Hindu roots of Vesak Festivals?

[Rajesh Kochhar]

The Siddhantic calendar (Saka,Vikrami,or the Hindu calendar) is a twin-track
calendar. It keeps track of the sun's ingress into a zodiacal sign,as also
of lunar phases.The luni-solar year begins (at least in theory ) with  the
new moon so that the vernal equinox falls in the first lunar month.,Caitra
.I do not think the secod month Vaisakha has any particular Buddhist
connotation. In fact, Buddha Jayanti itself falls in Jyestha as a lunar
festival.

The various aspects of all  calendars  are authoritatively discussed in M N
Saha's Report of {Indian} Calendar Reform Committee,1956. For details of
religious festivities/rituals see L D S Pillai(c.1912) An Indian Ephemeris
AD 1800-AD 2000(Madras),Chaps 1 and 2.
Rajesh Kochhar
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Prof Rajesh Kochhar
Director
National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies
Pusa Gate , K S Krishnan Marg , New Delhi 110012
ph + 91 11  5764064 / 5743227/5765380 x231   fax 5754640
hm + 91 11 576 0281
altenative email rkochhar2000 at yahoo.com
web site  http://nistads.res.in { NOTE no www}
-----Original Message-----
From: Jean Nielson <jneil at EZ2.NET>
To: INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK <INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK>
Date: Wednesday, October 25, 2000 10:54 AM
Subject: Re: Hindu roots of Vesak Festivals?


>Please unsubcribe me to this list.  At the current time I am flooded with
mail and
>do not have time to read it all.
>
>Thank you very much,
>jneil at ez2.net
>
>Dave Turpie wrote:
>
>> Hello list members,
>>         Here's hoping someone in the know will indulge a query that
balances
>> precariously on the edge of being inter-disciplinary. I am currently
>> researching early forms of the Theravadan Buddhist ritual known as Vesak
>> (derived from vaisakha, the second month in the Indian lunar calendar).
>> Given that in some circles, Gotama Buddha is considered to be the ninth
>> incarnation of Visnu, and the month of Vaiskha is generally associated
with
>> Visnu celebrations, there would seem to be a link between this buddhist
>> festival which celebrates the birth, death, and enlightenment of the
buddha
>> (all ocurring on the same full moon day in this month)and earlier (or
>> current)Visnu festivals of some sort.
>>         At the moment this all pure speculation with no textual basis to
support
>> such claims. Can anyone offer some guidance in the form of text or an
>> actual festival that might intimate at a connection between Vesak and a
>> Visnu festival either held in the past or currently being sponsored?
>>
>> Any help would be greatly appreciated, David T.