Punjabi calendar

Punjabi calendar for the year 1963 from Rawalpindi, Pakistan. This corresponds with the year 1382-83 of the Islamic era (hijri), as the calendar indicates.

The Punjabi calendar (Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਜੰਤਰੀ, پنجابی جنتری) is a luni-solar calendar used by the Punjabi people in Punjab, and around the world. Punjabi Muslims use the calendar for agricultural purpose as it corresponds well with the climate and seasons of Punjab while Hindus and Sikhs also use it for religious purposes.

Punjabi Hindus also use the Bikrami (Vikrami) calendar which is the basis of this calendar.[1][2] Sikhs followed the Bikrami calendar but since 2003 the Nanakshahi calendar, which uses the tropical years which keeps the calendar aligned with the western Gregorian calendar, has been used. The Nanakshahi calendar was adopted by the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee for Sikhs in 1999. The dates of festivals based on the Nanakshahi calendar are always fixed.

Punjabi Muslims also use the Hijri calendar alongside the Punjabi calendar for religious purposes.[3] Many festivals in Punjab, Pakistan are determined by the Punjabi calendar,[4] such as Muharram which is observed twice, once according to the Muslim year and again on the 10th of Harh/18th of Jeth.[5] The Punjabi calendar is the one the rural (agrarian) population follows in Pakistani Punjab.[6][note 1]

In Punjab though the solar calendar is generally followed, the lunar calendar used is purṇimānta, or calculated from the ending moment of the full moon: the beginning of the dark fortnight.[8][9] Chait is considered to be the first month of the lunar year.[10] The lunar year begins on Chet Sudi: the first day after the new moon in Chet.[11] This means that the first half of the purṇimānta month of Chaitra goes to the previous year, while the second half belongs to the new Lunar year.[9]

The Punjabi solar new year starts on the first of Vaisakh.[12] The day is considered from sunrise to next sunrise and for the first day of the solar months, the Orissa rule is observed: day 1 of the month occurs on the day of the transition of monthly constellations, or sangrānd in Punjabi.[13][14]

The traditional lunisolar Punjabi calendar uses the sidereal year. The Bikrami calendar days are based on the lunar phases called tithis, thus the festivals based on the lunar calendar fluctuate.


Months (Solar)

No. Name Gurmukhi Shahmukhi Western months Important days based on this calendar
1 Vaisakh ਵਿਸਾਖ وساکھ Mid April – Mid May Vaisakhi, Guru Har Rai Gurpurab, Guru Angad Gurpurab, Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurpurab, Guru Arjan Gurpurab
2 Jeth ਜੇਠ جیٹھ Mid May – Mid June Guru Amar Das Gurpurab
3 Harh ਹਾੜ੍ਹ ہاڑھ Mid June – Mid July Guru Hargobind Gurpurab
4 Sawan ਸਾਓਣ ساؤݨ Mid July – Mid August Guru Har Krishan Gurpurab, Urs of Waris Shah
5 Bhadon ਭਾਦੋਂ بھادوں Mid August – Mid September Guru Granth Sahib Parkash Purab
6 Assu ਅੱਸੂ اسو Mid September – Mid October Guru Ram Das Gurpurab
7 Kattak ਕੱਤਕ کتک Mid October – Mid November
8 Magghar ਮੱਘਰ مگھر Mid November – Mid December
9 Poh ਪੋਹ پوہ Mid December – Mid January Lohri
10 Magh ਮਾਘ ماگھ Mid January – Mid February Maghi
11 Phaggan ਫੱਗਣ پھگݨ Mid February – Mid March
12 Chet ਚੇਤ چیت Mid March – Mid April

Months (Lunisolar)

No. Name of Month Roman Punjabi Gurmukhi Punjabi Shahmukhi Western months Season Lunisolar festivals
1 Chet

(Chaitra)

ਚੇਤ چیت March-April Basant (Vasanta) Hola Mohalla, Chet Naurate, Ram Naumi
2 Vaisakh

(Vaisakha)

