Nepali Calendar

Nepali Calendar

Bikram Sambat is the Nepali Calendar used in Nepal. Bikram Sambat is solar calendar. It is about 57 years ahead than Gregorian Calendar (AD). Different from other calendar Nepali Calendar starts from in the month of Baisakh end in the month of Chaitra. Bikram Sambat is also called Patro. Tithis and Mithis are in the patro as well.

The Western calendar is also a solar calendar. A year in calendar is the time required for the earth to complete one orbit around the sun. The earth takes about 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes and 46 seconds to complete its one orbit round the earth. In short that period is counted as a full year.

Eastern Hindu lunar calendar

It is based on both the sun and the moon; it uses a solar year but divides it into 12 lunar months. A lunar month is precisely 29 days 12 hours 44 minutes and 3 seconds long. Twelve such months constitute a lunar year of 354 days 8 hours 48 minutes and 36 seconds. To help the lunar months coincide with the solar year, the practice of inserting an intercalary (extra) month arose. Hence an extra month, called the Purushottam month (Adhik Mas), is inserted every 3 years.

Lunar days in eastern calendar are called “Tithis”. They are also calculated using the difference of the longitudinal angle between the position of the sun and moon. Because of this, tithis may vary in length. Consequently, the tithi may or may not have changed by the time the day has changed at sunrise. And that is why we find at certain times a tithi being omitted, and at certain times, two consecutive days sharing the same tithi.

Most of the festivals fall on lunar calendar and we use Bikaram Sambat which is solar calendar. That is the reason most of the festivals in Nepal do not fall under the same day in Bikram Sambat calendar all the years.

SN	Nepali Months	Nepali Months also Known as	Corresponding English Months
1	Baishak	Baisak	April and May
2	Jestha	Jeth	May and June
3	Ashad	Asar	June and July
4	Shrawan	Sawan	July and August
5	Bhadra	Bhadau	August and September
6	Ashwin	Ashoj	September and October
7	Kartik	Kattik	October and November
8	Marga	Mansir	November and December
9	Poush	Push	December aand January
10	Magh	Magh	January and Febraury
11	Falgun	Fagun	February and March
12	Chaitra	Chait	March and April