What is Vikram Samvat?

A lunisolar calendar era traditionally said to begin in 57 BCE, widely used across North and West India, printed on most Hindu calendars (Panchangs) alongside the Gregorian date.

What is Shaka Samvat?

India's official civil calendar era, reformed in 1957 to align with the Gregorian calendar's leap-year structure — its new year (1 Chaitra) falls on a fixed Gregorian date (21 or 22 March) every year, unlike Vikram Samvat's lunisolar new year.

What is the Kali Yuga year?

A traditional cosmological year count per the Surya Siddhanta, said to have begun in 3102 BCE — see the dedicated Kali Yuga Calculator for its full context.

Why does the month calculation use the Sun's position instead of the Moon's Nakshatra?

A solar-position-based rule stays unambiguous in a year with an Adhik Maas (intercalary leap month, like 2026), where a Nakshatra-based naming scheme can otherwise assign the same name to two different lunar months in the same year.

Does this account for Adhik Maas (leap month) years?

Yes — because the month is derived from the Sun's actual computed position rather than a fixed calendar rule, an Adhik Maas year doesn't need special-case handling; the underlying Tithi and Rashi calculations remain accurate.

Is this exact to the minute, like a printed Panchang?

No — this uses a fixed midday reference instant rather than the exact moment of each Tithi/month transition, so a date very close to a transition boundary can occasionally differ by a day from a printed Panchang. For religious observance, confirm with a local Panchang or temple.

Does this work for dates before 1900 or far in the future?

The underlying astronomical model (astronomy-engine, VSOP87-based) is accurate across a very wide historical and future date range, but the Lahiri ayanamsa approximation used here is a linear model most accurate near the present era.

All tools

Hindu Tools

Hindu Calendar Converter

Gregorian date to Vikram Samvat, Shaka Samvat, and lunar month (Amanta & Purnimanta).

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Last reviewed 2026-09-07

About the Hindu Calendar Converter

Converts a Gregorian date to its Hindu lunar month (both Amanta and Purnimanta conventions), Vikram Samvat year, Shaka Samvat year, and Kali Yuga year.

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How to use it

Enter a Gregorian date.
Read the lunar month and Tithi under both the Purnimanta (North Indian) and Amanta (South/West Indian) conventions.
Read the corresponding Vikram Samvat, Shaka Samvat, and Kali Yuga years.

Formula

The lunar month is derived from the Sun's sidereal Rashi (zodiac position, Lahiri ayanamsa) at the given date, using the classical Rashi-to-month correspondence (Mesha=Chaitra, Vrishabha=Vaishakha, ... Meena=Phalguna) — a solar-position-based rule that stays correct even in a year with an Adhik Maas (intercalary leap month), unlike a Nakshatra-of-Purnima naming scheme. Vikram Samvat and Kali Yuga years both change at Chaitra Shukla Pratipada (found via the same Tithi search used elsewhere on this site); Shaka Samvat changes at a fixed Gregorian date (21 or 22 March) per its 1957 civil-calendar reform.

Worked example

4 September 2026 converts to Purnimanta Bhadrapada Krishna Ashtami / Amanta Shravana Krishna Ashtami, Vikram Samvat 2083, Shaka Samvat 1948, Kali Yuga 5128.

Solar Rashi to lunar month (Amanta)

Solar Rashi to lunar month (Amanta)
Sun's Rashi	Lunar month
Mesha (Aries)	Chaitra
Vrishabha (Taurus)	Vaishakha
Mithuna (Gemini)	Jyeshtha
Karka (Cancer)	Ashadha
Simha (Leo)	Shravana
Kanya (Virgo)	Bhadrapada
Tula (Libra)	Ashwin
Vrishchika (Scorpio)	Kartik
Dhanu (Sagittarius)	Margashirsha
Makara (Capricorn)	Pausha
Kumbha (Aquarius)	Magha
Meena (Pisces)	Phalguna

Interpreting your result

Amanta and Purnimanta genuinely name the same calendar day differently depending on regional convention — not an error. All calculated at a fixed India Standard Time midday reference, independent of your own location, since these are national calendar conventions.

Recommendations

• Vikram Samvat is the era most commonly printed on North Indian calendars and used in everyday reference; Shaka Samvat is India's official civil calendar era used in government publications.

Frequently asked questions

Amanta months end at Amavasya (new moon) and are used in South/West India; Purnimanta months end at Purnima (full moon) and are used in North India. During Krishna Paksha (the waning half), the two conventions are exactly one lunar month apart; during Shukla Paksha they agree.