Phalguna

{{Short description|Eleventh month of the Hindu calendar}} {{For|the month in the Bangla Calendar and Nepali calendar|Fagun}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Infobox month | image = A_Holi_Festival_-_Krishna_Radha_and_Gopis.jpg | alt = | caption = Krishna and Radha celebrating Holi, the Hindu festival of colours | native_name = {{Native name|sa|फाल्गुन}} | calendar = Hindu calendar | num = 12{{efn|name=last}} | days = 29 or 30 | season = Shishira (Winter) | gregorian = February–March | holidays = {{ubl |Holi |Maha Shivaratri |Panguni Uthiram |Shigmo }} | prev_month = Magha | next_month = Chaitra }} {{Hinduism}} '''Phalguna''' or '''Phagun''' is the twelfth and last month{{efn|name=last|In a normal lunar calendar year, Phalguna is the twelfth and last month. In Hindu calendar, an additional month Adhika-masa is added approximately every three years to keep the lunar calendar aligned with the solar calendar.<ref>{{cite book |last=Garg |first=Gaṅgā Rām |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w9pmo51lRnYC&dq=adhika+masa&pg=PA151 |title=Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World |date=1992 |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |isbn=978-81-7022-374-0 |page=151 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Roberts |first=C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mLct2qLz-_cC&dq=adhika+masa&pg=PA311 |title=What India Thinks: Being a Symposium of Thought Contributed by 50 Eminent Men and Women Having India's Interest at Heart |date=2004 |publisher=Asian Educational Services |isbn=978-81-206-1880-0 |page=311 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Selin |first=Helaine |author-link=Helaine Selin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kt9DIY1g9HYC&dq=adhika+masa&pg=PA1801 |title=Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures |date=2008-03-12 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-1-4020-4559-2 |page=1801 }}</ref> }} of the Hindu lunar calendar and the Indian national calendar.<ref>{{cite book|editor=Kenneth W. Morgan|title=The Religion Of The Hindus|year= 1987|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=978-8-120-80387-9|page=96}}</ref> The name of the month is derived from the position of the Moon near the Pushya nakshatra (star) on the full moon day.<ref name="Ety">{{cite book|title=Heavens and Earth: The Story of Astrology Through Ages and Cultures|author=Garima Garg|year=2022|isbn=978-9-354-92705-8|publisher=Penguin Random House|page=75}}</ref> The month corresponds to the end of the winter (Shishira) season and falls in January–February of the Gregorian calendar.<ref>{{cite book|editor=Helene Henderson|year=2005|title=Holidays, festivals, and celebrations of the world dictionary|edition=Third|location=Detroit|publisher=Omnigraphics|page=xxix|isbn=978-0-780-80982-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=James G. Lochtefeld|title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M, N-Z (Vol 1 & 2)|year=2002|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-8239-3179-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch/page/508 508]|url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch/page/508}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Robert Sewell|author2=Śaṅkara Bālakr̥shṇa Dīkshita|title=The Indian Calendar |url=https://archive.org/details/indiancalendarwi00sewerich |year=1896|publisher=S. Sonnenschein & Company|pages=[https://archive.org/details/indiancalendarwi00sewerich/page/5 5]–11, 23–29}}</ref>

In the Hindu solar calendar, it corresponds to the month of Kumbha and begins with the Sun's entry into Aquarius.<ref>{{cite book|author=Christopher John Fuller|title=The Camphor Flame: Popular Hinduism and Society in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=To6XSeBUW3oC|year=2004|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-0-69112-04-85|pages=291–293}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Robert Sewell|author2=Śaṅkara Bālakr̥shṇa Dīkshita|title=The Indian Calendar |url=https://archive.org/details/indiancalendarwi00sewerich |year=1896|publisher=S. Sonnenschein & Company|pages=[https://archive.org/details/indiancalendarwi00sewerich/page/10 10]–11}}</ref><ref name="Siddhantha">{{cite book|title=The Siddhantas and the Indian Calendar|author1=Robert Sewell|author2=John Faithful Fleet|year=1989|publisher=Asian Educational Services|page=334}}</ref> It corresponds to Falgun, the eleventh month in the Bengali calendar and Vikram Samvat.<ref name="Siddhantha"/> In the Tamil calendar, it corresponds to the twelfth and last month of Panguni, falling in the Gregorian months of March–April.<ref name="Siddhantha"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/tamil-calendar.html|title=Tamil Calendar – Months |work=Time and Date |access-date=1 October 2025}}</ref> In the Vaishnav calendar, it corresponds to the twelfth month of Govinda.{{efn|name=Vaishnav|In a normal Vaishnav calendar year, Govinda is the twelfth and last month. An additional intercalary month of Purusottama is added in some years to keep it aligned with the solar calendar.}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vaisnavacalendar.info/aboutcalendar.htm|title=Vaisnava Calendar Reminder Services – About Calendar |work=Vaisnava Calendar |access-date=1 October 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.isvara.org/archive/on-the-calendar-by-srila-prabhupada/ |title=Something about the Vaisnava Calendar |work=ISVARA |access-date=1 October 2025}}</ref>

