How to use the indian national (saka) calendar converter
- Choose Gregorian to Saka or Saka to Gregorian.
- Pick the Gregorian date, or enter the Saka year, month and day.
- Read the converted date, the month length and the day of the year.
- Check the table for the date on which that Saka year began and whether it is a leap year.
Formula
Saka year = Gregorian year - 78 from the new year onward, one less before it
New year = 22 March, or 21 March in a leap year
Leap year: Saka year + 78 is a Gregorian leap year
Month 1 has 30 days (31 in a leap year), months 2 to 6 have 31, months 7 to 12 have 30
The twelve months are Chaitra, Vaisakha, Jyaistha, Asadha, Sravana, Bhadra, Asvina, Kartika, Agrahayana, Pausa, Magha and Phalguna.
Chaitra 1 in 2026
The Saka year 1948 begins on 22 March 2026, so that day is 1 Chaitra 1948. The year 2024 is a leap year (1946 + 78 = 2024), so Saka 1946 begins a day earlier, on 21 March 2024.
The 18th of October 2026 is the 211th day of Saka 1948. Chaitra has 30 days and the five months after it have 31 days each, so Asvina begins on 23 September and 18 October is 26 Asvina 1948.
The calendar and its adoption
The Indian National Calendar, also called the Saka calendar, was adopted by the Government of India in 1957 after a committee of astronomers proposed a reform. It uses the Saka era, which counts from 78 CE, and aligns its months with the seasons through a fixed rule that matches the Gregorian calendar. That makes conversion a matter of arithmetic with no astronomy.
The calendar is used for some official purposes alongside the Gregorian calendar, such as dating the Gazette of India and some radio broadcasts. Most daily life in India still uses the Gregorian calendar and the regional religious calendars.
What this tool does not cover
Many Indian calendars exist, such as the Vikram Samvat, the Tamil, Bengali and Malayalam solar calendars and the lunisolar calendars used for festivals. They share some month names but follow different rules, so do not use this tool to find a festival date.
The fixed rule here is applied for any date from the year 79 on. Dates before 1957 follow the same rule extended backward, so they are not dates anyone used under this calendar at the time.
Assumptions and limits
- The Saka year starts on 22 March, or 21 March in a leap year, as in the reformed calendar.
- Dates before the 1957 reform use the same rule extended backward.
- Month names are in common transliteration, and other spellings exist.
- Nothing is uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find the Saka year quickly?
Subtract 78 from the Gregorian year if the date is on or after 22 March (21 March in a leap year), and 79 before that.
Why is Chaitra 31 days in a leap year?
The extra day keeps the new year aligned with the Gregorian leap day in the same year.
Is this the same as the Hindu calendar?
No. The traditional Hindu calendars follow the sun and moon by observation or tables. This is a fixed arithmetic calendar.
Does it give the weekday?
The table shows the Gregorian weekday of the date so that you can place it in a normal week.