Intercalary Month

The Hindu ritual year is largely based on
a lunar calendar, whose twelve lunar
months are finished in about 354 solar
days (as opposed to our 365-day calendar). This disparity with the solar calendar means that each lunar year begins
eleven days earlier than the previous
304
Inscriptions
Inscription of the edicts of Ashoka.
lunar year. The discrepancy meant
that the two calendars would increasingly diverge, such that (for example)
“spring” festivals could occur at any
time of the year.
It has been resolved by the addition
of an intercalary month about every
21⁄2 years—more precisely, every thirtytwo months, sixteen days, one hour
and twenty-six minutes. This intercalary
month can take place during any of
the year’s twelve lunar months and
takes the name of the regular lunar
month preceding it.
As an unusual phenomenon, the
extra month is generally seen as a ritually
dangerous time, and one of its common
epithets is the “impure month” (malamasa). During this month it is believed
that one should not initiate any new
projects, or perform any religious ceremonies whose timing is fluid and can be
postponed, particularly marriages.
Worship is highly encouraged during
this time and keeping religious fasts and
giving charity (dana) are also thought to
be highly efficacious.
All of these are means of countering
the inauspiciousness of this calendrical
time—fasts and worship are ways to
gain divine favor and protection, while
charity acts as a channel to remove any
potential bad fortune, by transferring it
to the recipient.
When this extra month comes in the
lunar month of Ashadh, it is called
Purushottama Mas, and especially
marked by the devotees (bhakta) of the
god Vishnu as a time for worship and
other spiritual exercises.