Assamese Calendar 1996
The Assamese festival calendar (Bohag Bihu new year). Assamese festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
May 1996
Bhaskarabda 1403
Bohag – Jeth
Timings shown for New Delhi (IST) at sunrise - use the city box at the top to change it. Solar months begin by each tradition's own Sankranti rule (same-day, next-day, sunset or aparahna). Era years and lunar month names follow standard Vedic calculations and may differ slightly from regional almanacs around an Adhik Maas.
Assamese Calendar 1996 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Assamese Calendar lists 16 dates in 1996, opening with Uruka (Magh Bihu Eve) on 14 January and closing with Raas Mahotsav on 25 November. October is the fullest month with 4 dates. The year runs through Bhaskarabda 1402 – 1403. 1996 carries an Adhik Maas (Ashadha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several festivals later than usual.
January 1996 Puh – Magh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan | Sun |
Uruka (Magh Bihu Eve) The feasting night before Magh Bihu, with community bhojas around the meji bonfire. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 15 Jan | Mon |
Magh Bihu (Bhogali Bihu) The harvest Bihu of plenty on Makar Sankranti, marked by feasts and the burning of the meji. |
Krishna Navami |
| 24 Jan | Wed |
Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami)
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
February 1996 Magh – Fagun
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Feb | Sat |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
March 1996 Fagun – Sot
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Mar | Mon |
Doul Utsav (Holi) The Assamese festival of colours on the full moon of Phalguna. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
April 1996 Sot – Bohag
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Apr | Sat |
Bohag Bihu (Rongali Bihu) Assam's spring new-year Bihu of Husori song, dance and feasting, as the Sun enters Mesha. |
Krishna Dashami |
May 1996 Bohag – Jeth
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 May | Tue |
Ganga Dashahara The descent of the Ganga, on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
June 1996 Jeth – Ahar
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jun | Sat |
Mithun Sankranti
The Sun's entry into Mithuna, observed across Assam. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
August 1996 Xaon – Bhado
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Aug | Fri |
Manasa Puja
The serpent goddess Manasa is worshipped at the close of Shravana for protection and fertility. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
September 1996 Bhado – Ahin
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Sep | Thu |
Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
October 1996 Ahin – Kati
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Oct | Thu |
Kati Bihu (Kongali Bihu) The austere Bihu of lamps lit in the paddy fields and before the Tulsi for a good harvest, as the Sun enters Tula. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 20 Oct | Sun |
Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami
The eighth day of Durga Puja, the height of the autumn festival. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 21 Oct | Mon |
Vijayadashami The immersion of Durga and the victory of good over evil. |
Shukla Navami |
| 25 Oct | Fri |
Lakshmi Puja
Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on the full moon of Ashwina. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
November 1996 Kati – Aghun
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Nov | Sun |
Kali Puja (Diwali)
The worship of Goddess Kali on the new moon of Kartika. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 25 Nov | Mon |
Raas Mahotsav The Raas Leela of Krishna, celebrated grandly in the Satras of Majuli on Kartika Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
Months of the Assamese Calendar in 1996
The Assamese Calendar does not begin its year on 1 January, so each of its months straddles two Gregorian ones. These are the months that ran through 1996, covering Bhaskarabda 1402 – 1403. A month marked part is one the Gregorian year cuts short at its own start or end.
