The 12 Bengali Months: Names, Meanings, Lengths and Gregorian Dates

The Bengali year has twelve months, most of them named after a star cluster. Eleven months take their names from the nakshatra near which the full moon appeared in that month in ancient sky-watching, and the twelfth, Ogrohayon, simply means the start of the year, which it once was. Here is what each name means, how long each month is, and when it falls on the Gregorian calendar.

The twelve months at a glance

Lengths and dates follow the Bangla Academy calendar used in Bangladesh since the 2019 revision. In West Bengal the traditional calendar shifts most of these ranges by a day.

Falgun has 30 days in a Gregorian leap year, so that 1 Boishakh stays on 14 April.

What the names mean

Boishakh comes from Bishakha (Vishakha), the nakshatra of the full moon at this time of year. It is the hottest month, known for its sudden north-western storms, the kalboishakhi.

Joishtho is from Jyeshtha, "the eldest", the nakshatra containing the star Antares. It is mango and jackfruit season, which is why it is called modhumash, the honey month.

Asharh takes its name from the two Ashadha nakshatras. The monsoon breaks in this month, and Rath Yatra falls in its bright half.

Srabon is from Shrabona (Shravana), "hearing", a nakshatra of three stars including Altair. It is the wettest month of the year.

Bhadro comes from the Bhadrapada nakshatras, "auspicious feet", the stars of the Great Square of Pegasus. The rains ease and the heat returns.

Ashwin is named after Ashwini, the first nakshatra, associated with the twin horsemen of the sky. Durga Puja usually falls in Ashwin, and Sharat is the season of clear skies and kash flowers.

Kartik comes from Krittika, the Pleiades. The nights turn cool, and the month is associated with Kartik Puja and the start of harvest.

Ogrohayon is the one name not taken from a star. It is agra plus hayana, "the front of the year". Until the reign of Akbar the Bengali year began in this month, at the paddy harvest, and the harvest festival of Nabanna still belongs to it.

Poush is from Pushya, a nakshatra in Cancer, and gives its name to Poush Sankranti and the pithas of mid winter.

Magh comes from Magha, a nakshatra in Leo containing Regulus. It is the coldest month, and Saraswati Puja on Basant Panchami falls in its bright half.

Falgun takes its name from the two Phalguni nakshatras. Spring arrives, Ekushey February is 8 Falgun, and Dol Purnima closes the month.

Chaitra is from Chitra, the bright star Spica. The year ends with Chaitra Sankranti and the Charak festival, then the new year begins the next morning.

How the months got fixed lengths

In the traditional calendar the length of a month depends on how long the sun spends in a zodiac sign, anywhere from 29 to 32 days. Bangladesh replaced that with fixed lengths in 1987 and adjusted them in 2019 so that national days always land on the same Bengali date. The post on Pohela Boishakh and the two calendars explains the difference in more detail.

Bengali months and the Islamic calendar

Bengali months are solar and stay in step with the seasons. Hijri months are lunar and move about eleven days earlier each year, so Ramadan or Eid wander through the Bengali year over a cycle of roughly 33 years. Ramadan 1448 sits in Magh and Falgun 1433; a decade ago it fell in Asharh.