Reservation on using 360 lunar days year

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Followers of 360-day year (whether 360 civil-days year or 360 lunar-days year) presume that this definition of year is different from solar calendar. However, I consider it a misconception.

Firstly, I try to explain 360 lunar-days year. But actually 360 lunar-days calendar is not a stand-alone lunar year. The so-called lunar calendar of India is NOT at all lunar, but Luni-Solar. Probably, Hijra (Islamic) calendar is the onlypurely lunar calendar that keeps drifting reverse and in no way related to Sun. On the other hand, Indian luni-solar calendar is constituted by tithi (lunar-day). A tithi is a time-span when difference b/w Moon and Sun changes exactly 12 degree. So the role of Sun is very much there in the root of tithi. The elongation of a lunar-day or tithi may vary, depending on velocity of luminaries, but has mean of 23h:37m:28s. In this way,

=> 30 tithi = 29.5306 savan days.

=> 360 tithi = 354.3672 savan days.

Here savan day stands for civil day, from one sunrise to next sunrise. Savan or civil day is basic reference point for finding weekdays and comparing difference calendars.

There exist variety of Luni-Solar calendars in India (Vikram, Shaka, Buddhist etc), but almost all tithi based Indian luni-solar calendars are adjusted approximately after every 3 years. This is a noteworthy point.

=> 1 luni-solar year = 12 lunar months = 360 tithi

=> 2 luni-solar years = 24 lunar months = 720 tithi

However, three consecutive luni-solar years do NOT have 36 lunar months, but 37 lunar months!!! Yes, 37 lunar months (due to adhika-maasa).

=> 3 luni-solar years ≠ 36 lunar months

=> 3 luni-solar years = 37 lunar months = 1110 tithi (approximately).

After every few years "leap or intercalary month" (adhika-maasa) is generally added to luni-solar calendar, in order to align it with solar calendar. All Indiansaccept and practice this adjustment, because it’s a centuries-old tradition.

But what in 20th century. The proponents of 360 lunar-days year do NOT consider adhika-maasa adjustment while dealing with dashas. They keep adding 360 tithis (=354.3672 savan days) for all upcoming years, without any

adjustment. Similarly, computer programs developed on this misunderstandings, take 360 tithis as seed without adding leap-month, while calculating dasha. For example;

Computer assumes: Sun Mahadasha = 6 year = 6 x 360 tithis = 2160 tithis.

But in reality: 6 year = 6 x 360 tithis + 60 tithis (i.e. + 2 adhikamaasa) = 2220 tithis.

If leap-month (adhika-maasa) is being added while computing dasha (based on 360 lunar-days year) then Solar Year and Luni-Solar Year will ultimately coincide. Yet, it is better to rely on True Sidereal Year.

Example

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Suppose a person was born on Thursday October 1, 1914 midday in New Delhi.

Question: What will be his age today: (a) according to Luni-Solar Calendar, (b)according to Solar Calendar?

Answer-(a)

Birth: October 1, 1914. Convert birthdate into luni-solar Indian calendar

=> Ashvin 13, 1836 Shaka Era, or 1971 Vikram Era

Today: October 1, 2014. Convert todate into luni-solar Indian calendar

=> Ashvin 7, 1936 Shaka Era, or 2071 Vikram Era

Difference = Ashvin 7, 2071 – Ashvin 13, 1971 = 99 years, 11 months, 26 days.

Age = ~ 100 years (lesser than few days)

Answer-(b)

Birth: October 1, 1914 = Sun at 14*34’23’’ of Virgo (as per Lahiri ayanamsa - JHora)

Today: October 1, 2014 = Sun at 13*57’12’ of Virgo as per Lahiri ayanamsa - JHora)

Age = ~ 100 years (lesser than fraction of a day)

So both are almost same. The error produced by luni-solar calendar is not in years despite covering 100 years. Just because of adhika-maasa.

Now if the above question is forwarded to a person who presumes that Indiancalendar is purely lunar and based on 360 tithi. He would compute the age in follower manner.

First the difference of days between 01-10-2014 and 01-10-1914 = 36,525 savan days.

=> 36,525/354.3672 = 103.0711 years

Without leap-month luni-solar formula, the native was reached his 100th yearthree years back on October 8, 2011. And has now crossed 103rd years.

My reservation is: should we add number of years in luni-solar calendar (Vikram, Shaka or Kali) without adhikamaasa (leap-month)? Does any school of thought or tradition add or subtract years like this?

… M. Imran