Chaitra 2017 Start & End Date (Chaitra Maas)
North India (Purnimanta): Monday, 13 March 2017 – Tuesday, 11 April 2017
Amanta regions: Wednesday, 29 March 2017 – Wednesday, 26 April 2017
The first month of the Hindu new year — Chaitra Navratri, Gudi Padwa/Ugadi and Ram Navami.
Chaitra 2017 at a Glance
- Chaitra Shivratri
- Mon, 27 Mar
- Purnima
- Tue, 11 Apr
- Amavasya
- Tue, 28 Mar
- Chaitra Shivratri
- Tue, 25 Apr
- Purnima
- Tue, 11 Apr
- Amavasya
- Wed, 26 Apr
The significance of Chaitra — Goddess Durga & Lord Rama
Chaitra opens the Hindu lunar year. Its bright first day is the new year across much of India — Gudi Padwa, Ugadi, Cheti Chand — and its first nine days are Chaitra (Vasanta) Navratri, ending in Rama's birth at Ram Navami. It is a spring month of beginnings: the neem-and-jaggery of Ugadi tasting the year's bitter and sweet together.
Rituals of Chaitra
- Chaitra Navratri — nine days of Durga worship and fasting
- Ghatasthapana and the sowing of barley
- Gudi Padwa / Ugadi / Cheti Chand new-year rites
- Ram Navami — the midday birth of Rama
- Hanuman Jayanti on the Purnima
- Neem-and-jaggery on the new-year morning
Key days in Chaitra 2017
Vrat and tithi dates follow whichever month window your calendar uses, so both systems are listed separately below.
North India · Purnimanta
Mon, 13 Mar – Tue, 11 Apr · 30 days
Amanta regions
Wed, 29 Mar – Wed, 26 Apr · 29 days
Festivals in Chaitra 2017
Within the Purnimanta window (Mon, 13 Mar – Tue, 11 Apr). Festivals are fixed by tithi, so each falls on the same civil day in both systems.
- Holi — Mon, 13 Mar
- Chaitra Navratri begins — Tue, 28 Mar
- Gudi Padwa / Ugadi — Tue, 28 Mar
- Ram Navami — Tue, 4 Apr
- Hanuman Jayanti — Tue, 11 Apr
Also inside Amanta Chaitra (Wed, 29 Mar – Wed, 26 Apr)
Monthly vrats 2017
Chaitra 2017 — Frequently Asked Questions
When does Chaitra Maas 2017 start?
In North India (Purnimanta calendar) Chaitra runs from Monday, 13 March 2017 to Tuesday, 11 April 2017. In Amanta-calendar regions it runs Wednesday, 29 March 2017 to Wednesday, 26 April 2017.
Why do Chaitra dates differ in North and South India?
Because the two regions follow different lunar calendars. In the Purnimanta calendar (North India) a month ends on the Purnima, so it starts about 15 days earlier than in Amanta. In the Amanta calendar (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu) the month runs new-moon to new-moon.
Which deity is Chaitra 2017 dedicated to?
Chaitra opens the Hindu lunar year. Its bright first day is the new year across much of India — Gudi Padwa, Ugadi, Cheti Chand — and its first nine days are Chaitra (Vasanta) Navratri, ending in Rama's birth at Ram Navami. It is a spring month of beginnings: the neem-and-jaggery of Ugadi tasting the year's bitter and sweet together.
When is Chaitra Shivratri 2017?
Chaitra Shivratri 2017 — the Masik Shivaratri of Chaitra Maas, observed on the Krishna Chaturdashi — falls on Monday, 27 March 2017 in North India (Purnimanta). In Amanta regions it falls on Tuesday, 25 April 2017. Night worship and jalabhishek of the Shiva lingam are traditional on this day.
When does Chaitra 2017 end?
In North India (Purnimanta) Chaitra ends on Tuesday, 11 April 2017, on the Purnima. In Amanta regions it ends on Wednesday, 26 April 2017, on the Amavasya.
Are Chaitra and Chaitra Maas the same month?
Yes. Chaitra Maas is the Sanskrit name of this lunar month and Chaitra is the everyday Hindi form of the same word. They refer to the same period — different names, not different dates.
Is Chaitra 2017 an Adhik Maas?
No. Chaitra 2017 is a normal 30-day month.