Sanket Sangwikar
I still vividly remember my days in seventh grade, when I would spend my weekends attending lectures on astronomy and mathematics, purely out of passion. One particular lecture remains etched in my mind: a renowned professor described how ancient cultures learnt to read the skies and track the stars. He highlighted the Hindu calendar system – dating back at least 5000 years – and explained how perfectly it aligns with modern astronomical calculations.
This very system, he noted, helped shape the cycles of 12 months, 24-hour days and seven-day weeks that structure our lives. His words ignited a spark within me that has illuminated my journey ever since.
As I grew older, I realised that many of us follow traditions tied to this calendar without fully grasping the mathematics underpinning them. In my home, as in countless others, every Hindu festival and ritual was governed by this lunar calendar – one that consistently maintained 12 months.
Over time, I learnt to read this calendar myself, beginning to understand the positions of the stars and planets, and appreciating how cosmic patterns are woven into the fabric of our daily lives.
The Hindu community has just finished celebrating the month-long Adhika Māsa, which began on May 17. Adhika Māsa literally translates to a “leap month” in the Hindu calendar system. Occurring once every three years, it has always stood out to me as a powerful symbol of the relevance of my faith in modern scientific life.
Because the Adhika Māsa system relies on a 354-day lunar year, it falls roughly 11 days behind the 365-day solar year annually. To correct this, the system introduces Adhika Māsa every three years, accumulating those missing days into an extra month. Conceptually, it functions like the Gregorian leap day on February 29, yet this mathematical system significantly predates Julius Caesar’s leap year.
Adhika Māsa acts as a bridge, ensuring lunar festivals always align with their correct solar seasons and spiritual traditions. As a transitional period, most Hindus hold it in the utmost spiritual significance.
My grandfather used to say this is a time to elevate our spiritual practice – a window to ask profound questions, such as who am I, and why have I been placed in this form, in this world.
Every Adhika Māsa, I commit to an additional daily spiritual discipline for the duration of the month. People often ask me what kind of discipline one should undertake during this month. To that, I usually reply: any worship dedicated to Lord Vishnu – the sustaining, uplifting power of this universe. It must be entirely selfless, performed not for material gain, but purely for spiritual growth.
When I pray or chant a mantra, I do not ask the divine for anything for myself. Instead, I pray to elevate everyone’s spiritual awareness and to bring peace to their hearts and their relationships. This year, we chanted over 700 mantras from the Rig-veda – one of the oldest continuous scriptures known to humanity – the vibrations of which are said to cultivate deep inner peace.
The traditions that Hindus observe during Adhika Māsa shape both the individual and the collective human spirit, calling us to recognise our profound interconnectedness. In a world that is so often divided, these traditions invite reflection, peace and a deep respect for our shared humanity and diversity.
The wisdom of these ancient practices offers a timeless blueprint for meeting modern challenges with unity. As we end Adhika Māsa, I wish everyone a joyful time filled with greater understanding, shared purpose and lasting harmony.
Sanket Sangwikar is a counsellor of Hindu tradition, an expositor of Vedic philosophy, and a Hindu priest. He works with the Hindu Council of Australia on interfaith collaborative initiatives for peace and harmony.
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