In the Hindu lunar calendar, each month has 29 or 30 days. The month begins on the next day after Amavasya (new moon) or Purnima (full moon) as per amanta and purnimanta systems respectively. A month consists of two cycles of 15 days each, Shukla Paksha (waning moon) and Krishna Paksha (waxing moon). Days in each cycle is labeled as a thithi, with each thithi repeating twice in a month.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://iskconeducationalservices.org/HoH/practice/festivals/the-hindu-calendar/|title=Hindu calendar|work=ISKCON|access-date=1 June 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://aryasamajhouston.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=166&Itemid=125|title=Hindu calendar|work=Arya Samaj|access-date=1 June 2025}}</ref> == Festivals == === Holi === Holi is a Hindu festival celebrated to mark the end of winter and the arrival of spring (Vasanta). It celebrates various events from Hindu mythology including the love between god Krishna and his consort Radha.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/festivals-and-events/holi|title=Holi: Celebrate the festival of colours|access-date=1 June 2025|work=Incredible India}}</ref> It symbolises the victory of good over evil and includes the ritual of lighting bonfires (Holika Dahan) the night before. The bonfire is lit to symbolise the burning away of evil, and is attributed to the event in which Prahalada is saved by god Vishnu from a fire lit by demoness Holika, who is made to instead burn in it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/religion/hindu-mythology/holi-history-and-significance-of-holi-festival/articleshow/108711431.cms|title=Holi : History and Significance of Holi Festival|access-date=1 June 2025|work=The Times of India}}</ref> The festival involves throwing coloured powders (gulal) and coloured water, with each colour carrying symbolic meanings.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatimes.com/events/holi-2025-what-do-yellow-pink-green-blue-and-purple-colours-symbolise/articleshow/122714707.html|title=Holi 2025: What Do yellow, pink, green, blue and purple colours symbolise?|access-date=1 June 2025|work=India Times}}</ref>

=== Maha Shivaratri === Maha Shivaratri is a major Hindu Shaiva festival celebrated on Chaturdashi (14th lunar night) thithi of Krishna Paksha (waxing moon) of the month. It is dedicated to worshipping lord Shiva.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/religion/festivals/why-maha-shivratri-is-celebrated-know-its-significance/articleshow/108108361.cms|title=Why Maha Shivaratri is celebrated? Know its significance|access-date=1 June 2025|work=The Times of India}}</ref> The festival commemorates several events from Hindu mythology associated with Shiva including his union with Parvati.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/astrology/others/astrological-significance-of-mahashivratri/articleshow/108325750.cms|title=Astrological significance of Maha Shivaratri|access-date=1 June 2025|work=The Times of India}}</ref> People remain awake the entire night, while offering prayers, chanting mantras and performing various rituals.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Maha-shivratri|title=Maha Shivaratri|access-date=1 June 2025|work=Britannica}}</ref>

=== Panguni Uthiram === Panguni Uthiram is a Tamil festival that falls on the day when the Nakshatra (star) of Uttiram aligns with purnima (full moon day) in the Tamil month of Panguni.<ref>{{Cite book |last=University |first=Vijaya Ramaswamy, Jawaharlal Nehru |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ALUvDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA131 |title=Historical Dictionary of the Tamils |date=2017-08-25 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-5381-0686-0 |page=131 }}</ref> The day commemorates the divine marriages of Hindu deities such as Shiva and Parvati, Murugan and Deivanai, and Vishnu and Lakshmi. It also marks the day of manifestation of lord Ayyappan.<ref>{{cite book |last=Chambers |first=James |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AiK2EAAAQBAJ&pg=PT885 |title=Holiday Symbols & Customs, 5th Ed. |date=2015-07-01 |publisher=Infobase Holdings, Inc |isbn=978-0-7808-1365-6 |pages=885–886 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/family/panguni-uthiram-2025-why-it-is-the-perfect-time-to-strengthen-marriage-or-heal-relationship-as-per-hindu-beliefs-date-time-significance-rituals-more/articleshow/120125631.cms|title=Panguni Uthiram 2025: Why it is the perfect time to strengthen marriage or heal relationship, as per Hindu beliefs|access-date=1 June 2025|work=The Times of India}}</ref> On the day, special rituals, processions and marriage ceremonies of gods are conducted across Hindu temples.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cultureandheritage.org/panguni-uthiram-celebrating-divine-marriages-in-tamil-nadus-sacred-temples|title=Panguni Uthiram: Celebrating Divine Marriages in Tamil Nadu’s Sacred Temples|access-date=1 June 2025|work=Culture & Heritage of India}}</ref>

=== Shigmo === Shigmo is a spring-festival celebrated by agricultural communities in the state of Goa. The festival marks the onset of spring and the upcoming harvest season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-shigmo-festivities-goa-change-covid-19-7243176/|title=Shigmo : Goa’s harvest festival, hit by Covid-19 this year|access-date=1 June 2025|work=The Indian Express}}</ref> The festival features various folk dances accompanies by music and parades.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/shigmo-celebrations-in-goa-find-expression-in-unusual-traditions/articleshow/68542293.cms|title=Shigmo celebrations in Goa find expression in unusual traditions|access-date=1 June 2025|work=The Times of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.utsav.gov.in/view-event/shigmotsav-2|title=Shigmotsav|access-date=1 June 2025|work=Utsav – Events & Festivals in India}}</ref>

==Notes== {{notelist}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Portal|Hinduism}}

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