________________
358
THE CHRONOLOGICAL SYSTEMS OF GUJARAT
the people. Businessmen of Gujarat bid adieu to the Old Year by closing its Account Books and welcome the coming year by inaugurating those of the New Year. With the increasing impact of the Western culture, new generations hardly recollect the Vikrama years, months and tithis, but the popular festivals of Diwālī and the New Year day (of the Kärttikadi Vikrama Era) are celebrated by the young as well as the old with full fervour.
The local system of Aṣāḍhädi years is prevalent in Kutch and Halar (West Saurashtra), but is losing its ground in course of time.
As regards the system of months, no indications are available for the dates of the Saka Era used in the Kṣatrapa period. The months of the Gupta Era adopted in Gujarat were probably Pūrṇimānta. The months continued to be Purnimanta even in its modified form known as the Valabhi Era. But the prevalence of the Kalacuri Era in South Gujarat introduced the system of Amanta months, its earliest known reference being traced to the Gupta period. In course of time the Purnimanta system got gradually abandoned in favour of the Amanta system The dates of the Saka Era which now got introduced here from the Deccan were adapted to the system of Amanta months. In the Solanki Period this system began to attain preponderance even in the dates of the Vikrama Era which was originally adopted here from North India which followed the system of Pūrṇimânta months. In subsequent centuries the system
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
