THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SASHTIABDHAPOORTHI

The word itself has its meaning as "Sashti" - 60, "abhda" - years/life and "poorthi" -completion. There are 60 years in a Hindu calendar cycle. Each year has a name. When a person reaches 60 years of age, such person enters the second cycle. Historically, because the husband would typically always be older than wife, Sashtiabdhapoorthi is celebrated when the husband (as opposed to the wife) turns 60.

At sixty, man had crossed only 50% of his life because the actual span of his life is 120 years according to Vedas. A 60th year, which is just half the span of time originally given to man is considered a critical period .According to the science of Hindu numerology, 6 happens to be an uneasy number and therefore 60 is a time when the ruling planet of a person may have an adverse effect on a man's life; He performs a religious Shanti, a measure undertaken to ensure good health, peace and longevity.

One Samvatsara Cycle consists of 60 years starting from Prabhava, Vibhava, etc. . . .In the cycle of years the current year is called "DhunmukiTamil version