Chaitra

Month

Chaitra (Sanskrit: चैत्र, romanized: Caitra) is a month of the Hindu calendar. In the standard Hindu calendar and India's national civil calendar, Chaitra is the first month of the year. It is the last month in the Bengali calendar, where it is called Choitro. Chaitra or Chait is also the last month in the Nepali calendar (the Vikram Samvat), where it commences in mid-March. Chittirai is the first month in the Tamil calendar. In the Sindhi calendar, this month is referred to as Chet and is marked by the celebration of the Cheti Chand (birth of Jhulelal, an incarnation of Vishnu). In the Vaishnava calendar, Vishnu governs this month. In solar religious calendars Chaitra Begins with the Sun's Entry Into Pisces. In the more traditional reckoning, the first month commences in March or April of the Gregorian calendar, depending upon whether the adhika masa (extra month for alignment of lunar or solar calendar) was observed in the year. The first day of Chaitra is marked as the Hindu New Year. From Wikipedia