Being lunar in character like the Hijri, the Vikrama calendar comprises 354 days and 9 hours while the sidereal calendar goes up to 365 days 6 hours and 10 minutes. The difference between the two is, however, made up after 32 months 16 days and 96 minutes through an additional (inter-calary) month. Thus the total length of the year is 385 days or a little more.

It may come as a surprise to some readers to find the samvatsara day taking place on April 13, which is later than usual. Last year it came on March 26. If we look at other festivals after Asvina we will find that all the festivals were celebrated later than usual. For instance, Dasehra and all post-Dasehra festivals had been similar deferred as the month of Asvina was an inter-calary month (comprising two months, additional Asvina and shudha Asvina) and as such the year which is just over i.e. 2058 had 13 months or 385 days and 15 minutes, while the new year will have 354 days only.

The samvatsara day is held in high esteem, especially in Hindu religious circles. According to a legend, Lord Brahma chose this day to start the process of creation. Kama Dev, the God of love, was directed to descend on earth to make the first spring bloom with a variety of flowers. It was against this background that spring was designated as rituraj — the king of seasons. Lord Krishna was so enamoured by it that he declared in Bhagavadgita that he himself was the spring among seasons — Ritunam Kusumakarah.

Although the Christian New Year Day — January 1 — is celebrated with great pomp and show, orthodox Hindus still treat it as an alien calendar. According to them great religious fervour is attached to the samvatsara day. Many holy acts such as fasting, donation of alms, worship, meditation and some ablutionary acts performed on this sacred day are considered highly sacred.

Listening to or going through samvatsara predictions is also considered a pious act. Some staunch believers regard this day as a day for introspection. If one takes a vow to abjure some bad habit or resolves to switch over to a life of purity, discipline or sacrifice, one is sure to succeed. In a nutshell, it is a day for the uplift of one’s social, cultural and spiritual life.

The new samvatsara — 2059 — begins on Saturday April 13, at 0050 hours on the night between April 12 and 13. According to a proviso, the first lunar bright day of Chaitra starting at sunrise can only be designated as samvatsara day, its celebrations shall, however, remain deferred till the first rays of the sun come out. The first spring navaratra shall also start simultaneously.

An amazing but starkly portentous development this year is that both lunar and solar calendars have synchronised. Solar calendar is generally, a front runner and the lunar one, being a back-bencher, takes its turn later. The solar new year day (Baisakhi day), actually, is a deadline — a Lakshman rekha — for the samvatsara day which is not supposed to overtake it or surpass it. This time both new years are being celebrated on the same day i.e. April 13. Both sun and moon shall be in command at the same time. Two rulers at the helm are always a liability. As such the starry signals point to the fact that the governance of the country shall come to standstill. There will be disorder in the corridors of power.

Apart from diarchical ill-effects, there is another cross-current known as ashta grahee — a conglomeration of eight stars which is considered ominous. It appears on the morning of May 15. But thankfully its stay is only symbolic. It will buzz off within a few hours.

The new samvat year which will extend till 0050 hours on April 2, 2003 (a total of 354 days) is termed as manmatha Manmatha means ‘churning of the mind’, a state when the mind is restless, agitated or tension-ridden. It implies that peace and tranquility are first casualties during such times. The common man will feel mentally paralysed. The year as I see it will be sans calm and normalcy.

Another disturbing development is that both the top ranking portfolios (of king and prime minister) have gone to Saturn — a hawk by temperament and a war-monger by tradition. Its simultaneous negative performance in two important roles is another stumbling block. It makes the thirst of the enemy to wage war stronger and an actualisation of his aggressive designs a strong possibility. A majority of civilians belonging to border areas will have to abdicate their homes and lead a life of misery and turmoil.

Saturn, no doubt, is all-powerful this time, but being sandwiched between two malefic stars — Mars and Rahu — it has turned malevolent. Hence the year under review will be a stormy and catastrophic. The leaders of various groups will be at daggers drawn. Fear psychosis, frustration, and demoralisation will be rampant. Security, stability and safety of human life shall be a casualty.

