388- Mr. Cavendish on the Civil Tear 
It may be observed, that in general, Visakha begins at the 
day after that full moon which is nearest to the instant at 
which the sun enters Mesha, whether before or after ; how- 
ever, it is not always accurately the nearest. 
The two parts of each month are distinguished in these al- 
manacs by the addition of the syllables vadee and soodha to 
the name ; thus the first half of Visakha, or that from the 
day after the full, to the day after the new moon is called Vi- 
sakha-vadee, and the remainder Visakha-soodha* ; but, I be- 
lieve, the more usual way of distinguishing them is by the 
■words kreeshna paksha, or the dark side, and sookla paksha , the 
bright side. 
A consequence of this way of counting the months is, that 
the first half of Chitra falls in one year, and the latter half in 
the following year. 
Whenever the sun enters no sign during a natural month, 
this month is intercalary, and makes an irregularity, which 
may best be explained by an example. 
In the year 1779, the sun entered into no sign during the 
natural month which began at the end of the first fortnight 
of Sravana ; accordingly the whole of this month was inter- 
calary, and the fortnight which preceded it was called Neeja 
Sravana vadee, instead of simply Sravana vadee, as it would 
otherwise have been named. The first half of the intercalary 
month was called Adheeka Sravana soodha, and the latter half 
Adheeka Sravana vadee, and the fortnight after the intercalary 
month, Neeja Sravana soodha. -f 
* Soodha signifies clear, pure, or complete; but the word Vadee is not to be found in 
any of Mr. Wilkins’s dictionaries. 
If Adheeka signifies over and above, or intercalary. Neeja prefixed to the name 
of the month signifies that month itself. 
