Manvantara
Manvantara is a cycle of time in Hindu cosmology. It marks the period of a Manu, the progenitor of mankind, during which the world is shaped, ruled, and then dissolved. In each manvantara, seven Rishis, certain deities, one Indra, a Manu, and the kings who are Manu’s sons are created and pass away. The manvantara is named for the Manu who rules it; we are currently in the seventh of fourteen, ruled by Vaivasvata Manu.
Etymology: The word manvantara comes from manu (the progenitor of mankind) and antara (an interval or period), meaning “the duration of a Manu.”
Sandhya and sandhi are terms used for the junctions before or after a manvantara, a time of universal flood. A single manvantara lasts 306,720,000 years (852,000 divine years; 1 divine year = 360 solar years) and contains 71 Yuga Cycles—the cycles of the four ages (Satya, Treta, Dwapara, Kali).
Kalpa, the day of Brahma, lasts 4.32 billion years. In one kalpa there are fourteen manvantaras and fifteen sandhyas (junctions) that separate them. Each sandhya lasts 1,728,000 years, and during these periods the earth is submerged in water.
Structure: In a kalpa the sequence is alternating sandhyas and manvantaras, totaling 14 manvantaras and 15 sandhyas. After each manvantara, there is a sandhya before the next begins.
Current status: We are in the seventh manvantara, ruled by Vaivasvata Manu. The cycle will continue as new manvantaras follow, each with its own ruler and era.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 05:05 (CET).