For other uses see Ritu.
Ritu (Sanskrit: ऋतुः) is a season in the Hindu calendar, and there are six ritus (also transliterated rutu) or Indian seasons. The word is derived from the Vedic Sanskrit word Rtu, a fixed or appointed time, especially the proper time for sacrifice (yajna) or ritual in Vedic Religion; this in turn comes from the word Rta (ऋत), as used in Vedic Sanskrit literally means the "order or course of things".
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The following table gives an overview about the partition of the year in the traditional Indian calendar. ( Duration of seasons is different in south India where monsoon start early in June)
| No. | Ritu | Season | Hindu lunar months | Gregorian month | Characteristics | Seasonal festivals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vasant वसन्तः |
Spring | Chaitra and Vaisakha | ~ March 20 to May 20 | Temperature around 25-30 degrees; marriage season | Ugadi, Rama Navami, Vishu/Bihu/Baisakhi/Tamil Puthandu, Hanuman Jayanti |
| 2 | Grishma ग्रीष्मः |
Summer | Jyeshta and Aashaadha | ~ May 20 to July 20 | Very hot, up to 40 degrees temperature (But now it is going up to 45-50 degrees in some part); farmers gear up for rice planting; | Vat Pournima, Rath Yatra, Guru Purnima |
| 3 | Varsha वर्षाः |
Monsoon | Shraavana and Bhadrapada | ~ July 20 to September 20 | Very hot, very humid and heavy monsoon rains, | Raksha Bandhan, Krishna Janmaashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Onam, |
| 4 | Sharad शरत् |
Autumn | Ashwin and Kartika | ~ September 20 to November 20 | Mild temperatures; | Navaratri, Vijayadashami, Deepavali, Sharad Purnima, Kartik Poornima, |
| 5 | Hemant हेमन्त |
Pre-winter | Margashirsha (Agrahayana) and Pausha | ~ November 20 to January 20 | Very pleasant temperatures (20-25 degrees); farmers reap the rice; | Pancha Ganapati (mid-Winter celebration), Pongal, Sankranthi |
| 6 | Shishir शिशिर |
Winter | Magh and Phalguna | ~ January 20 to March 20 | Quite cold, but very pleasant during occasional sunshine; temperatures may go below 10 degrees. | Vasant panchami, Shivaratri, Holi, Shigmo, |
The seasons are described in literature such as the Sanskrit poem Ṛtusaṃhāra.