| Month | Begins | Ends | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puh part | 1 Jan 1996 | 14 Jan 1996 | 14 |
| Magh | 15 Jan 1996 | 13 Feb 1996 | 30 |
| Fagun | 14 Feb 1996 | 14 Mar 1996 | 30 |
| Sot | 15 Mar 1996 | 13 Apr 1996 | 30 |
| Bohag | 14 Apr 1996 | 14 May 1996 | 31 |
| Jeth | 15 May 1996 | 14 Jun 1996 | 31 |
| Ahar | 15 Jun 1996 | 16 Jul 1996 | 32 |
| Xaon | 17 Jul 1996 | 16 Aug 1996 | 31 |
| Bhado | 17 Aug 1996 | 16 Sep 1996 | 31 |
| Ahin | 17 Sep 1996 | 16 Oct 1996 | 30 |
| Kati | 17 Oct 1996 | 15 Nov 1996 | 30 |
| Aghun | 16 Nov 1996 | 15 Dec 1996 | 30 |
| Puh part | 16 Dec 1996 | 31 Dec 1996 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1996
Beyond the dates the Assamese Calendar lists, 1996 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Ashadha, running from 17 June 1996 to 15 July 1996. Uruka (Magh Bihu Eve) fell on 14 January, 1 day later in the year than in 1995 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1996
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Assamese date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Apr 5:39 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Sot Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 18 Apr 4:07 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Bohag Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 27 Sep 8:24 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Ahin Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 12 Oct 7:31 PM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Ahin Amavasya | Not visible |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1996
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Feb 6:30 PM | Shani (Saturn) | Kumbha → Meena |
| 26 Dec 8:00 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Dhanu → Makara |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Frequently asked questions about the Assamese Calendar 1996
How many festivals and vrats does the Assamese Calendar list in 1996?
The Assamese Calendar lists 16 dates in 1996. The first is Uruka (Magh Bihu Eve) on Sunday, 14 January 1996, and the last is Raas Mahotsav on Monday, 25 November 1996.
What are the main festival dates in the Assamese Calendar for 1996?
The first major observances of 1996 are:
- Uruka (Magh Bihu Eve) - Sunday, 14 January 1996
- Magh Bihu (Bhogali Bihu) - Monday, 15 January 1996
- Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) - Wednesday, 24 January 1996
- Maha Shivaratri - Saturday, 17 February 1996
- Doul Utsav (Holi) - Monday, 4 March 1996
- Bohag Bihu (Rongali Bihu) - Saturday, 13 April 1996
Which month of 1996 has the most observances in the Assamese Calendar?
October 1996 is the fullest month with 4 dates, including Kati Bihu (Kongali Bihu), Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami, Vijayadashami, Lakshmi Puja.
Which traditional year does 1996 correspond to in the Assamese Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1996 spans Bhaskarabda 1402 – 1403. The traditional year does not begin on 1 January, so one Gregorian year usually covers the end of one era year and the start of the next.
Did 1996 have an Adhik Maas?
Yes. 1996 carried an Adhik Maas (Ashadha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month inserted roughly every third year to keep the lunar calendar in step with the solar one. Festivals falling after it shift later in the Gregorian year, which is why 1996 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.
Were there any eclipses in 1996?
1996 had 4 eclipses:
- 4 April 1996 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 18 April 1996 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 27 September 1996 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 12 October 1996 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 2 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1996?
Yes - 2 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1996:
- Shani (Saturn) entered Meena on 16 February 1996
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Makara on 26 December 1996
Jupiter takes about a year to cross one sign and Saturn about two and a half, so these transits colour the whole year rather than a single week.
How do I see the tithi and nakshatra for a specific date in 1996?
Use the month grid above: pick a month from the selector, then tap any day to open its full panchang - tithi with start and end times, nakshatra, yoga, karana, sunrise and sunset, and the inauspicious periods (Rahu Kalam, Yamaganda, Gulika Kalam). Set your city in the box at the top first, because these timings are sunrise-based and shift with location. The Assamese Calendar opens on the current month.
About the Assamese Calendar
The Assamese festival calendar (Bohag Bihu new year). Assamese festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
Each day lists its tithi and paksha, the nakshatra, the weekday (vaar) and any festivals or vrats. Tap any day to see the full panchang for that date - tithi start and end times, nakshatra, yoga, karana, sunrise and sunset, and the inauspicious periods (Rahu Kalam, Yamaganda, Gulika Kalam). Use the month and year selectors to browse any year in the archive or plan ahead into the coming years.
This calendar names the tithi and festivals for each day. For sunrise, Rahu Kalam and muhurat windows on a chosen date, open the Panchang. Other regional calendars are on the Calendars index. Fast stories live under Vrat Katha.