ਵੈਸਾਖ وساکھ April-May Basant

(Vasanta)

Akha Teej
3 Jeth

(Jyesththa)

ਜੇਠ جیٹھ May-June Garikham (Grishma)
4 Harh

(Ashadha)

ਹਾੜ ہاڑھ June-July Garikham (Grishma) Guru Punnia
5 Sawan

(Shravana)

ਸਾਵਣ ساؤݨ July-August Baras (Varsha) Hariyali Teej/Teeyan, Nag Panchami, Rakhri
6 Bhadon

(Bhadrapad)

ਭਾਦੋਂ بھادوں August-September Baras (Varsha) Janmashtami, Guga Naumi
7 Assu

(Ashvin)

ਅੱਸੂ اسو September-October Sard (Sharada) Shraadh, Naurate/Sanjhi, Dusshehra, Gadbade
8 Kattak

(Kartika)

ਕੱਤਕ کتک October-November Sard (Sharada) Karwa Chauth, Jhakria, Dhanteras, Choti Diwali, Diwali/Bandi Chhor Divas, Gowardhan/Bishkarma, Tikka, Kattak Punnia/Guru Nanak Gurpurab
9 Magghar

(Margshirsa)

ਮੱਘਰ مگھر November-December Himkar

(Hemanta)

10 Poh

(Pausha)

ਪੋਹ پوہ December-January Himkar

(Hemanta)

Guru Gobind Singh Gurpurab
11 Magh

(Magha)

ਮਾਘ ماگھ January-February Sisiar

(Shishira)

Sankat Chauth/Bhugga, Basant Panchami
12 Phaggan

(Phalguna)

ਫੱਗਣ پھگݨ February-March Sisiar

(Shishira)

Maha Shivratri, Choti Holi, Holi
inter. Adhik

(Adhika)

ਅਧਿਕ ماس varies varies

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The Punjabi periodicals published in Pakistan print Punjabi calendar figures.[7]

References

  1. ^ McLeod, W. H. (24 July 2009). The A to Z of Sikhism. Scarecrow Press. p. 143. ISBN 978-0-8108-6344-6. Until recently Sikhs followed the Sammat or Bikrami system like Hindus
  2. ^ Nesbitt, Eleanor M. (2016). Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. p. 122. ISBN 978-0-19-874557-0. Sikhs' religious calendar consists of annual gurpurabs (anniversaries of the Gurus) and melas (other festival celebrations). Until 2003, this calendar was based on the Hindus' Vikrami (in Punjabi, Bikrami) calendar.
  3. ^ Tej Bhatia (2013). Punjabi. Routledge. p. 210. ISBN 978-1-136-89460-2.
  4. ^ Pakistan Pictorial, Volume 10 (1986) Pakistan Publications
  5. ^ Jacobsen, Knut A. (ed) (2008) South Asian Religions on Display: Religious Processions in South Asia and in the Diaspora. Routledge  [1]
  6. ^ Mirzā, Shafqat Tanvīr (1992) Resistance Themes in Punjabi Literature. Sang-e-Meel Publications  s [2]
  7. ^ Organiser, Volume 46 (1994) Bharat Prakashan
  8. ^ Krishnamurthi Ramasubramanian, M. S. Sriram (2011) Tantrasaṅgraha of Nīlakaṇṭha Somayājī. Springer Science & Business Media [3]
  9. ^ a b S. Balachandra Rao (2000) Indian Astronomy: An Introduction. Universities Press [4]
  10. ^ Salvadori, Cynthia (1989) Through open doors: a view of Asian cultures in Kenya. Kenway Publications [5]
  11. ^ Singh, Gursharan (1996) Page 262 Punjab history conference. Punjabi University [6]
  12. ^ World Encyclopaedia of Interfaith Studies: World religions (2009) Jnanada Prakashan [7]
  13. ^ Dilagīra, Harajindara Siṅgha (1997) The Sikh Reference Book. Sikh Educational Trust for Sikh University Centre, Denmark [8]
  14. ^ Journal of Religious Studies, Volume 34 (2003) Punjabi University