Solar Month is defined by the time taken by the Sun to transit from beginning of one zodiac sign/ rāśi to the succeeding one in the Zodiac Belt / bha-cakra [भ-चक्र], as seen from the Earth. It is actually the time taken by the Earth to go around the Sun.
The first Solar Month is considered to begin when Sun enters Aries/meśa rāśi [मेष राशि] i.e. enters at zero degree of Aries of the Sidereal Zodiac.
The 1st month, when Sun enters Aries/ meśa rāśi [मेष राशि] is named as caitra/चैत्र, which in the current times begins at around 15th of April.
The Sun would then enter Taurus/vṛṣabha rāśi [वृषभ राशि], and so on….until at the end of the 12 months it would have traversed the 12 zodiac signs and returned back to the zero degree of Aries/ meśa rāśi [मेष राशि].
The table below summarizes the transit of the Sun and the corresponding Months in Hindu and Gregorian Calendars:
| Order | Sun enters | Vedic Name | Gregorian Month |
| I | Aries / meṣa (मेष) | caitra / चैत्र | Apr-May |
| II | Taurus / vṛṣa (वृष) | vaiśākha / वैशाख | May-Jun |
| III | Gemini / mithuna (मिथुन) | jyeṣṭha / ज्येष्ठ | Jun-Jul |
| IV | Cancer / karka (कर्क) | āṣāṛha / आषाढ़ | Jul-Aug |
| V | Leo / siṁha (सिंह) | śrāvaṇa / श्रावण | Aug-Sep |
| VI | Virgo / kanyā (कन्या) | bhādrapada / भाद्रपद | Sep-Oct |
| VII | Libra / tulā (तुला) | aśvina / अश्विन | Oct-Nov |
| VIII | Scorpio / vṛṣcika (वृष्चिक) | kārtika / कार्तिक | Nov-Dec |
| IX | Sagittarius / dhanu (धनु) | mārgaśīrṣa / मार्गशीर्ष | Dec-Jan |
| X | Capricorn / makara (मकर) | pauṣa / पौष | Jan-Feb |
| XI | Aquarius / kumbha (कुम्भ) | māgha / माघ | Feb-Mar |
| XII | Pisces / mīna (मीन) | phālguna / फाल्गुन | Mar-Apr |
The time taken by the Sun to transit respective zodiac signs is variable.
Thus, the period of the Solar Month varies slightly around 30 days (approximately 29-32 days).
The transit of Sun from one rāśi to another is termed as saṁkrānti [संक्रान्ति].
The Sankrantis are named according to the sign into which the Sun enters.
The most popularly known is the Makara-Sankranti, when the Sun enters Capricorn, since this is the beginning of the Uttarayana or the Northward/Upward journey of the Sun in the tilted Elliptic.
More about the Sankrantis and Ayanas of the Sun later…
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