National Calendar of India - 22 March 1957

My Dear Indians,

On Holi we had talked about Vikram Samvat Panchang that started in 56 BC. This calendar is followed by Hindus across the world.

There is one more calendar that is followed in India which is called शक संवत. This calendar started in the year 78 CE during the time of Shalivahana (शालिवाहन ) rulers.

Today it is Gregorian Year 2022. As per शक संवत this is year 1944

Please note that शक संवत is a Solar Calendar unlike Vikram Samvat which is a Lunar calendar

The calendar consists of 365 days and 12 months like the normal Gregorian calendar.

65 years back on this day- 22 March 1957- शक संवत पंचांग was adopted as The National calendar of India.

शक संवत पंचांग is used along with Gregorian calendar for the official purposes like Gazette of India, News broadcast by All India Radio, Calendars issued by the Government of India, Government communications etc

You might have noticed stone plates installed outside Govt buildings which read like......

"इस भवन का शिलान्यास २२ मार्च २०२२ तदनुसार चैत्र कृष्णा पक्ष पंचमी १९४३ शक संवत को किया गया"

This is how Gregorian Calendar and Shak Samvat are used simultaneously by Govts in India

Vikram Samvat Panchang has always been followed by majority Indians but Govt of India in 1957 (under Nehru) adopted Shak Samvat as the National Calendar because it corresponds with the Gregorian calendar. Both calendars are Solar Calendars. Both have 365/ 366 days and 12 months.

BUT there is one BIG difference between Gregorian and Shak Samvat....Unlike Gregorian Calendar, Shak Samvat is a scientific calendar that is based on Geography.

There is no geographical/ scientific reason on why the Gregorian Year starts on 1 january but Shak Samvat starts on 21/ 22 March every year because this is the date of Vernal Equinox.

Equinox is the day on which the length of day and night is equal.

The Earth moves around the Sun is a closed path meaning there is no starting point and end point of this path. In such a case how do we determine the start of the year ?

Shak Samvat has adopted a scientific way. It treats Vernal Equinox as the starting point. However, Gregorian Calendar has arbitrarily assumed that the year starts on January 1 without any reference to geography.

This once again proves that INDIA has always been much ahead of rest the world.

Shak Samvat starts on 22 March. But when it is a leap year, it starts on 21 March.


Jai Hind !

Gaurav Negi


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