Here comes one of the most important topics: The Gujarati Calendar. Like, isn’t it essential to know the dates and months of the main events and cultural festivals of the society you’re exploring or living in?
In fact, if you’re planning to travel to India, it is recommended to know about it beforehand. In this way, you can plan your trip around the main festivals to learn more about the new culture closely. With this in mind, let’s explore what the Gujarati Calendar is and how many months it has. This will help us understand which festival falls in which month according to the traditional lunar cycle.
Let’s begin!
A Brief Introduction To The Gujarati Calendar
You know, the Gujarati Calendar is a lunisolar Hindu calendar that was and still is widely used in several Indian States. In this calendar, the moon’s position determines the dates, and the sun’s movement determines the seasons. And what’s more surprising is that the year count of the Gujarati Calendar is around 56-57 years ahead of the Gregorian Calendar.
It means that if the Gregorian Calendar year is 2025, the Gujarati Calendar year will be around 2081-2082. It’s because it follows the Vikram Samvat, Nepal’s official calendar, which began 57 years before the Gregorian Calendar. Interesting, right?
But there’s one more thing. As mentioned earlier, the difference in the year count between the Gregorian and Gujarati Calendar is 56-57 years. This variation occurs because the Gujarati New Year begins the day after Diwali, not on January 1st as in the Gregorian calendar.
So, the year count changes when the New Gujarati Year begins. Let’s look at an example:
Suppose today is 21st November 2025, and Diwali fell on 20th October. Since the Gujarati Calendar is 57 years ahead, the current Gujarati year is 2082 (2025 + 57).
However, from 1st January 2026 until the next Kartak month in October or November, the difference becomes 56 years. This happens because the Gregorian year changes on 1st January, while the Gujarati year changes only when Kartak begins. Until then, the Gujarati year remains 2082, creating the temporary 56-year gap.
How Many Months Are In The Gujarati Calendar?
In the Gujarati calendar, there are 12 lunar months in total. And as we have already learned, the Gujarati New Year falls in the Kartak month. So, let’s begin with that and explore exactly when each month falls. However, remember that it’s just an estimate, as the Gujarati months change each year according to both the Sun’s and the Moon’s movement.
| English | Gujarati | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| October-November | અશ્વિન-કાર્તિક | Ashwin-Kartak |
| November-December | માર્ગશિર્ષ | Margashirsha |
| December-January | પોષ | Paush |
| January-February | માઘ | Magh |
| February-March | ફાગણ | Fagan |
| March-April | ચૈત્ર | Chaitra |
| April-May | વૈશાખ | Vaishakh |
| May-June | જેઠ | Jeth |
| June-July | આસાડ | Ashadh |
| July-August | શ્રાવણ | Shravana |
| August-September | ભાદ્રપદ | Bhadrapad |
| September-October | અશ્વિન | Ashwin |
How Are The Seven Days Of The Week Pronounced In The Gujarati Calendar?
Let’s learn to pronounce the seven days of the week in Gujarati.
| English | Gujrati | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | સોમવાર | Somvaar |
| Tuesday | મંગળવાર | Mangalvaar |
| Wednesday | બુધવાર | Budhvaar |
| Thursday | ગુરુવાર | Guruvaar |
| Friday | શુક્રવાર | Shukaravaar |
| Saturday | શનિવાર | Shanivaar |
| Sunday | રવિવાર | Ravivaar |
Festivals Marked By The Gujarati Calendar
Now that we know the names of the Gujarati months, let’s look at which months the major Gujarati festivals fall in.
1. Navratri
Navratri is the most popular festival in Gujarat, celebrated twice a year. Its celebrations last for nine days. These two Navratri festivals are:
- Sharad Navratri is celebrated in September and October
- Chaitra Navratri is celebrated in March and April
2. Dussehra
It is another major Indian festival, celebrated on the 10th day of Navratri. It symbolizes the defeat of evil by Lord Ram.
3. Diwali
Diwali is celebrated in the last days of the Aaso month, 20 days after Dussehra. It also marks the end of the lunar year.
4. Gujarati New Year
It is celebrated on the first day of the Kartak month, which is the next day after Diwali.
5. Holi
The festival of colors, Holi, falls in the Phagan month, also called fagan.
