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.
Vikram Samvat's month structure
Vikram Samvat follows the same 12 lunar months used across the wider Hindu lunisolar calendar — Chaitra through Phalguna — with an Adhik Masa (leap month) inserted every 2–3 years to keep the calendar aligned with the solar year. See Hindu Calendar Months for the full list, or how the month system works for the Amanta/Purnimanta and leap-month mechanics.
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. Need to convert a specific year, or see a year-by-year table? Use our Vikram Samvat calendar & year converter.
Frequently asked questions
What is Vikram Samvat?
The most widely used traditional Hindu calendar era, with its epoch (year 1) corresponding to 57 BCE. It's traditionally associated with King Vikramaditya of Ujjain, though the name doesn't appear in inscriptions until centuries later — see "Where the era comes from" above.
Which Vikram Samvat year is running now?
See the live figure at the top of this page. Because the year changes over at Chaitra (March/April), any given Gregorian year overlaps two consecutive Vikram Samvat years.
How do you convert a Gregorian year to Vikram Samvat?
Add 57 for the January-to-Chaitra portion of the Gregorian year, and 56 for the Chaitra-to-December portion. Use our Vikram Samvat calendar and converter for an exact result for any year.
Is the +57/+56 offset always exact?
It's reliable for everyday civil use, but not a rigid universal constant — the precise changeover date shifts slightly with the lunisolar calendar each year, and some regional traditions calculate the changeover differently. Treat it as accurate to within a day or two around the changeover itself.