2. CROPS:

India since ages has been an agricultural country with its economy and revenue based largely upon agricultural crops depending, in turn almost entirely on the seasonal rainfall and other climatic conditions each year. All major Hindu festivals, except those dedicated to Hindu deities, are thus generally season and agriculture oriented. India has two major annual crop seasons, viz., Khareef (summer/monsoon sowing and harvesting before winters) and Rabi (winter crop, post monsoon sowing and harvesting during/after winters).

3. HISTORY:

1. Muslim rule: Muslim rule in India began in year 1206 AD with the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate. The Sultanate, lasting for about 300 years ended with the establishment of Mughal era in year 1526 AD , lasting till year 1857 AD. It is believed that the rulers in the said initial 350 years of Muslim rule in India (1206-1556) were occupied mostly with expanding and consolidating their empire by conquering the then Hindu states and large scale destruction and looting of Hindu temples. Though they did construct some notable monuments, gardens, etc., they did precious little to meaningfully study the local conditions and identify the scope of reforms needed in the trade and Agriculture sectors in their domain. It was Emperor Akbar,(1556-1605) the third monarch on the Mughal throne in whose times the social and political climate of the country got some much needed and welcome changes.

1. Fasli Calendar:  After stably consolidating his empire, Akbar realized the chaotic confusion existing in the Agriculture sector, as though the farming operations were being carried out as per monsoon and other relevant seasons, it was the Hijri (lunar) calendar which was being followed for computing the annual agricultural revenue and taxes. Due to its inherent shift of 11 day per year the Hijri months were not in tune with the monsoon period and other seasonal climatic elements in North India. What added to the problem was that some Hindu states under the Mughal sovereignty were still following the Hindu solar calendar for their agricultural accounting purposes. As a result, computation and consolidation of combined annual Agricultural revenue and taxes for the Empire as a whole could not be done accurately. To overcome the above lacuna, Akbar thought of framing a new calendar containing elements of the Hijri and Hindu Samvat calendars both and also the monsoon factor.
   Taking his accession year (1556 AD) computed as per Hijri calendar as starting point and by adopting some complicated calculations involving the Hijri and Samvat years jointly and diligently worked out by Muslim Ulemas and Hindu pundits a new Calendar starting with year 963 (figure computed after taking into account the lag / lead of the Samvat and Hijri calendar years of the past) was evolved. It fulfilled all relevant requirements of the Hijri and Samvat calendars, as also the monsoon element and was called ‘Saal-e-Nau’-963’, i.e., New Year-963. Hindu pundits after their own calculations found it auspicious to fix the first day of this New Year with the last day of Shrawan (Poornima) of that particular Samvat which was (and even now is) the Raksha Bandhan day. As this New Calendar was created mainly for Agricultural purposes, it was aptly named as “Fasli Calendar’ and the New Year as ‘Fasli Year’, after the Persian word “Fasal’ which means Crop. First day of the first month of this Saal-e-nau was designated as New Year Day of the Fasli Year, and celebrated as such each following year by the rulers and public alike. Though for religious purposes the Muslim followed the Hijri Calendar and Hindus the Samvat Calendar, for agricultural revenue and taxation purposes it was the Fasli Calendar that was followed both by the Government of the day and public and is followed as such even today in agricultural context.
2. Saloono: Raksha Bandhan too, falling on the aforesaid New Year day, was referred to as ‘Saal-e-nau festival’. The word Sal-e-nau (New Year) got corrupted to ‘Saloono’ in course of time, and is known today with the same corrupted name. Since the Fasli calendar was synchronized initially itself with the Hindu solar calendar, it automatically got synchronized with the subsequent English (also solar) calendar. We, therefore have our Salonoo in the same period of the English calendar year after year.
   Since monsoon in North India gradually starts receding around Saloono, the fisher folk start venturing into water and business men start going out on business to outstation places. The Banjaras (travelling traders) stayed put at one point during monsoon, start gearing up for onward journey. It is thus on this day when the sisters tie the sacred thread of Rakhi to their brothers, wishing them prosperity, safety in journey and happy return back at home. A similar festival of ‘Naryal poornima’ is observed in Maharashtra and other places when the Sea God is worshiped by offer of coconuts etc., to please the Sea God for safe return of the fishermen with good fish harvest. In other words, it is all joy and festivity on the Saloono ( ‘Saal-e-nau’) day each year.

Author’s Note: There may be other versions on the subject but the above account (genuine inaccuracies or errors, if any, accepted) is as per my own perception based on recorded history and hearsay versions from our biradri buzurgs of yester years.