THE SURYA' SIDDHA'NTA, ScC. SgS 



When the Sonkranti happens to fall at or near 

 midnight, the Hindu astronomers (or rather calcu- 

 lators of almanacks) not unfrequently differ amongst 

 themselves with respect to the day on which the 

 civil month begins : some making it later or earlier 

 than others by a day, according to the works or ta- 

 bles from which each makes his computation. But 

 independent of this irregularity, there is another 

 which probably arises from local custom : in some of 

 the Nuddea calendars, the civil month is invariably 

 made to begin at the Sun-rise immediately following 

 the instant of the Sonkranti, whether the same hap- 

 pens before or after midnight: — On the other hand, 

 most of the calendars calculated in and about Cal- 

 cutta, and at Balia, make the month begin a day 

 later when the Sun enters the sign after midnight, 

 agreeable to the rules above laid down. 



AP- 



