Samvatsara

The 60-year Samvatsara cycle (Brihaspati Samvatsara Chakra) is based on the orbital period of Jupiter (~11.86 years) combined with Saturn's (~29.46 years). Jupiter takes approximately 12 years to orbit the Sun, traversing one Rashi per year. The combination of Jupiter's 12-year cycle with the 5 revolutions it takes for both Jupiter and Saturn to return to approximately the same zodiacal positions yields a 60-year super-cycle (12 x 5 = 60). Each year in this cycle has a unique name, beginning with Prabhava. The current cycle is tracked from Vikari Samvatsara (2019-20), and the system has been in continuous use for millennia.