Masa

A Masa is a lunar month, which consists of 30 tithis, ~29.5 days.

Masa, along with Tithi, play a central role in determining festival dates.

Two Systems of Counting Masa

There are two traditional ways of defining when a Masa begins and ends:

Purnimanta: Full Moon (Purnima) to Full Moon

Amanta: New Moon (Amavasya) to New Moon

Different regions in India follow different systems. For example, Amanta is common in South India, while Purnimanta is used in North India.

Lunar vs Solar Year

A lunar year of 12 Masas adds up to ~354 days, about 11 days shorter than the solar year.

To align the lunar calendar with the solar calendar, an extra month called Adhika Masa (leap month) is added roughly every 2–3 years.

Masa Names in Order