Vikram Samvat

Hindu calendar Vikram Samvat (IAST: Vikrama Saṁvat; abbr. VS; Sanskrit: विक्रमसंवत्) known as the Vikrami or Bikrami calendar, is a Hindu calendar historically used in the Indian subcontinent and still used in several Indian states and Nepal. It is a lunisolar calendar, using twelve lunar months and an intercalary month each sidereal year. The epoch of the Vikram Samvat calendar is the full moon or new moon of March or April (varies by culture), 57 BCE, so the year count of Vikram Samvat is usually 57 years ahead of the Gregorian calendar, except during the period from January to March/April, when it is ahead by 56 years. Vikram Samvat is an official calendar of Nepal, where the first month is Vaishakha and the last month is Chaitra. Unlike India, where it is used only for religious dates (with the first month starting with Chaitra), in Nepal the solar version of Vikram Samvat is a civil calendar for general usage. History A number of ancient and medieval inscriptions used the Vikram Samvat. Although it was reportedly named after the legendary king Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II), the term "Vikrama Samvat" does not appear in the historical record before the 9