CalendarwiseAbout the Indian National calendar
The Indian National calendar, also called the Saka calendar, is the official civil calendar of India, adopted in 1957. It counts years from the Saka era, which began in 78 CE, and has 12 months that start with Chaitra. Chaitra begins on 22 March, or 21 March in a leap year. Chaitra has 30 days (31 in a leap year), the next five months have 31 days, and the last six have 30. Leap years match the Gregorian leap years.
It is not the Hindu religious calendar. Festival dates such as Diwali follow lunisolar calendars. The full converter also shows the Hindu (Vikram Samvat) date for reference.
Common questions
How do I convert a Gregorian date to the Indian National calendar?
Choose the date in the Gregorian box. The Indian National card shows the day, month and Saka year.
What is today’s date in the Indian National calendar?
It is shown in the line at the top of the converter and updates each day.
Is the Indian National calendar the same as the Hindu calendar?
No. It is a civil solar calendar with fixed month lengths. The Hindu calendar is lunisolar and sets religious festivals.
When does the Saka year start?
On 22 March, or 21 March in a Gregorian leap year, which is 1 Chaitra.