According to popular tradition, King Vikramaditya of Ujjain established the Vikrama Samvat era after defeating the Śakas.
Story of beginning
Kalakacharya Kathanaka (An account of the monk Kalakacharya), by the Jain sage Mahesarasuri, gives the following account: Gandharvasena, the then-powerful king of Ujjain, abducted a nun called Sarasvati, who was the sister of the monk. The enraged monk sought the help of the Śaka ruler King Sahi in Sistan. Despite heavy odds but aided by miracles, the Śaka king defeated Gandharvasena and made him a captive. Sarasvati was repatriated, although Gandharvasena himself was forgiven. The defeated king retired to the forest, where he was killed by a tiger.
His son, Vikramaditya, being brought up in the forest, had to rule from Pratishthana (modern Paithan in Maharashtra). Later on, Vikramaditya invaded Ujjain and drove away from the Śakas. To commemorate this event, he started a new era called the \”Vikrama era\”. The Ujjain calendar started around 58–56 BCE, and the subsequent Shaka-era calendar was started in 78 CE at Pratishthana.
Beliefs
A number of ancient and medieval inscriptions used the Vikram Samvat. Although it was reportedly named after the legendary king Vikramaditya, the term \”Vikrama Samvat\” does not appear in the historical record before the 9th century; the same calendar system is found with other names, such as Krita and Malavia.
In colonial scholarship, the era was believed to be based on the commemoration of King Vikramaditya expelling the Sakas from Ujjain. However, later epigraphical evidence and scholarship suggest that this theory has no historical basis. During the 9th century, epigraphical artwork began using Vikram Samvat (suggesting that the Hindu calendar era in use became popular as Vikram Samvat); Buddhist and Jain epigraphy continued to use an era based on the Buddha or the Mahavira.
Uses in Nepal
Bikram Sambat is the calendar established by Indian emperor Vikramaditya and is recognized as the official calendar of Nepal.
In addition to Bikram Samwat, the Gregorian calendar is also widely accepted in the Nepali community. Nepali Calendar is a solar calendar based on ancient Hindu traditions. The history of Nepali calendar has an intriguing story.
