குஜராத்தி நாட்காட்டி (விக்கிரம் சம்வத்)

The Vikram Samvat (VS) is one of the oldest calendar eras in continuous use, traditionally dated to 57 BCE and attributed to the legendary King Vikramaditya of Ujjain. The era runs 57 years ahead of the Common Era (CE): to calculate the current Vikram Samvat year in the Gujarati system, add 57 to the current CE year (after Diwali) or 56 (before Diwali, since the Gujarati VS year begins in Kartik). Thus, from Bestu Varas in November 2026, the Gujarati Vikram Samvat year is 2083, and it runs until Diwali 2027. The Gujarati variant of the Vikram Samvat is distinctive in two key ways. First, it uses the Amanta (Amant) month-ending system where each month concludes on Amavasya (New Moon), in contrast to the Purnimanta system used in North India (UP, Bihar, Rajasthan) where months end on Purnima (Full Moon). Second, and most importantly, the Gujarati Vikram Samvat year begins in Kartik — the day after Diwali — rather than in Chaitra (March/April) as in the North Indian Vikram Samvat. This means that for about six months (Kartik to Chaitra), the Gujarati VS year number is one ahead of the North Indian VS year. The Vikram Samvat is used not only in Gujarat but also by Jains throughout India (who follow the same Kartik-start convention), and by Hindu communities in Nepal (which uses a Chaitra-start variant as its official calendar). The era's longevity — over 2,080 years of unbroken use — makes it one of the most enduring calendar systems in human history.

The Gujarati Panchang is built on the Vikram Samvat — by some measures the most widely consulted Hindu calendar era in continuous use. The era runs roughly 56 years and 8 months ahead of the Gregorian calendar; Vikram Samvat 2083 begins on 9 November 2026 at Bestu Varas, while Vikram Samvat 2082 (the current lunar year) includes an Adhika Jyeshtha intercalary month.

The popular origin story attributes the era to King Vikramaditya of Ujjain, who legend says inaugurated it after defeating the Shakas. The historical record is more nuanced. The name “Vikram Samvat” does not appear in historical records before the 9th century CE. Earlier inscriptions called it “Kṛṭa,” “Kritaa,” or “the era of the Malava tribe.” The earliest inscription using “Vikrama” dates to 842 CE; the literary association with Vikramaditya appears around 993–994 CE. Modern scholarship considers Vikramaditya a “legendary composite figure.”

Why does Gujarat begin its new year on Kartik Shukla Pratipada (the day after Diwali)? Gujarat distinctly observes “Varsha Pratipada or Bestu Varas” as New Year, falling on the first day of the bright fortnight of Kartik. This is unique to Gujarat — the rest of North India that uses Vikram Samvat (Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal) begins the year on Chaitra Shukla 1 (March/April). The Gujarati exception reflects the mercantile tradition: Gujarati Bania and Jain trading communities historically closed their account books on Diwali (laying Lakshmi to rest with the year’s profits) and opened fresh ledgers on the morning after — Bestu Varas.

Within Gujarat, the Vikram Samvat itself runs in the Amanta system — months end at the new moon (Amavasya). The northern Vikram Samvat (Rajasthan, Punjab) runs Purnimanta — months end at the full moon (Purnima). The consequence is that for the dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha) only, a Gujarati panchang will assign a different month name than a Rajasthani one. Shukla Paksha months (where most festivals fall) align in both systems.

Pushti Marga (Vallabha Sampradaya) founded by Vallabhacharya (1479–1531) — though Vallabha himself was Telugu, his sampradaya took deep root in Gujarat — produces its own annual panchang focused on Krishna-bhakti seasonal observance.

Sankheda Panchang and Surat Panchang publishers are the historical authorities for Gujarat-region almanac compilation. These traditional publishers compute longitudes against Ahmedabad / Vadodara reference latitudes (approximately 23°N) and observe the Amanta convention. Modern keepers include the panchang section of the Kapadia Samaj almanac (Surat tradition), the Bhuj-based Kutchi panchang for the Kutch region, and several Jain panchanga publishers (notably from the Tapagachha lineage).

The Saurashtra calendar is a sub-tradition that observes additional regional festivals: Tarnetar Fair (Bhadrapad Shukla 3, near Surendranagar), Madhavpur Fair (Chaitra Shukla 9, Madhavpur Ghed, marking Krishna–Rukmini wedding), and Lili Parikrama of Girnar (Kartik Purnima).

The Gujarati calendar's roots extend over two millennia to the founding of the Vikram Samvat era in 57 BCE. Gujarat's adoption of the Kartik-start variant reflects a deeply pragmatic cultural choice: the post-Diwali new year aligns with the beginning of the agricultural resting period after the Kharif harvest and the start of the winter trading season. For Gujarat's historically powerful merchant communities — the Vaishya Vanias, Lohanas, Patels, and Jains — this timing was commercially significant. The new financial year opening with Chopda Pujan and Bestu Varas meant that account reconciliation, debt settlement, and new credit arrangements all happened during the festive period, binding commerce and celebration together in a way unique to Gujarati culture.

The Gujarati Panchang (almanac) has been an indispensable part of household and business life for centuries. Published annually by traditional jyotish scholars and panchang houses, these almanacs contain far more than festival dates — they include daily tithi, nakshatra, yoga, and karana calculations; planetary positions and transits; agricultural planting guides keyed to lunar phases; commodity price forecasts (a tradition particularly cherished by Gujarat's trading communities); auspicious muhurtas for weddings, house-warming (griha pravesh), vehicle purchases, and new business ventures; and detailed interpretations of the Samvatsara (year) name and its predicted effects. The Gujarati diaspora — one of the largest Indian communities abroad, with significant populations in East Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia — continues to follow the Vikram Samvat calendar for all religious and cultural observances, maintaining an unbroken connection to their ancestral timekeeping tradition.

The Jain community, which has deep historical ties to Gujarat, follows the same Kartik-start Vikram Samvat system. Mahavir Jayanti, Paryushana, and Diwali (marking Mahavira's Nirvana) are all determined by this shared calendar, making the Gujarati Vikram Samvat a truly interfaith institution. The calendar's intercalary month (Adhika Masa, also called Purushottam Mas) — added approximately every 33 months — is considered inauspicious for major ceremonies like weddings but is prized for extra spiritual practices, fasting, and charitable acts.