Today is Baisakhi, the New Year for the Punjabis- the start of their month of Baisakh (based on the star Vishakha on which this month's full moon will fall). It is also the New year for Assamese, Bengalis, Oriyas, Keralites and Tamils. All of us have our own names in our own languages to mark the New Year. For the Vedic calendar based on Kaliyug calculations, it is the start of the 5116th year of Kali and the year is called Jaya, one of the "demons" who guarded the entrance to Vaikuntha (the abode of Vishnu). His brother Vijaya was the year preceding this that ends today.
In Hindu calendar, the names of the years cycle around for every 60 years. The names are those of "demons", a poor translation for Asuras (those who were not Sura ie good). As a child I asked why they were named after Asuras. Pat came the answer- time goes by and gets destroyed, likewise, the attributes that these Asuras are defined with, if we have such attributes in us, we offer it as an "ahuthi"- offering into time to be removed from us.
May this year of Jaya which also means Victory, bring much needed victory to the people of India from a corrupt government towards a healthy rate of economic growth and better socioeconomic standards.
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