Solar New Year is the beginning of the year which is ensued by the 12 other months. A solar calendar is nothing but a calendar that works around the position of earth while its revolution around the earth.

The most popular example of a solar calendar is the Gregorian calendar.

The period of time that Earth takes to make a complete round around the sun is 365 days, 5 hours and 48 minutes.

 

History behind the solar calendar

It was the sophisticated Egyptians who brainstormed a solar calendar, consisting of 12 months and 365 days, the months having 30 days each. But unfortunately they were unable to justify the extra 5 months and added it to the end of the year which made the functionalities difficult. Julius Caesar in 45 BC tried implementing the Julian calendar, however that too failed.  In 1582 Pope Gregory xiii rectified the same and initiated the Gregorian calendar by omitting leap years that coincided with the centurial years that could not be divided by 400.

 

The Solar Calendar

The solar calendar begins with vernal equinox around the 21st of March. The 12 months corresponds with the sun going in the signs of the individual zodiac or rashis. The rashis are as follows –

  • Myesha or the Ram
  • Brisha or the Bull
  • Mithun or the twins
  • Karkata or the Crab
  • Simha or the Lion
  • Kanya or the Maiden
  • Tula or the scales
  • Brischika or the scorpion
  • Dhanu or the bow
  • Makar or the Crab
  • Kumbha or the Pot
  • Meena or the Fish

New Year according to the Gregorian Solar Calendar

According to the Gregorian calendar, which is a sun based or solar calendar, the New Year falls on the 1 st of January every year. People all over the worlds spend and celebrate this day amidst a lot of pomp and festivities to wish that the entire year to follow suit.

 

The celebration in various regions

The solar New Year is celebrated in various regions like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Bihar and Assam. The festivities all mark the movement of the Sun from the Meena Rashi to the Mesha Rashi. In Bihar this festivity is called Satuan, in Uttarakhand this is celebrated as Bikhoti Festival, in Kerala it is called the Vishu, in Assam this is known as the Bohag or the Rongili Bihu, Vaisakhi is what is celebrated in Punjab, in Odisha this is called Paana sankranti, in Tamil Nadu this is known as Puthandu and in West Bengal this festival is called the Poila Baisakh.

 

Co-relation between Solar and Lunisolar calendar

Traditional Hindu calendar is basically lunisolar. The first month of this lunisolar Hindu calendar corresponds with the solar month of Myesha, which begins on the 12th of April according to the Gregorian calendar. This New Year day is known as the Baisakhi and is also celebrated with much fanfare in various states.