Indian Epigraphy c15.t6.68

c15.t6.68

The Vikrama-saṃvat is believed to have started after year 3044 of the Kali era, so that Kali 3045=Vikrama 1. One gets the years of the Śaka and Christian eras by subtracting 135 and 57 or 56 respectively from the years of the Vikrama. The beginning of the Vikrama is counted from Caitra-śukla 1 in North India but from Kārttika-śukla 1 in South India. Thus the years of the era now start seven months earlier in the South than in the North, although in medieval times the years of the Vikrama were counted as beginning from Kārttika-śukla 1 also in North India.² In the North again the months are Pūrṇimānta and begin from badi 1 and end in sudi 15, while the months in the South are Amānta, i.e. they begin from sudi 1 and end in badi 15. Though the bright fortnight is the same in both the systems, the dark fortnight of a month in the northern system is counted in the previous month in the South. Thus the dark fortnight of Vaiśākha in the North is regarded in the South as the dark fortnight of Caitra. In some parts of the Rājasthānī- and Gujārātī-speaking areas, the beginning of the years of the Vikrama is counted from Amānta Āṣāḍha-sudi 1, while in the Udaipur region of Rajasthan it is counted from Pūrṇimānta Śrāvaṇa-badi 1.³ The years are thus variously called Caitrādi, Kārttikādi, Āṣāḍhādi and Śrāvaṇādi in accordance with their beginning in the months of Caitra, Kārttika, Āṣāḍha and Śrāvaṇa.