Assamese Calendar

Assamese Calendar 2003

The Assamese festival calendar (Bohag Bihu new year). Assamese festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.

July 2003

Bhaskarabda 1410

Ahar – Xaon

Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat

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 2003 - festivals and vrats through the year

The Assamese Calendar lists 16 dates in 2003, opening with Uruka (Magh Bihu Eve) on 13 January and closing with Raas Mahotsav on 8 November. October is the fullest month with 5 dates. The year runs through Bhaskarabda 1409 – 1410.

January 2003 Puh – Magh

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
13 Jan Mon Uruka (Magh Bihu Eve)

The feasting night before Magh Bihu, with community bhojas around the meji bonfire.

Shukla Dashami
14 Jan Tue Magh Bihu (Bhogali Bihu)

The harvest Bihu of plenty on Makar Sankranti, marked by feasts and the burning of the meji.

Shukla Ekadashi

February 2003 Magh – Fagun

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
6 Feb Thu Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami)

The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami.

Shukla Panchami

March 2003 Fagun – Sot

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
1 Mar Sat Maha Shivaratri

The great night of Lord Shiva.

Krishna Chaturdashi
18 Mar Tue Doul Utsav (Holi)

The Assamese festival of colours on the full moon of Phalguna.

Shukla Purnima

April 2003 Sot – Bohag

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
14 Apr Mon Bohag Bihu (Rongali Bihu)

Assam's spring new-year Bihu of Husori song, dance and feasting, as the Sun enters Mesha.

Shukla Dwadashi

June 2003 Jeth – Ahar

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
10 Jun Tue Ganga Dashahara

The descent of the Ganga, on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami.

Shukla Dashami
15 Jun Sun Mithun Sankranti

The Sun's entry into Mithuna, observed across Assam.

Krishna Pratipada

August 2003 Xaon – Bhado

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
17 Aug Sun Manasa Puja

The serpent goddess Manasa is worshipped at the close of Shravana for protection and fertility.

Krishna Panchami
20 Aug Wed Janmashtami

The midnight birth of Lord Krishna.

Krishna Ashtami

October 2003 Ahin – Kati

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
3 Oct Fri Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami

The eighth day of Durga Puja, the height of the autumn festival.

Shukla Ashtami
4 Oct Sat Vijayadashami

The immersion of Durga and the victory of good over evil.

Shukla Navami
9 Oct Thu Lakshmi Puja

Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on the full moon of Ashwina.

Shukla Chaturdashi
18 Oct Sat 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.

Krishna Ashtami
25 Oct Sat Kali Puja (Diwali)

The worship of Goddess Kali on the new moon of Kartika.

Krishna Amavasya

November 2003 Kati – Aghun

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
8 Nov Sat 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 2003

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 2003, covering Bhaskarabda 1409 – 1410. 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 2003 14 Jan 2003 14
Magh 15 Jan 2003 12 Feb 2003 29
Fagun 13 Feb 2003 14 Mar 2003 30
Sot 15 Mar 2003 14 Apr 2003 31
Bohag 15 Apr 2003 15 May 2003 31
Jeth 16 May 2003 15 Jun 2003 31
Ahar 16 Jun 2003 16 Jul 2003 31
Xaon 17 Jul 2003 17 Aug 2003 32
Bhado 18 Aug 2003 17 Sep 2003 31
Ahin 18 Sep 2003 17 Oct 2003 30
Kati 18 Oct 2003 16 Nov 2003 30
Aghun 17 Nov 2003 16 Dec 2003 30
Puh part 17 Dec 2003 31 Dec 2003 15

What happened in the sky in 2003

Beyond the dates the Assamese Calendar lists, 2003 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) fell on 6 February, 11 days earlier in the year than in 2002 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.

Eclipses of 2003

Date (IST) Eclipse Assamese date Seen from India
16 May 9:10 AM Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Jeth Purnima Not visible
31 May 9:38 AM Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Jeth Amavasya Yes - Sutak observed
9 Nov 6:48 AM Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Raas Mahotsav Kati Purnima Yes - Sutak observed
24 Nov 4:19 AM Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Aghun Shukla Pratipada Not visible

Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.

Guru and Shani in 2003

Date Graha Sign change
8 Jan 2:00 PM Shani (Saturn) Mithuna → Vrishabha re-entry while retrograde
7 Apr 8:20 PM Shani (Saturn) Vrishabha → Mithuna
30 Jul 12:00 PM Guru (Jupiter) Karka → Simha

Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Mesha on 6 September 2003, carrying the eclipse axis with it.

Frequently asked questions about the Assamese Calendar 2003

How many festivals and vrats does the Assamese Calendar list in 2003?

The Assamese Calendar lists 16 dates in 2003. The first is Uruka (Magh Bihu Eve) on Monday, 13 January 2003, and the last is Raas Mahotsav on Saturday, 8 November 2003.

What are the main festival dates in the Assamese Calendar for 2003?

The first major observances of 2003 are:

  • Uruka (Magh Bihu Eve) - Monday, 13 January 2003
  • Magh Bihu (Bhogali Bihu) - Tuesday, 14 January 2003
  • Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) - Thursday, 6 February 2003
  • Maha Shivaratri - Saturday, 1 March 2003
  • Doul Utsav (Holi) - Tuesday, 18 March 2003
  • Bohag Bihu (Rongali Bihu) - Monday, 14 April 2003
Which month of 2003 has the most observances in the Assamese Calendar?

October 2003 is the fullest month with 5 dates, including Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami, Vijayadashami, Lakshmi Puja, Kati Bihu (Kongali Bihu), Kali Puja (Diwali).

Which traditional year does 2003 correspond to in the Assamese Calendar?

The Gregorian year 2003 spans Bhaskarabda 1409 – 1410. 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 2003 have an Adhik Maas?

No. 2003 had twelve lunar months with no Adhik Maas, so its festival dates fall in their usual Gregorian window rather than being pushed later by an intercalary month.

Were there any eclipses in 2003?

2003 had 4 eclipses:

  • 16 May 2003 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
  • 31 May 2003 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 9 November 2003 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 24 November 2003 - Total 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 2003?

Yes - 3 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2003:

  • Shani (Saturn) entered Vrishabha on 8 January 2003, moving retrograde
  • Shani (Saturn) entered Mithuna on 7 April 2003
  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Simha on 30 July 2003

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 2003?

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.

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