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The Saga of Lunar Calendar

With Ugadi soon approaching, we are to enter the Vrisha nama Samvatsara, which happens to be the 15th year in the cycle of 60 years. Sounding alien? Well, the saga goes like this –

As is well known, all the Hindu Festivals in Hyderabad are celebrated as per the Telugu Almanac, which follows the lunar cycles that are very much different from the regular solar time cycles that we are aware of. So, let us attempt to comprehend the saga of lunar time cycles…

As per the lunar calendar the time is computed in terms of -

  • Vighadiya = 6 times the time taken to flap the eyelid
  • Ghadiya = 60 vighadiyas
  • Jamu = 7 ½ Ghadiyas
  • Tithi=8 Jamus (equivalent to day)

And the whole time is categorised into four Yugas namely -

  • Satya Yuga or Krita Yuga with 17,28,000 years
  • Thretha Yuga with 12,96,000 years
  • Dwapara Yuga with 8,64,000 years
  • Kali Yuga with 4,32,000 years

This in fact is no new to us. They are nothing but the Golden Age, Silver Age, Copper Age and Iron Age - the four eras of major reference in those good old History lessons at School!

And as for the years there are 60 years named as

  1. Prabhava (1987)
  2. Vibhava (1988)
  3. Shukla (1989)
  4. Pramodoota (1990)
  5. Prajotpatti (1991)
  6. Angeerasa (1992)
  7. Sreemukha (1993)
  8. Bhava (1994)
  9. Yuva (1995)
  10. Dhata (1996)
  11. Eeswara (1997)
  12. Bahudhanya (1998)
  13. Pramadi (1999)
  14. Vikrama (2000)
  15. Vrusha (Vishu) (2001)
  16. Chitrabhanu (2002)
  17. Svabhanu (2003)
  18. Tarana (2004)
  19. Pardhiva (2005)
  20. Vyaya (2006)
  1. Sarvajittu (2007)
  2. Sarvadhari (2008)
  3. Virodhi (2009)
  4. Vikruti (2010)
  5. Khara (2011)
  6. Nandana (2012)
  7. Vijaya (2013)
  8. Jaya (2014)
  9. Manmadha (2015)
  10. Durmukhi (2016)
  11. Hevilambi (2017)
  12. Vilambi (2018)
  13. Vikari (2019)
  14. Sharvari (2020)
  15. Plava (2021)
  16. Shubhakrutu (2022)
  17. Shobhakrutu (2023)
  18. Krodhi (2024)
  19. Vishvaavasu (2025)
  20. Parabhava (2026)
  1. Plavanga (2027)
  2. Keelaka (2028)
  3. Soumya (2029)
  4. Sadharana (2030)
  5. Virodhikrutu (2031)
  6. Pareedhavi (2032)
  7. Pramadeecha (2033)
  8. Ananda (2034)
  9. Rakshasa (2035)
  10. Nala (naLa) (2036)
  11. Pingala (2037)
  12. KaLayukti (2038)
  13. Siddhartha (2039)
  14. Raudri (2040)
  15. Durmati (2041)
  16. Dundubhi (2042)
  17. Rudhirodgari (2043)
  18. Raktakshi (2044)
  19. Krodhana (2045)
  20. Kshaya (2046)

And the cycle starts all over again. So also would the Eras. But it is so believed that the cycle ends with a catastrophe and then begins the Satya Yuga all afresh!

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