Gujarati Samvat Calendar 2008
The Gujarati festival calendar (Vikram Samvat, Kartika new year). Gujarati festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each.
December 2008
Gujarati Samvat 2064 (Vikari)
Margashirsha – Pausha
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.
Gujarati Samvat Calendar 2008 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Gujarati Samvat Calendar lists 42 dates in 2008, opening with Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti) on 15 January and closing with Dattatreya Jayanti on 12 December. Of these, 9 are vrats (fasting observances). October is the fullest month with 10 dates. The year runs through Gujarati Samvat 2063 – 2064.
January 2008 Pausha – Magha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan | Tue |
Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti) The kite festival on the Sun's entry into Makara. |
Shukla Saptami |
February 2008 Magha – Phalguna
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Feb | Mon |
Vasant Panchami
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
March 2008 Phalguna – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Mar | Thu |
Maha Shivratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 21 Mar | Fri |
Holika Dahan The bonfire of Holika on the full moon of Phalguna. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 22 Mar | Sat |
Dhuleti (Holi) The festival of colours, the day after Holika Dahan. |
Krishna Pratipada |
April 2008 Chaitra – Vaishakha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Apr | Mon |
Chaitra Navratri Begins
The spring nine nights of Devi worship begin on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 8 Apr | Tue |
Gangaur The climax of an eighteen-day Rajasthani festival to Gauri (Parvati) on Chaitra Shukla Tritiya; married women pray for their husbands and unmarried girls for a good groom, with grand processions of Gauri and Isar (Shiva) idols in Jaipur and Udaipur. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 13 Apr | Sun |
Ram Navami The birth of Lord Rama on Chaitra Shukla Navami. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 20 Apr | Sun |
Hanuman Jayanti
The birth of Lord Hanuman on the full moon of Chaitra. |
Shukla Purnima |
May 2008 Vaishakha – Jyeshtha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 May | Wed |
Akshaya Tritiya (Akhatrij) Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya — among the most auspicious days for new ventures. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
| 18 May | Sun |
Narsimha Jayanti The advent of Lord Narasimha on Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
June 2008 Jyeshtha – Ashadha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun | Fri |
Ganga Dussehra The descent of the Ganga, on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 18 Jun | Wed | Vat Purnima (Vat Pournima) Vrat | Shukla Purnima |
July 2008 Ashadha – Shravana
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jul | Fri |
Ashadhi Beej (Kutchi New Year) The Kutchi new year on Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya, welcoming the monsoon. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
| 4 Jul | Fri |
Ratha Yatra Lord Jagannath's chariot festival, observed grandly in Ahmedabad. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
| 13 Jul | Sun | Gauri Vrat (Morakat) Begins Vrat | Shukla Ekadashi |
| 16 Jul | Wed | Jaya Parvati Vrat Begins Vrat | Shukla Trayodashi |
| 18 Jul | Fri |
Guru Purnima The full moon of Ashadha honouring teachers and sage Veda Vyasa. |
Shukla Purnima |
August 2008 Shravana – Bhadrapada
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Aug | Tue |
Jhulan Yatra (Hindola) Begins The swing festival of Radha and Krishna — beautifully decorated swings are rocked through to Jhulan Purnima; in Gujarat temples the same hindola (swing) darshan is held. |
Shukla Ekadashi |
| 16 Aug | Sat |
Narali Purnima (Nariyal Purnima) On Shravana Purnima, coastal communities offer coconuts (naral / nariyal) to the sea god Varuna, marking the end of the monsoon and the return to fishing. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 20 Aug | Wed | Bol Choth (Bahula Chauth) Vrat | Krishna Chaturthi |
| 21 Aug | Thu | Randhan Chhath Vrat | Krishna Panchami |
| 22 Aug | Fri | Shitala Satam Vrat | Krishna Shashthi |
| 24 Aug | Sun |
Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 2008 Bhadrapada – Ashwina
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Sep | Tue | Hartalika Teej (Kevda Trij) Vrat | Shukla Tritiya |
| 3 Sep | Wed |
Ganesh Chaturthi
The birth of Lord Ganesha on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi. |
Shukla Chaturthi |
| 4 Sep | Thu | Rishi Panchami Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 16 Sep | Tue |
Pitru Paksha Begins The fortnight of offerings to the ancestors begins. |
Krishna Pratipada |
| 30 Sep | Tue |
Sharad Navratri Begins The autumn nine nights of Devi worship begin. |
Shukla Pratipada |
October 2008 Ashwina – Kartika
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Oct | Tue |
Durga Ashtami
The eighth night of Navratri, sacred to Goddess Durga. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 9 Oct | Thu |
Dussehra (Vijayadashami) The triumph of good over evil on Ashwina Shukla Dashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 14 Oct | Tue |
Sharad Purnima
The bright autumn full moon of Ashwina, kept with Kojagari Lakshmi worship. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 21 Oct | Tue | Ahoi Ashtami Vrat | Krishna Ashtami |
| 25 Oct | Sat |
Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) The first day of Diwali, when cows and their calves are worshipped in gratitude for their nourishment — kept as Vasubaras in Maharashtra and Vagh Baras in Gujarat, where traders close the old account books. |
Krishna Dwadashi |
| 26 Oct | Sun |
Dhanteras The worship of Dhanvantari and the buying of metal. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 27 Oct | Mon |
