Sharada (season)

Sharad/Sarath/Sharath (Sanskrit: शरद् Malayalam: ശരത് )is the autumn season or ritu in the Hindu calendar. It roughly corresponds to the western months of mid-September to mid-November. Sharad is preceded by Varsha and followed by Hemant. The Hindu calendar contains six seasons (Vasant, Grishma, Varsha, Sharad, Hemant, Shishir) with two months each.

Sharad is characterized by clear skies, after three months of rains. Sharad Navratri, are the first nine auspicious days of the season, Sharad Purnima, the full moon day in the month of Ashwin, is celebrated as the day of divine Rasalila by Shri Krishna. That is the brightest full moon night of the year.

Sharad is also a Hindu name given to the grandchildren of Seva or the child of gods and it is also a month of Hindu calendar

References

• Selby, Martha Ann (translator). The Circle of Six Seasons, Penguin, New Delhi, 2003, ISBN 0-14-100772-9
• Raghavan, V. Ṛtu in Sanskrit literature, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Kendriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, Delhi, 1972.