Start with three separate questions
An era answers “which year?”, a month system tells you where its boundaries fall, and a tithi names a lunar interval within a fortnight. “Samvat 2083” supplies only the first part. A usable date also needs the month, fortnight and tithi, with the regional convention that joins them.
| Calendar | Year boundary | Month basis | Open tool |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Indian Vikram | Chaitra new year in spring | Purnimanta lunar months | Hindi / English Samvat |
| Gujarati Vikram | Kartika new year after Diwali | Amanta lunar months | Gujarati convention |
| Deccan lunar Shaka | Chaitra new year in spring | Amanta lunar months | Amanta convention |
| National Saka | 21 or 22 March | Solar months with fixed day lengths | National Saka converter |
Why the month name can differ
Amanta months end at the new moon. Purnimanta months end at the full moon. In an ordinary waxing fortnight, the two labels usually agree. In the following waning fortnight, Purnimanta advances to the next month name while Amanta keeps the preceding one.
For example, a waning Kartika reading in North India can be waning Ashwin in an Amanta almanac. The Moon has not changed position between the two readings; the month’s naming boundary has changed. The 8 November 2026 example lets you switch the convention on one Modern Calendar / Gregorian day.
The twelve lunar month names
| English name | हिन्दी | Broad seasonal correspondence |
|---|---|---|
| Chaitra | चैत्र | March–April |
| Vaishakha | वैशाख | April–May |
| Jyeshtha | ज्येष्ठ | May–June |
| Ashadha | आषाढ़ | June–July |
| Shravana | श्रावण | July–August |
| Bhadrapada | भाद्रपद | August–September |
| Ashwin | आश्विन | September–October |
| Kartika | कार्तिक | October–November |
| Margashirsha | मार्गशीर्ष | November–December |
| Pausha | पौष | December–January |
| Magha | माघ | January–February |
| Phalguna | फाल्गुन | February–March |
The seasonal column is an orientation, not a fixed conversion table. Lunar boundaries move across Modern Calendar / Gregorian dates and an extra month can shift the correspondence.
Adhika months and the year offset
Twelve lunar months are shorter than a solar year. An intercalary month keeps the lunar sequence aligned with the seasons. In 2026, Adhika Jyeshtha occurs before regular Jyeshtha. A reverse lookup therefore needs to distinguish those two occurrences.
Adding 57 to a Modern Calendar / Gregorian year works for North Indian Vikram only after that year’s Chaitra boundary. Before it, the offset is 56. Gujarati Vikram changes later, around its Kartika new year. National Saka similarly uses an offset of 78 after its March boundary and 79 before it.
IMD: calendar systems and astronomical definitions
Vikram Samvat 2083: a worked year
North Indian Samvat 2083 covers 19 March 2026 to 6 April 2027. Gujarati Samvat 2083 begins on 10 November 2026. Compare the year boundaries, Hindi month intervals and day readings in the Vikram Samvat 2083 calendar · 2026–2027.