Understanding Hindu Calendar. My dear chiranjeevis, by the time this issue of the bhavan’s journal reaches your hands i am certain you will be making elaborate preparations for celebrating the new year, yugadi or gudi padava as the maharashtrians and others call them here. A hindu festival marking the beginning of the hindu lunar calendar's first month.
Western christians, for example, all mark the birth of jesus christ as year zero, and any year before that is denoted as bce (before common era), while the years following are denoted ce. The months are further divided into two fortnights, or pakshas, each lasting approximately 15 days.