Ugadi: Encyclopedia II - Ugadi - The Lunar Almanac of the Deccan

Ugadi - The Lunar Almanac of the Deccan

The festival marks the new year day for people who follow the southern Indian lunar calendar, pervasively adhered to in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. This calendar reckons dates based on the Salivahana era (Salivahana Saka), which begins its count from the supposed date of the founding of the Empire by the legendary hero Salivahana. This Empire is generally accepted as being that of the "Rashtrakutas", also known as the "Andhra Dynasty". The Salivahana era begins its count of years from the year corrosponding to 78 AD of the Gregorian calendar. Thus, the year 2000 AD corrosponds to the year 922 of the Salivahana Era.

In the terminology used by this lunar calendar,Ugadi falls on Chaitra Sudhdha Paadyami or the first day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Chaitra. This generally falls in the months of March or April of the Gregorian calendar.

A different calendar, the South Indian Solar calendar is followed by the people of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The new year celebrated by adherents of that solar calendar does not fall on the same day as Ugadi.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "The Lunar Almanac of the Deccan", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki