Indian Epigraphy c15.t1.19

c15.t1.19

The dates in the earlier inscriptions generally do not give details enough for finding out their equivalents in known calendars. Mention of the week-day together with the name of the month or that of the month and the fortnight as well as of the year of an era with known epoch is very useful for this purpose. Such details are often found in later inscriptions. Gifts were generally made on auspicious occasions such as the eclipses of the sun and the moon, the full-moon and new-moon days, the sun's movement from the south to the north or vice versa, the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, the holy *tithis* and particular positions of the planets, etc., and these are often clearly indicated in the inscriptions recording royal grants. For the purpose of verification of dates, one requires to have some knowledge about the nature of the Indian years, months, etc. The beginning of the years, which were either solar or lunar, was counted variously from the months of Kārttika, Caitra, Āṣāḍha or Śrāvaṇa while the months were counted differently as solar or lunar.