The Concept of Adhika Masam in Hindu Lunar Calendar

What is Adhika Masa? What is the Significance of Adhik Masa? What are the other names for this month? What are the activities that should be performed in this month? What are the rituals that are considered inauspicious? What are the dates of Adhik Masa in 2015? If you are looking for this information then read on!
Adhika masam literally means ‘additional month’.  Adhik Masa is an additional month that appears in the Hindu Lunar calendar that is based on the cycles of the Moon. So a year with an adhika masam will have 13 months instead of the normal 12 months. In other words, Adhika is the Lunar month with no Sun transit or Sankramana. The adhika masam occurs in the Lunar Calendar due to the difference in the total days of the year accumulated over time in comparison with the Solar Calendar. To be precise, a lunar year is approximately 354.37 days while a Solar year is 365 days (or 366 days in leap years). So there is a difference of around 11 days between the lunar and solar year. This difference in days over a period of around 3 Solar Years adds up to a month resulting in an additional month. In order to make the Solar and Lunar calendars similar an extra month is added to the Lunar Calender as and when the difference adds up to one month. An Adhika Masa is said to occur after every 32 months, 16 days and 8 Ghadis where a Ghadi refers to 24 minutes. For instance, in the year 2015, Hindu lunar calender has an adhik masam (17th June 2015 to 16th July 2015).  Adhika Masa also means some change in the temple celebrations in the States that the lunar calendars like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat. In Assam, Bengal, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu Solar Calendar are followed so there is no Adhika Masam.
The governing lord of this month is Lord Maha Vishnu who is also known by the name Purushottama.  So this month is also known as Purushottama Maasa, Performing worship Lakshmi-Narayan Puja, Chanting the Vishnu sahasranama and Lord Vishnu mantras are recommended during this month. Another name is Mala Maasa which means inauspicious month. During Adhik masa devotees indulge in fasting, mantra chants, visiting holy places, scriptural reading etc. Fasts kept during this period is said to be equivalent to performing a hundred yagnas and helps to eliminate sins during past life and present life. One may keep partial or complete fasting as desired. However, it is important to maintain cleanliness of mind and body, observe celibacy, abstain from non-vegetarian foods and material comforts, keep away from bad habits etc. It is very important to follow all rituals of the Adhik Maas Vrat with full faith and devotion to reap the full benefits. Adhika Maasa is not considered auspicious for performing certain rituals. These include Marriage, House warming,House Construction, Mundan Ceremony, Shashti Poorthi, Upanayana, Devatha Prathista, buying material possessions like house, vehicles, jewelry etc.
Charity also plays a very important role in Adhik Maas. Give away what you can to the needy without expecting anything in return. Providing food and clothes to the needy also helps to reduce the malefic effects of the Navagrahas. However, don’t do charity because you need to or want to show off how good you are to the world but do it because you genuinely want to help someone in need.

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I am a Social Media Consultant and Freelance Writer who like to share my knowledge through writing. I am not a Saffron clad individual or a religious fanatic who talks on Hinduism. I would like to introduce myself as someone who has tremendous respect for all the good things in all religions and cultures. I can talk of Islam and Christianity as much as I can talk about Hinduism.