6. Janmashtami
Gujaratis celebrate Janmashtami, the birth of Lord Krishna, in the Shravan month.
How To Say The Word ‘Calendar’ In The Gujarati Language?
The Gujarati word for calendar is kælendar (કૅલેન્ડર). It is the most commonly used word today. However, there’s another traditional word for Gujarati that is panchāng (પંચાંગ), which means a Hindu almanac.
Other Related Gujarati Vocabulary
It’s time to explore some more beginner-friendly Gujarati words related to the calendar.
| English | Gujrati | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Month | મહિનો | mahino |
| Week | સપ્તાહ | saptah |
| Day | દિવસ | divas |
| Date | તારીખ | taareekh |
| Year | વર્ષ | varsh |
| Festival | તહેવાર | tevar |
| New Year | નવું વર્ષ | navu varsh |
| Full Moon | પૂનમ | punam |
| No Moon | અમાસ | amaas |
| Sunset | સુર્યાસ્ત | suryaast |
| Sunrise | સુર્યોદય | suryoday |
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Practical Tips To Master The Gujarati Calendar Quickly
Here are some quick tips to help you learn and remember the names of all 12 Gujarati months quickly and efficiently:
- Start learning with the Festival names. It’s comparatively easier to remember dates by linking festivals to them, such as Navratri- first days of Aaso, Diwali- last days of Aaso, and Holi- in Phagan, etc.
- Compare the Gujarati months with the Gregorian months, as Kartak falls in Nov-Dec, Phagan in Feb-March, and so on. It provides a quick mental mapping.
- Practice daily. You can do this by converting today’s date into the Gujarati date and month. It will help you retain all the months of the Gujarati calendar thoroughly.
- Write the names that you’ve learned. Writing also improves memory retention.
- Remember, every month aligns around Diwali, which falls at the end of the Aaso month.
- You can also imagine the main story with each month for easy recall. For example: Krishna is born in Shravan, Firecrackers in Diwali, Holi in Phagan, and Chaitra is the month of Spring.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Gujarati Calendar
Why Does The Gujarati New Year Come After Diwali?
The primary reason the Gujarati New Year begins after Diwali is that it follows the lunisolar calendar, but there’s another important reason as well. For centuries, Hindu traders and businessmen used to close their old account books on Diwali and start new ones to mark a fresh beginning. This tradition is also known as Chopda Pujan, which means that after closing the old account books, they perform a puja (prayer) to seek forgiveness and prosperity in the coming year. Then they begin writing the new account book, which marks the start of the new Gujarati year.
How Are The Days Calculated In The Gujarati Calendar?
In the traditional Gujarati Calendar, the days are calculated according to tithis (lunar days), which depend on the distance between the sun and the moon. In other words, unlike the Gregorian calendar, in which the day changes at midnight, the Gujarati day changes when the longitudinal angle between the sun and the moon increases to 12°. For example, the first tithi begins when the angle is 12°, and the second tithi begins when the angle is 24°, and so on. So, the day duration in the Gujarati Calendar isn’t fixed. Note that the tithi also varies across geographic locations.
What Is The Difference Between The Gujarati Vikram Samvat And The Northern Indian Vikram Samvat Calendar Year?
The only difference between the Gujarati Vikram Samvat And The Northern Indian Vikram Samvat Calendar is that they start the new year in different months. That is:
1. In the Gujarati Vikram Samvat Calendar, the New Year starts after Diwali, in the month of Kartak. So, the year count usually changes in October or November.
2. According to the Northern Indian Vikram Samvat Calendar, the New Year begins in the month of Chaitra, the first day after the New Moon. So, the year count changes in March or April, a few months before the Gujarati calendar.
Wrapping Up Gujarati Calendar
So, what’s the crux? The lunisolar system, similar to the Vikram Samvat, determines the days and months of the Gujarati Calendar. It has 12 months, each with its own Gujarati name. The first day after Diwali marks the beginning of the New Year. Unlike the Gregorian system, the length of a day isn’t fixed; it can range from 16 to 26 hours, depending on when the sun and moon achieve a 12-degree angular separation.
That’s all. Just keep the tips mentioned above in mind. They will make it easier for you to learn the names of the months in the Gujarati Calendar.
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