Mesha Sankranti

Mesha Sankranti
Ganges at Haridwar, Uttarakhand
Official name	Mesha Sankranti or Mesha Sankramana
Type	Seasonal.Religious (Hindu).
Significance	Solar new year. Regional new year festivals.
Celebrations	Bathing in holy waters
Date	day when the Sun enters the Aries Zodiac. (mid-April)
2016 date	13 April
Related to	Songkran

Mesha Sankranti (also called Mesha Sankramana) is a Hindu festival and refers to the day when the sun enters the Zodiac sign of Mesha (Aries). The day represents the vernal (Spring) equinox which proceeds around 21 March but the day is marked in April. The day is important in solar and lunisolar calendars followed on the subcontinent. Mesha Sankranti is a solar event and generally falls around 13/14 April but sometimes also falls on 14 April according to the Gregorian calendar. A number of festivals are celebrated on this day.

It is related to the equivalent Buddhist calendar-based New Year festivals in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, parts of Northeast India, parts of Vietnam and Xishuangbanna, China; collectively referred to as Songkran.

Many regional calendars have two elements: lunar and solar. The lunar element is based on the movement of the moon and counts each month from either new moon to new moon, full moon to full moon,or the day after the full moon to the next full moon. The lunar element forms the basis of religious calendars and begin the year in Chaitra. Many regions begin the local new year with the commencement of the lunar calendar: Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra; Cheti Chand for the Sindhi community; and Navreh in Kashmir. In Gujarat, the regional year commences with the lunar month of Kartika after Diwali.

The solar element of lunisolar calendars begin the year in Vaisakha on Mesha Sankranti hence why the day is also called Vaisakha Sankranti. This day is observed by people across India, even in regions which begin the new year using the lunar calendar. However, some regions also begin the regional new year on Mesha Sankranti (see below).