Assamese Calendar

Assamese Calendar 2020

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

March 2020

Bhaskarabda 1426

Fagun – Sot

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 2020 - festivals and vrats through the year

The Assamese Calendar lists 16 dates in 2020, opening with Uruka (Magh Bihu Eve) on 14 January and closing with Raas Mahotsav on 30 November. October is the fullest month with 4 dates. The year runs through Bhaskarabda 1426 – 1427. 2020 carries an Adhik Maas (Ashwina (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several festivals later than usual.

January 2020 Puh – Magh

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
14 Jan Tue Uruka (Magh Bihu Eve)

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

Krishna Chaturthi
15 Jan Wed Magh Bihu (Bhogali Bihu)

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

Krishna Panchami
29 Jan Wed Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami)

The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami.

Shukla Chaturthi

February 2020 Magh – Fagun

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
21 Feb Fri Maha Shivaratri

The great night of Lord Shiva.

Krishna Trayodashi

March 2020 Fagun – Sot

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
9 Mar Mon Doul Utsav (Holi)

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

Shukla Purnima

April 2020 Sot – Bohag

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

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

Krishna Saptami

June 2020 Jeth – Ahar

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
1 Jun Mon Ganga Dashahara

The descent of the Ganga, on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami.

Shukla Dashami
15 Jun Mon Mithun Sankranti

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

Krishna Dashami

August 2020 Xaon – Bhado

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
12 Aug Wed Janmashtami

The midnight birth of Lord Krishna.

Krishna Ashtami
16 Aug Sun Manasa Puja

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

Krishna Dwadashi

October 2020 Ahin – Kati

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
17 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.

Shukla Pratipada
23 Oct Fri Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami

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

Shukla Saptami
25 Oct Sun Vijayadashami

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

Shukla Navami
30 Oct Fri Lakshmi Puja

Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on the full moon of Ashwina.

Shukla Chaturdashi

November 2020 Kati – Aghun

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
14 Nov Sat Kali Puja (Diwali)

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

Krishna Chaturdashi
30 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 2020

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 2020, covering Bhaskarabda 1426 – 1427. 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 2020 15 Jan 2020 15
Magh 16 Jan 2020 13 Feb 2020 29
Fagun 14 Feb 2020 14 Mar 2020 30
Sot 15 Mar 2020 13 Apr 2020 30
Bohag 14 Apr 2020 14 May 2020 31
Jeth 15 May 2020 14 Jun 2020 31
Ahar 15 Jun 2020 16 Jul 2020 32
Xaon 17 Jul 2020 16 Aug 2020 31
Bhado 17 Aug 2020 16 Sep 2020 31
Ahin 17 Sep 2020 17 Oct 2020 31
Kati 18 Oct 2020 16 Nov 2020 30
Aghun 17 Nov 2020 15 Dec 2020 29
Puh part 16 Dec 2020 31 Dec 2020 16

What happened in the sky in 2020

Beyond the dates the Assamese Calendar lists, 2020 brought 6 eclipses - 2 solar and 4 lunar - of which 4 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Ashwina, running from 18 September 2020 to 16 October 2020. Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) fell on 29 January, 11 days earlier in the year than in 2019 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.

Eclipses of 2020

Date (IST) Eclipse Assamese date Seen from India
11 Jan 12:40 AM Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 3 days before Uruka (Magh Bihu Eve) Puh Krishna Pratipada Penumbral only
6 Jun 12:54 AM Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Jeth Krishna Pratipada Penumbral only
21 Jun 12:10 PM Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Ahar Amavasya Yes - Sutak observed
5 Jul 9:59 AM Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Ahar Purnima Not visible
30 Nov 3:12 PM Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Raas Mahotsav Aghun Purnima Penumbral only
14 Dec 9:43 PM Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Aghun Amavasya Not visible

Sutak Kaal was observed for 1 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.

Guru and Shani in 2020

Date Graha Sign change
24 Jan 10:00 AM Shani (Saturn) Dhanu → Makara
30 Mar 4:00 AM Guru (Jupiter) Dhanu → Makara
30 Jun 5:30 AM Guru (Jupiter) Makara → Dhanu re-entry while retrograde
20 Nov 1:30 PM Guru (Jupiter) Dhanu → Makara

Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Vrishabha on 23 September 2020, carrying the eclipse axis with it.

Frequently asked questions about the Assamese Calendar 2020

How many festivals and vrats does the Assamese Calendar list in 2020?

The Assamese Calendar lists 16 dates in 2020. The first is Uruka (Magh Bihu Eve) on Tuesday, 14 January 2020, and the last is Raas Mahotsav on Monday, 30 November 2020.

What are the main festival dates in the Assamese Calendar for 2020?

The first major observances of 2020 are:

  • Uruka (Magh Bihu Eve) - Tuesday, 14 January 2020
  • Magh Bihu (Bhogali Bihu) - Wednesday, 15 January 2020
  • Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) - Wednesday, 29 January 2020
  • Maha Shivaratri - Friday, 21 February 2020
  • Doul Utsav (Holi) - Monday, 9 March 2020
  • Bohag Bihu (Rongali Bihu) - Tuesday, 14 April 2020
Which month of 2020 has the most observances in the Assamese Calendar?

October 2020 is the fullest month with 4 dates, including Kati Bihu (Kongali Bihu), Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami, Vijayadashami, Lakshmi Puja.

Which traditional year does 2020 correspond to in the Assamese Calendar?

The Gregorian year 2020 spans Bhaskarabda 1426 – 1427. 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 2020 have an Adhik Maas?

Yes. 2020 carried an Adhik Maas (Ashwina (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 2020 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.

Were there any eclipses in 2020?

2020 had 6 eclipses:

  • 11 January 2020 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
  • 6 June 2020 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
  • 21 June 2020 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 5 July 2020 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
  • 30 November 2020 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
  • 14 December 2020 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India

Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 1 of these was kept in India.

Did Guru or Shani change sign in 2020?

Yes - 4 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2020:

  • Shani (Saturn) entered Makara on 24 January 2020
  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Makara on 30 March 2020
  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Dhanu on 30 June 2020, moving retrograde
  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Makara on 20 November 2020

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 2020?

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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