Culture Plus Adhik Maas in Hindu calendar
July 15, 2025
  • Read Ecopy
  • Circulation
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Organiser
  • ‌
  • Bharat
    • Assam
    • Bihar
    • Chhattisgarh
    • Jharkhand
    • Maharashtra
    • View All States
  • World
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • North America
    • South America
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Global Commons
  • Editorial
  • International
  • Opinion
  • Op Sindoor
  • More
    • Analysis
    • Sports
    • Defence
    • RSS in News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Culture
    • Special Report
    • Sci & Tech
    • Entertainment
    • G20
    • Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav
    • Vocal4Local
    • Web Stories
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Books
    • Interviews
    • Travel
    • Law
    • Health
    • Obituary
    • Podcast
MAGAZINE
  • ‌
  • Bharat
    • Assam
    • Bihar
    • Chhattisgarh
    • Jharkhand
    • Maharashtra
    • View All States
  • World
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • North America
    • South America
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Global Commons
  • Editorial
  • International
  • Opinion
  • Op Sindoor
  • More
    • Analysis
    • Sports
    • Defence
    • RSS in News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Culture
    • Special Report
    • Sci & Tech
    • Entertainment
    • G20
    • Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav
    • Vocal4Local
    • Web Stories
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Books
    • Interviews
    • Travel
    • Law
    • Health
    • Obituary
    • Podcast
Organiser
  • Home
  • Bharat
  • World
  • Operation Sindoor
  • Editorial
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Culture
  • Defence
  • International Edition
  • RSS in News
  • Magazine
  • Read Ecopy
Home General

Culture Plus Adhik Maas in Hindu calendar

by Archive Manager
May 9, 2010, 12:00 am IST
in General
FacebookTwitterWhatsAppTelegramEmail

CURRENTLY, from April 15 to May 13, 2010 the extra month named Adhik Vaishakh has commenced and nij (normal) Vaishakh would later follow on May 14.

Lunar Solar based Hindu calendar system normally consists of 12 months. But it will have 13 months for every third year with extra month to be called Adhik, Mal or Purushottam Maas. For rare occasions it may have Kshaya (lost) month.

This foolproof calendar system has been in existence since ancient Vedic times. It has undergone certain variations due to regionalisation but the system is faultless and is inherited from Jyotish Vedanga (14th century BC). It has been standardised subsequently in Surya Siddhant by astronomers Aryabhatta (5th century), Varahmihira (6th century) and Bhaskara (12th century).

Once, Lord Narayana was immersed in meditation. Sage Narada interrupted and asked him about the reason of the extra month. The Lord replied, the 12 months complained to him that they are loaded with many sins done by the people and it has become unbearable to them. Since then Lord created the extra month (Mal Maas) to help share their one third load.

But it just happened that the people didn’t perform religious ceremonies during this intercalary month. Hence the Mal Maas itself lodged a protest with Sri Krishna about this humiliation. Sri Krishna therefore became kind enough to declare that Mal Maas is a Purushottam Maas and if anyone carries out any vrata or worship during the period it will satisfy Sri Krishna and the worship holder will achieve all kinds of happiness of healthy life, wealth and their descendents will be meritorious. The qualities of Purushottam are excellently explained in Bhagvat Gita chapter 15.

Hindu calendar system has five important parts named Panchang consisting of tithi, vasara, nakshatra, yog and karana.

Tithi duration is anticlockwise angular distance between the sun and moon as measured from the earth along the ecliptic (surveyor’s horizon). The lunar-based month is divided into 30 tithis of 120 each and the time taken by the moon for moving the angular distance is the duration of the tithi. The month has two pakshas (fortnights) shuddha or shukla (bright fortnight) and krishna or vadya (dark fortnight). The tithi names are in Sanskrit: pratipada, dwitiya, up to purnima or amavasya. The tithi in which the moon is located at the time of sunrise is to be tithi of the day.

Vasara or vara is the day of the week: ravivara up to shanivara (Sunday to Saturday). These names are brought out from that of the celestial bodies: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn.

Nakshatras are the lunar houses or asterisms. The ecliptic is divided into 27 parts or co-ordinate axes naming ashvini, bharani up to revati. The starting nakshatra ashvini or mesha rashi is the point on the ecliptic opposite to the star chitra and the others are followed eastward accordingly. The rashis mesha up to meen (zodiac Aries to Pisces) are also axes of reference for locating celestial bodies appearing in ecliptic. One rashi is equivalent to 2.25 nakshatras. The nakshatra in which the moon located at the sunrise time is the nakshatra of the day.

Yog of any object in the sky is the sum of the longitudes (angular distance measured from mesha) of the Sun and the Moon. The yog that is active at the sunrise time is the yog for the day.

Karana is half of tithi distance. The karana active during the sunrise time is the karana of the day.

Months of the system: When a new moon occurs before sunrise on a day, the day is reckoned as the first day of the lunar month. The month may have 29 or 30 days. Sometimes two successive days have the same tithi or sometimes a day may jump into the next tithi because earlier tithi may have missed the sunrise. Normally the Sun transits one rashi for any month during the lunar year and in such cases the year has 12 months named as chaitra, vaishakh up to falgun.