Kali Chaudas
The night before Diwali's Amavasya, Goddess Kali is worshipped to destroy negativity; sleep and laziness (alasya) are symbolically driven from the home. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 28 Oct | Tue |
Diwali The worship of Goddess Lakshmi and Sharda Puja on Kartika Amavasya. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 29 Oct | Wed |
Bali Pratipada (Diwali Padwa / Bestu Varas) The Diwali Padwa honouring King Bali's return; wives perform aukshan (aarti) for their husbands and new account books and ventures are begun. In Gujarat this is Bestu Varas, the Gujarati New Year. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 30 Oct | Thu |
Bhai Beej Sisters honour their brothers two days after Diwali. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
November 2008 Kartika – Margashirsha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Nov | Mon |
Labh Pancham The fifth day after Diwali (Kartik Shukla Panchami) — the auspicious day Gujarati traders reopen their shops and account books, praying to Lakshmi and Ganesha for profit (labh) in the new year. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 13 Nov | Thu |
Dev Diwali (Kartik Purnima) The Diwali of the gods on Kartika Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
December 2008 Margashirsha – Pausha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Dec | Fri |
Dattatreya Jayanti The advent of Lord Dattatreya on Margashirsha Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
Months of the Gujarati Samvat Calendar in 2008
The Gujarati Samvat 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 2008, covering Gujarati Samvat 2063 – 2064. A month marked part is one the Gregorian year cuts short at its own start or end.
| Month | Begins | Ends | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pausha part | 1 Jan 2008 | 14 Jan 2008 | 14 |
| Magha | 15 Jan 2008 | 13 Feb 2008 | 30 |
| Phalguna | 14 Feb 2008 | 14 Mar 2008 | 30 |
| Chaitra | 15 Mar 2008 | 13 Apr 2008 | 30 |
| Vaishakha | 14 Apr 2008 | 14 May 2008 | 31 |
| Jyeshtha | 15 May 2008 | 14 Jun 2008 | 31 |
| Ashadha | 15 Jun 2008 | 16 Jul 2008 | 32 |
| Shravana | 17 Jul 2008 | 16 Aug 2008 | 31 |
| Bhadrapada | 17 Aug 2008 | 16 Sep 2008 | 31 |
| Ashwina | 17 Sep 2008 | 16 Oct 2008 | 30 |
| Kartika | 17 Oct 2008 | 15 Nov 2008 | 30 |
| Margashirsha | 16 Nov 2008 | 15 Dec 2008 | 30 |
| Pausha part | 16 Dec 2008 | 31 Dec 2008 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 2008
Beyond the dates the Gujarati Samvat Calendar lists, 2008 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 3 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Vasant Panchami fell on 11 February, 19 days later in the year than in 2007 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2008
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Gujarati Samvat date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Feb 9:25 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Magha Amavasya | Not visible |
| 21 Feb 8:56 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Phalguna Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 1 Aug 3:51 PM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Shravana Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 17 Aug 2:40 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Narali Purnima (Nariyal Purnima) | Bhadrapada Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 3 of these.
Guru and Shani in 2008
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Dec 11:50 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Dhanu → Makara |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Makara on 30 April 2008, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Gujarati Samvat Calendar 2008
How many festivals and vrats does the Gujarati Samvat Calendar list in 2008?
The Gujarati Samvat Calendar lists 42 dates in 2008, of which 9 are vrats. The first is Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti) on Tuesday, 15 January 2008, and the last is Dattatreya Jayanti on Friday, 12 December 2008.
What are the main festival dates in the Gujarati Samvat Calendar for 2008?
The first major observances of 2008 are:
- Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti) - Tuesday, 15 January 2008
- Vasant Panchami - Monday, 11 February 2008
- Maha Shivratri - Thursday, 6 March 2008
- Holika Dahan - Friday, 21 March 2008
- Dhuleti (Holi) - Saturday, 22 March 2008
- Chaitra Navratri Begins - Monday, 7 April 2008
Which month of 2008 has the most observances in the Gujarati Samvat Calendar?
October 2008 is the fullest month with 10 dates, including Durga Ashtami, Dussehra (Vijayadashami), Sharad Purnima, Ahoi Ashtami, Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi), Dhanteras, Kali Chaudas, Diwali.
Which traditional year does 2008 correspond to in the Gujarati Samvat Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2008 spans Gujarati Samvat 2063 – 2064. 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 2008 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 2008 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 2008?
2008 had 4 eclipses:
- 7 February 2008 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 21 February 2008 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 1 August 2008 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 17 August 2008 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 3 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 2008?
Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 2008:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Makara on 9 December 2008
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 2008?
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 Gujarati Samvat Calendar opens on the current month.
About the Gujarati Samvat Calendar
The Gujarati festival calendar (Vikram Samvat, Kartika new year). Gujarati festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each.
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.
