Samvat (calendar eras)

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Samvat is a term that refers to eras that are used in Indian calendars. They are:

  1. Vikrama Samvat
  2. Shaka Samvat
  3. Bangla Samvat
  4. Jaina Samvat (Mahavira Nirvana)

[edit] Conversion of current dates to these eras

Converting dates from the currently used Gregorian calendar to these eras involves the following simple corrections to be made to the Gregorian calendar year number:

  1. Vikrama: add 57 or 56
  2. Shaka: subtract 78 or 79
  3. Bangla: subtract 593 or 594
  4. Jaina (Mahavira Nirvana): add 527 or 526

From the above, use the first correction (i.e. 57 in the case of the Vikrama Samvat) if the date falls between the beginning of the Indian year and the end of the Western year, and the second correction (56 in the case of the Vikrama Samvat) if the date falls between the beginning of the Western year and the end of the Indian year.

[edit] The Kali "Samvat"

The Kali Era is not called a "Samvat" in common Indian usage, but since it's also an era, it might be useful to mention it here too. The Hindu calendar article has more information on the Kali Era. The conversion is given here:

  • Add 3101 or 3100 (using the same guidelines as above) to the Gregorian year to get the number of elapsed Kali years.
  • Add 3102 or 3101 to get the current Kali yuga number.
  • Remember that the former (of the above two) is the standard, as explained at the Hindu calendar article.