Book of Indian Eras, with Tables for Calculating Indian Dates c32.1

c32.1

The *Chandra-Mâna*, or luni-solar calendar of the Hindus, is a much more elaborate system of reckoning. The object of the *Chandra-Mâna* is to combine the solar and lunar reckonings, so that the years may be reckoned by the course of the sun, while the months are regulated by the revolutions of the moon. For this purpose a cycle of 19 solar years was adopted, as being equal, or nearly so, to 235 lunations or revolutions of the moon of 29·5306 days. The periods do not quite tally, as 19 solar years are equal to 6939·9163 days according to Varâha Mihira, and 6939·9149 days according to Aryabhatta, while 235 lunations are equivalent to only 6939·6910 days. The difference is nearly one-fourth of a day in 19 years.