About the Vikram Samvat era
Vikram Samvat is one of two main calendar eras used in India (the other being Shaka Samvat, the official national calendar). It begins from 57 BCE, traditionally attributed to King Vikramaditya of Ujjain after his victory over the Sakas. It is the official calendar of Nepal and is widely used for religious and cultural purposes in Northern India, including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.
Today (April 2026) the Vikram Samvat year is 2083. The new year in 2026 fell on March 20, 2026 (Chaitra Shukla 1, also known as Chaitra Sukladi or Gudi Padwa / Ugadi in regional usage).
The 12 Hindu lunar months
| # | Sanskrit | Devanagari | Gregorian span (approx) | Ritu (season) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chaitra | चैत्र | Mar – Apr | Vasant (spring) |
| 2 | Vaisakha | वैशाख | Apr – May | Vasant (spring) |
| 3 | Jyaishtha | ज्येष्ठ | May – Jun | Grishma (summer) |
| 4 | Ashadha | आषाढ़ | Jun – Jul | Grishma (summer) |
| 5 | Shravana | श्रावण | Jul – Aug | Varsha (monsoon) |
| 6 | Bhadrapada | भाद्रपद | Aug – Sep | Varsha (monsoon) |
| 7 | Ashvina | आश्विन | Sep – Oct | Sharad (autumn) |
| 8 | Kartika | कार्तिक | Oct – Nov | Sharad (autumn) |
| 9 | Margashirsha | मार्गशीर्ष | Nov – Dec | Hemant (pre-winter) |
| 10 | Pausha | पौष | Dec – Jan | Hemant (pre-winter) |
| 11 | Magha | माघ | Jan – Feb | Shishir (winter) |
| 12 | Phalguna | फाल्गुन | Feb – Mar | Shishir (winter) |
Two new-year conventions
India has historically had multiple new-year traditions; this converter supports the two most common:
- Chaitradi (lunar) — North India and Nepal. New year begins on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada (1st day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra), typically in late March or early April. This is the most widely used form.
- Mesh Sankranti (solar) — Used in some southern and eastern traditions and matches the start of the solar Hindu year (~14 April). Common in Bengal (as Pohela Boishakh), Tamil Nadu (Puthandu), Punjab (Vaisakhi), and Kerala (Vishu).
FAQ
How is Vikram Samvat different from Shaka Samvat?
Both are Hindu eras, but they have different epochs. Shaka Samvat starts in 78 CE (so Shaka year = Gregorian − 78), while Vikram Samvat starts in 57 BCE (so VS = Gregorian + 57). Shaka Samvat is the official Indian national calendar (used in the Government of India Gazette); Vikram Samvat is more common in religious and traditional contexts.
Why is the lunar month sometimes ambiguous?
The Hindu lunar calendar runs about 354 days vs the 365-day solar year. Roughly every 2.7 years a 13th month is added (an "adhik maas" or intercalary month) to keep the calendar aligned with seasons. The simplified converter here doesn't fully model adhik maas, so dates near month boundaries may be ±1 month from the published panchang.
Does this convert in the reverse direction (VS → Gregorian)?
Not yet — the current page is one-way. Reverse conversion (VS year + month + tithi → Gregorian date) is also possible but requires the full lunar-calendar model. For now, use the panchang lookup table from any standard reference.