Another worrisome development is the placement of Saturn in the house of enemies and disease. With the authority of the government at an all-time low, some of religious leaders, behaving like disgruntled politicians, will be calling the shots. Their communal, bigoted and frenzied role may damage the national image. Caste and communal frenzy, large scale riots, genocide, mayhem and cross-border terrorism will keep the country traumatised.

About the performance and future of the party in power, I had observed in my samvatsara predictions dated March 25, last year as under:

"The state of combustibility of the main star is a serious matter. It can diminish the influence of the party in power with the electorate. The wing responsible for governance could run in direct contravention to the think-tank of the ruling class. With two main authorities at a different wave length, the cabinet as a team may fail to take any bold decision, especially on controversial issues".

I believe I have not gone wrong while forecasting the political scenario. Now, since Saturn is malefic and is not spent force (strength-wise), the party in power will be in for more bad times. It will be a miracle, if it can manage to overcome the crisis that lies ahead.

Mandate in both Centre and state elections will be a fractured one. No party will be lucky enough to muster a comfortable majority. As a result, a ‘khichari sarkar’ or President or Governor rule will be the answer. This will, however, promote horse-trading and encourage various other malpractices. Party bosses will be facing tough time to keep their flock together, especially at the grass root level. They will depend on small groups to capture power. This will enable the coalition culture to thrive.

The solar chart has stolen a march over the samvatsara chart. Saturn by changing his abode to III house, has turned a new leaf. There is no one more highly auspicious yoga called Maha-Ekavali Raj Yoga. It says that when all planets are in one sequential order, it is known as Ekavali Yoga and if the head of the team is exalted, it gains more power and is called Maha Ekavali. A destroyer of all ills, it grants grand success in all walks of life. The text reads as ‘Maha Ekavali Khyatah sarva siddhi karo bhavet’. It can be enterpreted to mean that of all the ills plaguing India, the most serious is cross-border terrorism. We could expect this raj yoga to suppress this menace and restore peace and normalcy to our life. So there is every possibility that the threat of ultras will start diminishing with the passage of time.

The third horoscope that is linked with trade, commerce, agriculture, industry and economy as a whole is Aardra Entry Chart. This horoscope will come into force on Saturday, June 22, at 8.50 a.m. About this horoscope less said, the better. Moon, the lord is debilitated and is being sighted by two malefic stars —Saturn and Rahu. Mars, too, being combust does not allow any optimism vis-a-vis this sector. Large-scale organised loot by unscrupulous industrialists and fraudulent finance companies could push the money market towards virtual bankruptcy.

No one should expect India’s economy to show any promise. Despite agricultural making strides. The inflationary trend will continue. The government’s apathy towards the common man will create commotion. Big cities will be afflicted pollution and other related maladies. The population will grow so rapidly that there will be a acute paucity of living accommodation. Even ordinary accommodation will become a luxury for the common man.

Both samvarta and pushkara favour sufficient rain to keep the land properly irrigated. Similarly, among the serpents shankha can also oblige us but to a limited degree, while takshka being erratic and miserly can play fast and loose. With the buffalo projected as transport media for the samvatsara, the greed of hoarders shall prove to be a huge liability for the country. Since the samvatsara’s abode lies close to the washerman and Rohini has chosen the seashore for her residence, the deficiency caused by the reactionary forces would be met adequately. We can, therefore, expect our land to remain fertile and growth-oriented.

A majority of all those desirous of trying their luck in the stock market will be in for hard times. With the industrial growth slowing down, and the economy showing no signs of recovery, the market will remain uncertain. The market trends may remain hostage to the whim of foreign players. Political uncertainty also makes the possibility of any stability or optimism in the market remote. The governments apathy towards small investors will also disappoint.