Chaitra
Template:Short description Template:For Template:Infobox month Template:Hinduism Chaitra (Template:Langx) is the first month of the Hindu lunar calendar and the Indian national calendar.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The name of the month is derived from the position of the Moon near the Chitra nakshatra (star) on the full moon day.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The month corresponds to spring (Vasanta) season and falls in March–April in the Gregorian calendar.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In the Hindu solar calendar, it corresponds to the last month of Mina and begins with the Sun's entry into Pisces.<ref name="Siddhantha">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It corresponds to Choitro, the last month in the Bengali calendar, and Chait, the last month in the Nepali calendar (Vikram Samvat).<ref name="Siddhantha"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the Tamil calendar, it corresponds to the third month of Chittirai, falling in the Gregorian months of April–May.<ref name="Siddhantha"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the Sindhi lunisolar calendar, the first month is referred to as Chet and is marked by the celebration of the Cheti Chand (birth of Jhulelal, an incarnation of Vishnu).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the Vaishnav calendar, it corresponds to the first month of Visnu.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the Hindu lunar calendar, each month has 29 or 30 days. The month begins on the next day after Amavasya (new moon) or Purnima (full moon) as per amanta and purnimanta systems respectively. A month consists of two cycles of 15 days each, Shukla Paksha (waning moon) and Krishna Paksha (waxing moon). Days in each cycle is labeled as a thithi, with each thithi repeating twice in a month.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Festivals
The first day of the month is celebrated as the Hindu New Year's Day, known as Gudi Padwa in Gujarat and Maharashtra,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Puthandu in Tamil Nadu,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Vishu in Kerala,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Ugadi in Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In West Bengal, Basanti Puja, Annapurna Puja, Ram Navami, Neel Puja, and Chorok Puja are held consecutively before the beginning of Bengali New Year on Poila Baishakh.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The month is also associated with the departure of spring.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Holi, the Hindu spring festival of colours, is celebrated on the full moon day (Purnima) of Phalguna, the month before Chaitra, exactly six days after which the Chaiti form of the Chhath festival is observed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ram Navami, which commemorates the birth of the Hindu god Rama, is celebrated on Navami (ninth lunar day) thithi of the Shukla Paksha (waning moon) of the month.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Hanuman Jayanti, dedicated to Hanuman, is observed on the Purnima day of the month.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Chitra Pournami is observed on the full moon day (Pournami) of the Tamil month of Chithirai (April–May) and is dedicated to Chitragupta, the divine accountant for Yama.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> People take a holy bath in rivers or temple tanks on this day to cleanse the sins of the past.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Other rituals include special pujas to Indra, offerings of rice, and Kavadi Attam dedicated to Murugan. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In lunar calendar, Chaitra begins with the new moon day and is the first month of the year. The first day of Chaitra is marked as the Chaitra Navaratri, the lunar new year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Navadurga (nine forms of the goddess Durga) starts from Chaitra Shukla Pratipada.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
According to Jain texts, Mahavira was born on the thirteenth day of the bright half of the moon in the month of Chaitra in 599 BCE (Chaitra Sud 13). Jains celebrate Mahavir Janma Kalyanak commemorating the same.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>