(By Dr. Sundeep Kochar)
Every year people feel festivals are either ‘early’ or ‘late’ compared to the English (Gregorian) calendar. The truth is, festivals in India do not follow the solar calendar that most of us use in daily life. Instead, they are based on the Hindu lunar calendar, which is aligned with the movement of the moon.
ALSO READ: When Is Dussehra In 2025? Know Date, Auspicious Timing For Ravan Dahan, And More
Why Dates Shift Each Year?
The lunar year has about 354 days, while the solar year has 365 days. This creates a gap of around 10 to 11 days each year. As a result, when we compare festival dates with the English calendar, they seem to arrive earlier every year by about a week and a half. Over a few years, this difference keeps accumulating.
Balancing The Years
To balance out, the Hindu calendar introduces what we call adhik maas, an extra month that is added roughly every three years. This helps synchronise the lunar calendar with the solar year, ensuring festivals do not drift too far away from their seasonal timing. For example, festivals like Diwali or Holi always remain connected with their seasonal context, even if their Gregorian dates shift.
Why Are Festivals Coming Early This Year?
This year, because of the way the lunar phases and planetary alignments have fallen, festivals appear to be arriving ‘early’ according to the Gregorian calendar. But in reality, they are right on time according to the lunar calendar, which is what matters traditionally.
This also explains why sometimes in the same season, we feel that festivities are bunched closer together, while in other years, they may appear more spread out. The calendar adjustments, such as adhik maas or the absence of it in a given year, are what create this variation.
So, when people say festivals are coming earlier this year, it is only a comparison with the English dates we are accustomed to. In truth, our festivals remain perfectly aligned with the cosmic order as per the lunar calendar.
Dr. Sundeep Kochar is the Celebrity Astrologer, Motivational Speaker, and Life Coach.
[Disclaimer: The content of this article is based solely on beliefs, and should be taken as general guidance. Individual experiences may vary. ABPLive.com does not assert the accuracy or validity of any claims or information presented. It is strongly recommended to consult a qualified expert before considering or implementing any information or belief discussed herein.]
