionary, Koeln University, Germany
  9. ↑ Frank Parise (2002) The Book of Calendars
  10. ↑ L.D.S. Pillai (1996) Panchang and Horoscope
  11. ↑ Mark-Anthony Falzon (2004) Cosmopolitan Connections: The Sindhi Diaspora, 1860-2000
  12. ↑ Explore Kashmiri Pandits
  13. ↑ S. Balachandra Rao. Indian Astronomy: An Introduction
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