Kanyā is one of the twelve months in the
Indian solar calendar.
Kanya corresponds to the zodiacal sign of
Virgo
Virgo may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Virgo (film), a 1970 Egyptian film
* Virgo (character), several Marvel Comics characters
* Virgo Asmita, a character in the manga ''Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas''
* ''Virgo'' (album), by Virgo Four, ...
, and overlaps with about the second half of September and about the first half of October in the
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...
.
In Vedic texts, the Kanya month is called Nabhasya (IAST: Nabhasya), but in these ancient texts it has no zodiacal associations.
The solar month of Kanya overlaps with its lunar month
Ashvin, in Hindu lunisolar calendars.
[ It marks the start of harvests and festival season across the Indian subcontinent. It is preceded by the solar month of Siṃha, and followed by the solar month of Tulā.][
The Kanya month is called ''Purattasi'' in the Tamil Hindu calendar.] The ancient and medieval era Sanskrit texts of India vary in their calculations about the duration of Kanya, just like they do with other months. For example, the ''Surya Siddhanta'', dated to , calculates the duration of Kanya to be 30 days, 10 hours, 35 minutes and 36 seconds.[ In contrast, the ''Arya Siddhanta'' calculates the duration of the Kanya month to be 30 days, 10 hours, 57 minutes and 36 seconds.]
The Indian solar month names are significant in epigraphical studies of South Asia. For example, ''Kanya'' month, along with other solar months, are found inscribed in medieval era Hindu temples.
Kanya is also an astrological sign in Indian horoscope systems, corresponding to Virgo (astrology).
Kanya is also the twentieth month in the Darian calendar for the planet Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...
, when the Sun traverses the eastern part of the constellation Virgo as seen from Mars.
References
Hindu solar months
{{Hinduism-stub