Chaitra Navratri Calendar 2012
The Chaitra (spring) Navratri festival calendar - the nine nights from Gudi Padwa / Ugadi to Rama Navami, with the tithi for each day.
The Chaitra Navratri Calendar lists 7 dates in 2012, from Navreh on 23 March through Rama Navami on 1 April. March holds the most with 5 dates. The year runs through Vikram Samvat 2068 – 2069. 2012 carries an Adhik Maas (Bhadrapada (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several dates later than usual.
March 2012
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Ugadi / Gudi Padwa / Chaitra Navratri
Tithi 8:05 PM, Mar 22 – 9:56 PM, Mar 23
The lunar new year of the Deccan and Maharashtra; the nine nights of Chaitra Navratri begin.
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Navreh
Tithi 8:05 PM, Mar 22 – 9:56 PM, Mar 23
The Kashmiri Pandit new year on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, when the Nechapatra almanac is viewed at dawn.
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Cheti Chand (Sindhi New Year)
Tithi 9:59 PM, Mar 23 – 12:10 AM, Mar 25
On Chaitra Shukla Dwitiya, the day after Gudi Padwa, Sindhis welcome the new year and the birth (Avataran) of their patron saint Jhulelal — Uderolal, the incarnation of Varun the water god — with Behrana Sahib processions to a river or lake.
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Gangaur
Tithi 12:14 AM, Mar 25 – 2:43 AM, Mar 26
The climax of an eighteen-day Rajasthani festival to Gauri (Parvati) on Chaitra Shukla Tritiya; married women pray for their husbands and unmarried girls for a good groom, with grand processions of Gauri and Isar (Shiva) idols in Jaipur and Udaipur.
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Ashokashtami
Tithi 12:38 PM, Mar 30 – 1:44 PM, Mar 31
On Chaitra Shukla Ashtami, Goddess Durga is worshipped and ashoka flower buds are taken to ward off grief.
April 2012
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Rama Navami
Tithi 1:53 PM, Mar 31 – 2:11 PM, Apr 1
The birth of Lord Rama, celebrated with recitation of the Ramayana and temple processions.
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Basanti Puja
Tithi 1:53 PM, Mar 31 – 2:11 PM, Apr 1
The springtime Durga Puja of Chaitra — the original worship of Durga — culminating on Maha Navami.
Tithi start and end times are shown in your local time. Festival dates follow the standard Indian (sunrise) calendar and may vary by a day in other regions, and may differ slightly from regional almanacs (especially around an Adhik Maas).
What happened in the sky in 2012
Beyond the dates the Chaitra Navratri Calendar lists, 2012 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 3 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Bhadrapada, running from 18 August 2012 to 16 September 2012. Ugadi / Gudi Padwa / Chaitra Navratri fell on 23 March, 11 days earlier in the year than in 2011 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2012
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 May 5:22 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Jyeshtha Shukla Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 4 Jun 4:33 PM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Jyeshtha Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 14 Nov 3:41 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Kartika Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 28 Nov 8:03 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Margashirsha Purnima | Penumbral only |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 2012
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 16 May 6:40 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Tula → Kanya re-entry while retrograde |
| 17 May 9:40 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Mesha → Vrishabha |
| 4 Aug 8:50 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Kanya → Tula |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Tula on 23 December 2012, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
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Frequently asked questions about the Chaitra Navratri Calendar 2012
How many festivals and vrats does the Chaitra Navratri Calendar list in 2012?
The Chaitra Navratri Calendar lists 7 dates in 2012. The first is Navreh on Friday, 23 March 2012, and the last is Rama Navami on Sunday, 1 April 2012.
What are the main festival dates in the Chaitra Navratri Calendar for 2012?
The first major observances of 2012 are:
- Navreh - Friday, 23 March 2012
- Ugadi / Gudi Padwa / Chaitra Navratri - Friday, 23 March 2012
- Cheti Chand (Sindhi New Year) - Saturday, 24 March 2012
- Gangaur - Sunday, 25 March 2012
- Ashokashtami - Saturday, 31 March 2012
- Basanti Puja - Sunday, 1 April 2012
Which month of 2012 has the most observances in the Chaitra Navratri Calendar?
March 2012 is the fullest month with 5 dates, including Navreh, Ugadi / Gudi Padwa / Chaitra Navratri, Cheti Chand (Sindhi New Year), Gangaur, Ashokashtami.
Which traditional year does 2012 correspond to in the Chaitra Navratri Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2012 spans Vikram Samvat 2068 – 2069. The traditional year does not begin on 1 January, so one Gregorian year usually covers the end of one era year and the start of the next.
Did 2012 have an Adhik Maas?
Yes. 2012 carried an Adhik Maas (Bhadrapada (Adhik)), the extra lunar month inserted roughly every third year to keep the lunar calendar in step with the solar one. Festivals falling after it shift later in the Gregorian year, which is why 2012 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.
Were there any eclipses in 2012?
2012 had 4 eclipses:
- 21 May 2012 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 4 June 2012 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 14 November 2012 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 28 November 2012 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 2 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 2012?
Yes - 3 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2012:
- Shani (Saturn) entered Kanya on 16 May 2012, moving retrograde
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Vrishabha on 17 May 2012
- Shani (Saturn) entered Tula on 4 August 2012
Jupiter takes about a year to cross one sign and Saturn about two and a half, so these transits colour the whole year rather than a single week.
Are these 2012 dates the same everywhere?
The dates follow the standard Indian sunrise-based calendar. Because a tithi begins and ends at a fixed moment rather than at midnight, an observance can fall a day earlier or later where sunrise differs - most noticeably outside India. Set your city in the box at the top to see the start and end times in your own local time, and check the daily Panchang for the exact window on the day.
About the Chaitra Navratri Calendar
The Chaitra (spring) Navratri festival calendar - the nine nights from Gudi Padwa / Ugadi to Rama Navami, with the tithi for each day.
Each entry lists the festival or vrat with its date, the prevailing tithi, and a short note on the observance. Use the year links to plan ahead into the coming years or to look up a date from the archive.
This list is the festival dates, not the daily five limbs. For sunrise, Rahu Kalam and the day's yoga, open the Panchang. Other calendars are on the Calendars index. The story of a fast is under Vrat Katha.
