Questions regarding Vaisnava Calendar

[Guest guest]

> Dear prabhus,

> PAMHO, AGTSP

>

> I would like to ask the following questions regarding the Vaisnava

> Calendar website vcal.iskcongbc.org as we are in the process of making a

> calendar for the new year.

 

Thank you very much for your query. I will try my best to help.

 

> 1) Is it possible to make a calendar for Den Haag (Netherlands), latitude

> 52n05, longtitude 4e19, time zone GMT+1?

 

I will add it to the database, but it will take some time, as the process is

a little tedious and I prefer to do a batch of 5 or 6 new locations all at

once. Yours is the second new location request for the next batch.

 

> 2) The dates of the caturmasya months are not so clear. See for example

> the attached calendar I downloaded from your website vcal.iskcongbc.org

> (Durbuy 2006-07). This calendar seems to indicate the following:

 

Yes, the caturmasya descriptions are somewhat confusing. We wanted to first

replicate the old VCal style of printout so that devotees would be

comfortable with the new system. In the next phase of development we will

have improved wordings available.

 

> Sridhara Masa 11 Jul 2006 - 9 Aug 2006 (First month of caturmasya starts

> on 12 Jul 2006)

 

This is one of the confusing things. The description of caturmasya starting

is included under the 11 Jul listing, which means that 11 Jul is the first

day of caturmasya. (You'll note that it just so happens that for Durbuy next

year the purnima of Vamana Mas is ksaya, so it is observed on the pratipat

of Sridhar Mas.)

 

> Hrsikesa Masa 10 Aug 2006 - 7 Sep 2006

> Padmanabha Masa 8 Sep 2006 - 6 Oct 2006

> Damodara Masa 7 Oct 2006 - 5 Nov 2006 (Fourth month of caturmasya starts

> on 8 Oct 2006)

>

> Is this correct? Why does the fourth month of caturmasya start one day

> after the start of the Damodara month?

 

Again, the purnima of Padmanabha Mas is ksaya, so fourth month starts on 7th

October. Same point as above.

 

> 3) Does a caturmasya month start on the day BEFORE or AFTER the text

> "First/Second/Third/Fourth month of caturmasya begins"?

 

YES. This is exactly the confusion in the VCal wording. We hope to fix it by

next summer. An observance listing means that the time for observance of the

occasion starts at sunrise of the day under which the listing occurs.

 

> 4) In particular, what are the dates for the Damodara (Karttika) month for

> Durbuy (Belgium) in 2006?

 

First day of observance will be 7 October, last day 4th November. The

calendar says, "Caturmasya ends." on the purnima, which is 5th November.

This is the way that VCal is set up and we have kept it that way for now.

But actually, if you are observing caturmasya from the purnima, then the

last day of observance will be the day before purnima. So the expression

"Caturmasya ends." should be taken to mean that it is no longer observed on

that day.

 

> 5) Consider Srila Gaura Kisora Dasa Babaji's Disappearance day on 1 Nov

> 2006 for Durbuy 2006. According to the calendar the feasting is done on 2

> Nov, but on that day it also mentions fasting for Ekadasi. So it

> recommends fasting and feasting on the same day. To me it seems that

> either Srila Gaura Kisora Dasa Babaji's Disappearance day should be on the

> same day as the Ekadasi (2 Nov), or the "feasting" should be done on the

> same day as the disappearance day (1 Nov).

 

You are right! This is a bug in the new software. Thank you very much for

pointing it out. Gour Kisora Das Babaji's disappearance day should be

observed with a feast there on the same day, and the ekadasi fasting will be

on the next day.

 

I need to fix that right away!

 

Thanks again, and best regards, Bhaktarupa Das

 

> I look forward to your answers. Thank you very much.

> ys Rabin