The Indian national calendar was adopted on 22 March 1957 (1 Chaitra 1879 Saka) on the recommendation of the Calendar Reform Committee. It is used, alongside the Gregorian calendar, in the Gazette of India, All India Radio news and government communications.
Its year starts on 22 March, or 21 March in a Gregorian leap year. Chaitra has 30 days (31 in a leap year), Vaishakha to Bhadra 31, and Ashvin to Phalguna 30; years are counted in the Saka era, 78 years behind the Common Era.
Not the religious calendars
Hindu festivals such as Diwali and Holi follow traditional lunisolar calendars (Vikram Samvat, Shalivahana Shaka and regional ones), whose months begin at the new or full moon. Those are different from the national calendar shown here. Dates come from your browser's calendar data (Unicode CLDR / ICU).
Questions
Good to know
What is today's date in the Indian national calendar?
In India it is 26 Asvina 1948 Śaka (Sunday, 18 October 2026).
When does the Saka year begin?
On 1 Chaitra: 22 March, or 21 March in Gregorian leap years. The next one is Monday, 22 March 2027.
How do I convert a Gregorian year to the Saka era?
Subtract 78 from the Gregorian year for dates from 22 March (21 March in leap years) to 31 December, and 79 for dates from 1 January to the day before 1 Chaitra.
Is the national calendar used for festivals?
No. Religious festivals follow traditional lunisolar calendars, which differ by region; the national calendar is a civil calendar with fixed month lengths.