The National Indian Calendar, also called calendar Shalivahana Shaka. It is used in news broadcasts by All India Radio as well as in calendars and communications issued by the Government of India alongside the Gregorian calendar, by The Gazette of India.
The Saka calendar was originally used by historical Indian influence among Indonesian Hindus in Java and Bali too. Nyepi, "The Day of Silence," is a Bali New Year's Saka celebration. The Nepal Sambat in Nepal evolved from the Saka calendar. As indicated by the Laguna Copperplate inscription, the Saka calendar was also used in many parts of the modern-day Philippines prior to colonisation.
The term may also refer to the Hindu calendar; other calendars often commonly use the Shalivahana period.The historic calendar of the Shalivahana era is still widely applied. It has years of solar character.
Chaitra is the calendar's first month. Chaitra has 30 days and starts on March 22, except in leap years, 31 days and March 21. The months in the first half of the year will have 31 days, in this period taking into account the slower movement of the sun around the ecliptic.
The names of the months are derived from older, Hindu lunisolar calendars, so there are differences in spelling, and there is a possible source of ambiguity as to which calendar a date belongs.
Years are numbered in the Saka era, which begins its year 0 in the Common Era year 78. For calculate leap years, add 78 to the Saka year – if the result of the Gregorian calendar is a leap year, then the Saka year is also a leap year. Its composition is similar to that of the Persian calendar.