India, Jan. 20 -- As we usher in 2026, how many of us have pondered how the New Year was understood and signified in ancient Bharat, within the long and timeless trajectory of Indian history and culture? The New Year, as per the Christian calendar, which is today commemorated and celebrated worldwide, was not the norm back then. Let me provide a peek into it.

In ancient Indian civilisation, the New Year was not a single, uniform, universally fixed calendric date. Instead, it emerged from a complex but organic synthesis of astronomical observation grounded in lunar computation or solar astronomy, seasonal rhythms, dynastic time calculations (Samvats), region-specific cultural customs and practices, scriptural authority and ritual continui...