Calendar System
Vikram Samvat
The most widely used Hindu calendar era, running approximately 57 years ahead of the Gregorian year. Today we are in .
Where the era comes from
Vikram Samvat is traditionally said to commemorate King Vikramaditya of Ujjain, though the name doesn't appear in the historical record until the 9th century CE — earlier inscriptions used the same calendar under different names, such as the Malava era. The era's epoch (year 1) corresponds to 57 BCE.
How the year-count works
Because the calendar year begins around Chaitra (March/April), Vikram Samvat runs 57 years ahead of the Gregorian year from January to that point, and 56 years ahead for the rest of the year — which is why any given Gregorian year straddles two Vikram Samvat years.
Where it's used today
Vikram Samvat remains in everyday civil use in Nepal (as the Bikram Sambat) and in religious/traditional use across much of North India, alongside the Gregorian calendar.
Not the same as Samvatsara
It's easy to confuse Vikram Samvat (an era — a running year count) with Samvatsara (a name from the repeating 60-year Jupiter cycle). Both are in use simultaneously: for example the year Vikram Samvat 2083 is also the Samvatsara named Parabhava.
Related reading
See Shaka Samvat, India's other major calendar era, our direct Vikram vs Shaka comparison, or the Indian Calendar overview tying these systems together.