View source for Karkata

{{Short description|Month in Indian lunisolar calendars}}
'''Karkaṭa''', also referred to as '''Karka''' or '''Karkatha''', is a month in the [[Hindu calendar|Indian solar calendar]].<ref name="Lochtefeld2002p8"/><ref name=sewell5>{{cite book|author1=Robert Sewell|author2=Śaṅkara Bālakr̥shṇa Dīkshita|title=The Indian Calendar |url=https://archive.org/details/indiancalendarwi00sewerich |year=1896|publisher=S. Sonnenschein & Company|pages=[https://archive.org/details/indiancalendarwi00sewerich/page/5 5]–11, 23–29}}</ref> It corresponds to the zodiacal sign of [[Cancer (constellation)|Cancer]], and overlaps approximately with the later half of July and early half of August in the [[Gregorian calendar]].<ref name="Lochtefeld2002p8"/>

In Vedic texts, the Karka month is called '''Suchi''' (IAST: Śuchi), but in these ancient texts it has no zodiacal associations.<ref name="Dershowitz2008p123">{{cite book|author1=Nachum Dershowitz|author2=Edward M. Reingold|title=Calendrical Calculations|title-link= Calendrical Calculations |year= 2008|publisher= [[Cambridge University Press]]|isbn=978-0-521-88540-9|pages=123–128}}</ref> The solar month of Karkata overlaps with its lunar month [[Shraavana]], in Hindu lunisolar calendars.<ref>{{cite book|author=Christopher John Fuller|title=The Camphor Flame: Popular Hinduism and Society in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=To6XSeBUW3oC|year=2004|publisher=[[Princeton University Press]]|isbn=978-0-69112-04-85|pages=291–293}}</ref><ref name=sewell10/> The Shraavana marks the middle of the monsoon season on the Indian subcontinent, and is preceded by the solar month of [[Mithuna (month)|Mithuna]], and followed by the solar month of [[Siṃha]].<ref name=sewell5/>

The Karkata month is called ''Adi'' in the Tamil Hindu calendar.<ref name="Lochtefeld2002p8">{{cite book|author=James G. Lochtefeld|title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M, N-Z (Vol 1 & 2)|year=2002|publisher=[[The Rosen Publishing Group]]|isbn=978-0-8239-3179-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch/page/8 8]|url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch/page/8}}</ref> The ancient and medieval era Sanskrit texts of India vary in their calculations about the duration of Karkata, just like they do with other months. For example, the ''Surya Siddhanta'' calculates the duration of Karkata to be 31 days, 11 hours, 24 minutes and 24 seconds.<ref name=sewell10/> In contrast, the ''Arya Siddhanta'' calculates the duration of the Karkata month to be 31 days, 11 hours, 13 minutes and 36 seconds.<ref name=sewell10>{{cite book|author1=Robert Sewell|author2=Śaṅkara Bālakr̥shṇa Dīkshita|title=The Indian Calendar |url=https://archive.org/details/indiancalendarwi00sewerich |year=1896|publisher=S. Sonnenschein & Company|pages=[https://archive.org/details/indiancalendarwi00sewerich/page/10 10]–11}}</ref>

The Indian solar month names are significant in epigraphical studies of South Asia. For example, ''Karkaṭa'' month, along with other solar months are found inscribed in medieval era temples. The ''Karkaṭa'' month (spelled as ''Karkataka'') is found inscribed in Chola Empire monument such as the Valisvara temple near Tamil Nadu–Andhra Pradesh border.<ref>{{cite book|author=E Hultzsch|title=Epigraphia Indica|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=MxE9AAAAYAAJ |year= 1906|publisher=Education Society Press|pages=268, 281–282}}</ref>

Karka is also an astrological sign in Indian horoscope systems, corresponding to [[Cancer (astrology)]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Bangalore V. Raman|title=Studies in Jaimini Astrology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gW2DIFHrxfgC |year=2003|publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass]]|isbn=978-81-208-1397-7|pages=10–19}}</ref>

Karkata is also the sixteenth month in the [[Darian calendar]] for the planet [[Mars]], when the [[Sun]] traverses the constellation Cancer as seen from Mars.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Hindu calendar}}
{{Nepali calendar}}

[[Category:Hindu solar months]]


{{Hinduism-stub}}