Shakabda  Shaka calendar starting from 78 AD. There are different opinions regarding its origins. According to some scholars, the calendar began after the death of the Shaka king Salivahana. According to Al­Biruni, however, King Vikramaditya initiated the calendar after defeating a Shaka king. Another opinion is that King Kaniska of the Kusana dynasty, who was known as Shaka, founded this calendar. Another era founded by him was prevailing in Nepal and Gangetic valley.

Shakabda follows both the lunar and solar systems: western India follows a lunar system, while in eastern India it follows the solar system. In the lunar system Shakabda starts with the month of Chaitra, while in the solar system it starts with Mesa. In western India, on the northern bank of the river Narmada, the Shakabda month ends on the day of the full moon, so that it is called purnimanta (ending in full moon) and on the southern bank it ends on the day of the new moon and is called amanta (ending in the new moon).

South India still follows Shakabda in particular cases. In Bengal it was used along with Bangla calendar up to the early twentieth century. In most old sanskrit and Bangla manuscripts the date of composition and copying was written in Shakabda, also known as Shaka, Shake, Shakanka or Kavi Shakanka. Shakabda can be converted into Bangabda by subtracting 515 and into the western calendar by adding 78. [Dulal Bhowmik]