The Indian calendar is huge as it offers you several mega festivals that are celebrated in India. Needless to say, India is a country of joy where all of the festivals are celebrated with great enthusiasm and delight.
The Indian calendar, also known as the Shaka calendar, is completely dependent on the lunisolar system which is completely different from the English calendar.
Like other calendar systems, the Indian calendar follows the same 12 months 365 days rule, but it differs from the English calendar as the names of the months are different from the English calendar.
The maiden month of the Indian calendar is Chaitra whereas the last month is referred to as Phalguna.
Indian Festival Calendar 2022
Origin of Indian Calendar
Indian national calendar is also known as the Shalivahana Shaka calendar primarily used for providing information about all the Hindu festivals performed by the native citizens.
In the 1950s, the Calendar Reform Committee performed a survey and found that some 30 distinct calendars were being used to determine Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain holidays.
Indian Festival Calendar 2022
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By doing proper research, they concluded that these calendars were purely based on principles set by ancient customs and astronomical practices.
On the other hand, Indian Muslims used the Islamic calendar while the Indian government used the Gregorian calendar for official purposes. After the calendar reform of 1957 C.E., a defined and organized lunisolar calendar that matched Gregorian calendar leap years was established as the National Calendar of India.
Despite several attempts to make a unified platform, there are still local variations. However, the Government still uses the Gregorian calendar for administrative purposes while holidays are observed according to the regional, ethnic, and religious beliefs of the common Hindu people.
On an upfront, Indian astrologers use Panchang to fix the wedding date and offer an auspicious Muhurat when horoscope matching is completed.
Structure of an Indian Festival Calendar 2022
The Shaka calendar is completely based on the Luni-solar system and comprises 12 months and 365 days. The very first month of the Shaka calendar is Chaitra and the last month is Phalguna.
The names of the month as per the Indian Solar Calendar is as follows:
- Chaitra
- Vaishaka
- Jyestha
- Ashadh
- Shravan
- Bhadrapad
- Ashwin
- Karthikeya
- Agrahanaya
- Pausha
- Magha
- Phalguna
The National Calendar is an improved version of the Hindu calendar still used by Indian Solar Calendars. The civil day and Saka era remain the fundamental units. Instead of the conventional Sidereal or Nirayana year, it is organized to match with the Tropical or Sayana year.
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It is found that the religious holidays are still based on a lunisolar calendar that acknowledges specific positions of the Moon and Sun.
While certain festivals and holidays fall on solar tithis, most do on the mentioned lunar tithi (date).
When making predictions in Vedic astrology or calculating Muhurat, festivals, and other events, the lunar calendar is seen as the key component.
Planet Sun also has its significance. The apparent location of the planet Sun in the cosmos is described by a solar calendar.
The Gregorian Calendar is one such illustration; it is accepted as the standard tool and is used on a global scale. According to astrology, a solar month is a period when the Sun’s longitude increases by 30 degrees, corresponding to its transit through each zodiac sign.
Types of Indian Calendar Affiliated in India
The Solar Calendar
As the name suggests, the solar calendar follows the movement of the Sun and is based on the motion of the Sun for 365 days. Indian solar calendars are popular among the citizens and hence used in the states like Bengal, Haryana, Punjab, Assam, Tripura, Kerala, Punjab, Orissa, Tamil Nadu etc.
The Lunar Calendars
Lunar calendars work on the motion of the Moon during the monthly phases. The Lunar calendars are different from the Solar calendars and their outcomes aren’t related to the motion of the Sun.
One such example of a lunar-only calendar is the Islamic Hejira calendar. There are 12 months in all, with 2 months corresponding to the interval between each new moon. The length of a lunar month is roughly 29.5 days.
The Lunisolar Calendar
The lunisolar calendar follows the yearly movement of the Sun and the monthly phases of the Moon.
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The Lunisolar Calendars are mainly used by Jews, and Babylonian. It is also used in some states of India like Andra Pardesh, Gujrat, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Kashmir, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Table of Indian Solar Calendar
| Sr. No | Indian Religious Calendar | Approx. Greg. Date |
| 1 | Chaitra | Mar.14 |
| 2 | Vaishakha | Apr.13 |
| 3 | Jyeshta | May 14 |
| 4 | Asadha | June 14 |
| 5 | Sravana | July 16 |
| 6 | Bhadrapada | Aug.16 |
| 7 | Ashwina | Sept.16 |
| 8 | Karthika | Oct.17 |
| 9 | Margashira | Nov.16 |
| 10 | Pausha | Dec.15 |
| 11 | Magha | Jan.14 |
| 12 | Phalguna | Feb.12 |
January 2022 Festival List
| January 2022 | Festivals |
| 1, Saturday | New Year |
| 13, Thursday | Lohri |
| 14, Friday | Pongal, Uttarayan, Makar Sankrnati |
| 23, Sunday | Subhash Chandra Bose Jayanti |
| 26, Wednesday | Republic Day |
February 2022 Festival List
| February 2022 | Festivals |
| 5, Saturday | Basant Panchami, Saraswati Pooja |
March 2022 Festival List
| March 2022 | Festivals |
| 1, Tuesday | Maha Shiv Ratri |
| 17, Thursday | Holika Dahan |
| 18, Friday | Holi |
April 2022 Festival List
| April 2022 | Festivals |
| 1, Friday | Bank’s Holiday |
| 2, Saturday | Chaitra Navratri, Ugadi, Gudi Padwa |
| 3, Sunday | Cheti Chand |
| 10, Sunday | Ram Navami |
| 11, Monday | Chaitra Navratri |
| 14, Thursday | Baisakhi, Ambedkar Jayanti |
| 16, Saturday | Hanuman Jayanti |
May 2022 Festival List
| May 2022 | Festivals |
| 3, Tuesday | Akshaya Tritiya |
July 2022 Festival List
| July 2022 | Festivals |
| 1, Friday | Jagannath Rath Yatra |
| 10, Sunday | Aashadhi Ekadashi |
| 13, Wednesday | Guru Poornima |
| 31, Sunday | Hariyali Teej |
August 2022 Festival List
| August 2022 | Festivals |
| 2, Tuesday | Nagpanchami |
| 11, Thursday | Raksha Bandhan |
| 14, Sunday | Kajari Teej |
| 15, Monday | Independence Day |
| 19, Friday | Janmashtami |
| 30, Tuesday | Hartalika Teej |
| 31, Wednesday | Ganesh Chaturthi |
September 2022 Festival List
| September 2022 | Festivals |
| 8, Thursday | Onam |
| 9, Friday | Anant Chaturdashi |
| 26, Monday | Sharad Navratri |
October 2022 Festival List
| October 2022 | Festivals |
| 2, Sunday | Gandhi Jayanti |
| 3, Monday | Durga Puja Ashtami |
| 4, Tuesday | Durga Maha Navami pooja |
| 5, Wednesday | Dussehra |
| 13, Thursday | Karwa Chauth |
| 23, Sunday | Dhan teras |
| 24, Monday | Diwali, Narak Chaturdashi |
| 26, Wednesday | Bhai Dooj, Govardhan Pooja |
| 30, Sunday | Chhath Pooja |
November 2022 Festival List
| November 2022 | Festivals |
| 14, Monday | Children’s Day |
December 2022 Festival List
| December 2022 | Festivals |
| 25, Sunday | Christmas Celebrations/ Merry Christmas |
