Chaitra (Chaitra Maas) 2018
The first month of the Hindu new year — Chaitra Navratri, Gudi Padwa/Ugadi and Ram Navami.
Chaitra (Chaitra Maas) 2018 Dates
The significance of Chaitra — Goddess Durga & Lord Rama
Chaitra opens the Hindu lunar year. Its bright first day is the new year across much of India — Gudi Padwa, Ugadi, Cheti Chand — and its first nine days are Chaitra (Vasanta) Navratri, ending in Rama's birth at Ram Navami. It is a spring month of beginnings: the neem-and-jaggery of Ugadi tasting the year's bitter and sweet together.
Rituals of Chaitra
- Chaitra Navratri — nine days of Durga worship and fasting
- Ghatasthapana and the sowing of barley
- Gudi Padwa / Ugadi / Cheti Chand new-year rites
- Ram Navami — the midday birth of Rama
- Hanuman Jayanti on the Purnima
- Neem-and-jaggery on the new-year morning
Key days in Chaitra 2018
Festivals in Chaitra 2018
Monthly vrats 2018
Chaitra 2018 — Frequently Asked Questions
When does Chaitra Maas 2018 start?
In North India (Purnimanta calendar) Chaitra runs from Saturday, 3 March 2018 to Saturday, 31 March 2018. In Amanta-calendar regions it runs Sunday, 18 March 2018 to Monday, 16 April 2018.
Why do Chaitra dates differ in North and South India?
Because the two regions follow different lunar calendars. In the Purnimanta calendar (North India) a month ends on the Purnima, so it starts about 15 days earlier than in Amanta. In the Amanta calendar (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu) the month runs new-moon to new-moon.
Which deity is Chaitra 2018 dedicated to?
Chaitra opens the Hindu lunar year. Its bright first day is the new year across much of India — Gudi Padwa, Ugadi, Cheti Chand — and its first nine days are Chaitra (Vasanta) Navratri, ending in Rama's birth at Ram Navami. It is a spring month of beginnings: the neem-and-jaggery of Ugadi tasting the year's bitter and sweet together.
Is Chaitra 2018 an Adhik Maas?
No. Chaitra 2018 is a normal 29-day month.