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๐ฌ Think about it
Why does Diwali fall on a different date each year, but Makar Sankranti is almost always 14 January? The answer is in the sky — which calendar a festival follows. Let's connect festivals to the heavens.
Why do most Indian festivals fall on different dates each year?
- Many festivals are tied to the phases of the Moon.
- So they follow lunar or luni-solar calendars.
- Diwali falls on the new Moon of Kartika; Holi on the full Moon of Phalguna.
- These shift in the Gregorian calendar from year to year.
Example:
Eid-ul-Fitr is set by sighting the crescent Moon, so it moves through the Gregorian months over years.
Lunar / luni-solar festivals
Solar (sidereal) festivals
Tied to the Moon's phases.
Tied to the Sun's position.
Dates shift in the Gregorian calendar.
Fall on nearly the same date each year.
Example: Diwali, Holi, Eid-ul-Fitr.
Example: Makar Sankranti, Pongal.
๐ก A step further
- Festivals like Makar Sankranti and Pongal follow a solar sidereal calendar.
- They happen on almost the same Gregorian date each year.
- Their dates slowly shift due to a slow wobble of the Earth's axis.
- Makar Sankranti moves ahead by one day every 71 years.
๐ก Ever heard of ...
- Festival dates depend on the exact lunar phase at sunrise.
- Sunrise differs across India, so dates can shift by a day between regions.
- The Positional Astronomy Centre publishes the Rashtriya panchang.
- It gives advance dates of festivals for the whole country.
๐ก Ever heard of ...
- The Moon has inspired ragas like Chandrakauns in Indian music.
- Dance mudras like Chandrakala relate to the Moon.
- Folk paintings like Madhubani and Warli depict the Moon and Sun.
- This shows the sky's importance in daily life and art.
Important Points
- Moon-based festivals shift in the Gregorian calendar each year.
- Solar festivals fall on nearly the same date yearly.
- Luni-solar festivals shift only by less than a month.
Important Definitions
- Lunar festival — a festival fixed by the Moon's phase, so its Gregorian date changes each year.
- Solar (sidereal) festival — a festival tied to the Sun's position, falling on nearly the same date yearly.
๐ NCERT Question 2 — Amol was born on
Amol was born on a full Moon day. Does his birthday fall on a full Moon every year?
View Answer →
๐ NCERT Question 8 — A total of 37
Show that of 37 full Moons in 3 years, at least two fall in the same calendar month.
View Answer →
