  agrahÄyaá¹a or mÄrgaÅÄ«rá¹£a,hindu calendar (hindi: à¤à¤à¤¹à¤¨ - agahana; à¤®à¤¾à¤°à¥à¤à¤¶à¥à¤°à¥à¤· - mÄrgaÅirá¹£a) is a month of the hindu calendar and tamil calendar. in india's national civil calendar, agrahÄyaá¹a is the ninth month of the year, beginning on 22 november and ending on 21 december. since vedic times, this month is known as mÄrgaÅÄ«rá¹£a after the naká¹£atra (asterisms) má¹gaÅiras. in tamil, the month is known as maarkazhi. the word agrahÄyaá¹a means the month of ayana or equinox (agra=first + ayana = travel of the sun, equinox). the aligning of this name with the má¹gaÅiras naká¹£atra (lambda orionis), gives rise to speculation that this name may have been given when the sun was near orion at the time of vernal equinox, i.e. around 7000 years ago. in lunar religious calendars, agrahÄyaá¹a may begin on either the new moon or the full moon around the same time of year, and is usually the 9th month of the year. in solar religious calendars, agrahÄyaá¹a/maarkazhi begins with the sun's entry into sagittarius, and is usually the 9th month of the year. in the vaiá¹£á¹ava calendar, keÅava governs this month. ==festivals== vaikuá¹á¹­ha ekÄdaÅÄ«, the ekÄdaÅÄ« (i.e. 11th lunar day) of this mÄrgaÅÄ«á¹£a month, is celebrated also as moká¹£adÄ ekÄdaÅÄ«. the 10th canto, 22nd chapter of bhÄgavata purÄá¹a, mentions young marriageable daughters (gopis) of the cowherd men of gokula, worshiping goddess kÄtyÄyanÄ« and taking a vrata or vow, during the entire month of mÄrgaÅÄ«á¹£a, the first month of the winter season (ÅiÅira), to get ÅrÄ« ká¹á¹£á¹a as their husband.ÅrÄ« kÄtyÄyanÄ« vrata story bhagavat purÄá¹a 10th canto 22nd chapter. kÄlabhairava aá¹£á¹­amÄ« (or kÄlabhairava jayanti) falls on ká¹á¹£á¹a paká¹£a aá¹£á¹­amÄ« of this month of mÄrgaÅÄ«á¹£a. on this day it is said that lord Åiva appeared on earth in the fierce manifestation (avatÄra) as ÅrÄ« kÄlabhairava. this day is commemorated with special prayers and rituals {{cite book |title=religious basis of hindu beliefs|author= dr. bhojraj dwivedi|publisher=diamond pocket books (p) ltd. |year= 2006|isbn=8128812394 |page=172 |url=http://books.google.co.in/books?id=7wmqkuhfwwgc&pg=pa172&dq=kal+bhairav&hl=en&sa=x&ei=n7zat43desfrrqe11
Months_of_the_Hindu_calendar