Significance of Lunar year
The lunar year in Indian history is a time unit of approximately 354 nights, calculated by excluding six nights from a samvatsara. Known as sal-i qamari in Persian and candra-varsha in Sanskrit, it consists of twelve synodic lunar months—mah in Persian and candra-masa in Sanskrit. This year begins with the first tithi of the bright half of the month Madhu, playing a crucial role in the calculation of civil days.
Synonyms: Celestial year, Chinese calendar
The below excerpts are indicatory and do represent direct quotations or translations. It is your responsibility to fact check each reference.
The concept of Lunar year in local and regional sources
The Lunar year, or sal-i qamari in Persian and candra-varsha in Sanskrit, consists of twelve lunar months totaling approximately 354 nights. It begins with the first tithi of Madhu's bright half, serving as a time unit for civil days.
From: History of Science in South Asia
(1) The lunar year is a period of time that begins with the first tithi of the bright half of the month Madhu, and is used to calculate elapsed civil days.[1] (2) The lunar year, referred to as sal-i qamari in Persian and candra-varsha in Sanskrit, consists of twelve synodic lunar months, also referred to as mah in Persian and candra-masa in Sanskrit, in their respective descriptions.[2] (3) This is a unit of time which is approximately 354 nights, obtained after removing 6 unaratras (omitted nights) from a samvatsara.[3]