What is "chaitra"

n. (context Hinduism English) Name of the first month of the Hindu lunar calendar.

Chaitra is a month of the Hindu calendar.

In the standard Hindu calendar and India's national civil calendar, Chaitra is the first month of the year. It is the last month in the Bengali calendar, where it is called Choitro. Chaitra or Chait is also the last month in the Nepali calendar (the Vikram Samvat), where it commences in mid-March. Chithirai is the first month in the Tamil calendar. In the Vaishnava calendar, Vishnu governs this month.

In the more traditional reckoning, the first month commences in March or April of the Gregorian Calendar, depending upon whether the Purushottam Maas (extra month for alignment of lunar or solar calendar) was observed in the year. There is no fixed date in Gregorian calendar for 1st day of Chaitra, i.e., the beginning of the Hindu New Year.

Chaitra also known as Chait is the last (12th) month in the Bikram Sambat, the official Nepali calendar. This month coincides with March 15 to April 13 of the Western calendar and is 30 days long.

Important Events during this month:

• March 26: Chait 12, Chaite Dashain
• March 27: Chait 13, Ram Nawami

Chaitra is a short film by Kranti Kanade based on author G.A. Kulkarni's story of the same name. Kranti selected this story for his thesis short film towards completion of his degree in Direction from Film and Television Institute of India. The film went on to win three National Film Awards in 2002.