Samvatsara
संवत्सरः
Instead of numbering years upward like 2026, 2027, 2028, the traditional lunar calendar gives each year its own name from a fixed cycle of 60 — Prabhava, Vibhava, Shukla, and so on — before looping back to the start. A Samvatsara year begins at Ugadi (the lunar new year, around March/April), not on January 1st.
This year's samvatsara
Vishvavasu
Why it matters
You'll hear a Samvatsara's name recited at the start of a sankalpam (a ritual statement of intent) in almost any Hindu pooja — it's how a ceremony fixes exactly which year it's taking place in, in a tradition that predates the Gregorian calendar entirely.
How it's calculated
The 60-year sequence itself never changes — only figuring out where 'today' falls in that cycle takes a reference point, since the cycle has been running continuously for a very long time.
60-year cycle
All 60, in order
- 1Prabhava
- 2Vibhava
- 3Shukla
- 4Pramoduta
- 5Prajotpatti
- 6Angirasa
- 7Shrimukha
- 8Bhava
- 9Yuva
- 10Dhata
- 11Ishvara
- 12Bahudhanya
- 13Pramathi
- 14Vikrama
- 15Vrisha
- 16Chitrabhanu
- 17Svabhanu
- 18Tarana
- 19Parthiva
- 20Vyaya
- 21Sarvajit
- 22Sarvadhari
- 23Virodhi
- 24Vikriti
- 25Khara
- 26Nandana
- 27Vijaya
- 28Jaya
- 29Manmatha
- 30Durmukhi
- 31Hevilambi
- 32Vilambi
- 33Vikari
- 34Sharvari
- 35Plava
- 36Shubhakritu
- 37Shobhakritu
- 38Krodhi
- 39Vishvavasu
- 40Parabhava
- 41Plavanga
- 42Kilaka
- 43Saumya
- 44Sadharana
- 45Virodhikritu
- 46Paridhavi
- 47Pramadicha
- 48Ananda
- 49Rakshasa
- 50Nala
- 51Pingala
- 52Kalayukti
- 53Siddharthi
- 54Raudri
- 55Durmati
- 56Dundubhi
- 57Rudhirodgari
- 58Raktakshi
- 59Krodhana
- 60Kshaya