Extra Month: When the sun doesn’t transit into any rashi, the month is considered as an extra or adhik and is named according to the upcoming transit. Such phenomena occurs every third year and that year will have 13 months. The Adhik Maas is generally out of chaitra to kartik and falgun.

Lost Month: When the sun transits two rashis during a particular month, it is labelled as kshaya (lost) month and will be named along with two separate months just as kartika-Margashirsha Kshaya Maas. Kshaya maas is out of Kartik, Margashirsha, and Pausha only. The lost month phenomena takes place rarely and there may be two Adhik Maasas before and after Kshaya Maas.

Although usual religious functions are not held during the Adhik Maas but it is considered important for a very special ritualistic donation.

During the month, 33 Anarse (sweet porous pancakes) are filled in a box of copper or pewter and wrapped seven times with a cotton thread, offered to the son-in-law or to any honourable.

A religious book on Lord Narayana is to be repeatedly perused during the month and offered to any ascetic or to any religious eminent institute at the end of the month.

Thus one shouldn’t miss such grandeur opportunity to acquire Punya (merits) during the Purushottam Maas.

(The author is a former ‘Project Management Consultant’ for local and abroad civil construction activities. He can be contacted at ’11, Sameepan, Bamanwada, Sahar, Vile Parle (E), Mumbai 400 099’, E-mail: ar.railkar@gmail.com.)

ShareTweetSendShareSend
✮ Subscribe Organiser YouTube Channel. ✮
✮ Join Organiser's WhatsApp channel for Nationalist views beyond the news. ✮
Previous News

The Moving Finger Writes Revolution : An outdated concept

Next News

Media Watch IPL and twitter make a mucky mix

Related News

Legendary Marathoner Fauja Singh dies at 114 in tragic road accident

“Turbaned Tornado” Fauja Singh, world’s oldest marathoner passes away at 114 in a road accident

Golden temple gets bomb threat email

Bomb Threat Email Targets Golden Temple: Punjab Police steps up security, launches probe

Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Ayush, Government of India addressing the gathering at the  inauguration ceremony of Shalyacon 2025

AIIA Hosts National Shalya Tantra Conference; Highlights integrative Ayurvedic surgery

International Day of Population: Addressing global issues and demographic shifts

Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressing the gathering on the occasion of Bharat Vikas Parishad foundation day

Bharat Vikas Parishad Foundation Day: Amit Shah hails BVP for national service and embodying ideals of Vivekananda

Andhra Pradesh: Senior TDP leader Ashok Gajapathi Raju named Governor of Goa

Load More

Comments

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Organiser. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.

Latest News

Legendary Marathoner Fauja Singh dies at 114 in tragic road accident

“Turbaned Tornado” Fauja Singh, world’s oldest marathoner passes away at 114 in a road accident

Golden temple gets bomb threat email

Bomb Threat Email Targets Golden Temple: Punjab Police steps up security, launches probe

Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Ayush, Government of India addressing the gathering at the  inauguration ceremony of Shalyacon 2025

AIIA Hosts National Shalya Tantra Conference; Highlights integrative Ayurvedic surgery

International Day of Population: Addressing global issues and demographic shifts

Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressing the gathering on the occasion of Bharat Vikas Parishad foundation day

Bharat Vikas Parishad Foundation Day: Amit Shah hails BVP for national service and embodying ideals of Vivekananda

Andhra Pradesh: Senior TDP leader Ashok Gajapathi Raju named Governor of Goa

Viksit Gaon for Viksit Bharat: Modi Govt's Rural Blueprint

Viksit Gaon, Viksit Bharat: Modi govt’s rural blueprint to empower villages by 2047

Church built by Christian Missionaries on an encroached hill in Thiruvannamalai

17 Church-linked institutions continue squatting on temple lands despite court orders to vacate

Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, courtesy: getty images

Bihar voter list revision: “ECI is doing a good job,” says Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi 

Democracy: A test for the West

  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Cookie Policy
  • Refund and Cancellation
  • Delivery and Shipping

© Bharat Prakashan (Delhi) Limited.
Tech-enabled by Ananthapuri Technologies

  • Home
  • Search Organiser
  • Bharat
    • Assam
    • Bihar
    • Chhattisgarh
    • Jharkhand
    • Maharashtra
    • View All States
  • World
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • North America
    • South America
    • Europe
    • Australia
    • Global Commons
  • Editorial
  • Operation Sindoor
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Defence
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Business
  • RSS in News
  • Entertainment
  • More ..
    • Sci & Tech
    • Vocal4Local
    • Special Report
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Books
    • Interviews
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Politics
    • Law
    • Economy
    • Obituary
    • Podcast
  • Subscribe Magazine
  • Read Ecopy
  • Advertise
  • Circulation
  • Careers
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Policies & Terms
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Refund and Cancellation
    • Terms of Use

© Bharat Prakashan (Delhi) Limited.
Tech-enabled by Ananthapuri Technologies