Indian Calendar 2003
The Indian national calendar - public holidays, national days and the main festivals of every community, listed month by month with the date for each.
February 2003
Shaka Samvat 1924 (Chitrabhanu)
Magha – Phalguna
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.
Indian Calendar 2003 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Indian Calendar lists 69 dates in 2003, opening with New Year on 1 January and closing with Christmas on 25 December. April is the fullest month with 16 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1924 – 1925.
January 2003 Pausha – Magha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan | Wed | New Year | Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 12 Jan | Sun | National Youth Day | Shukla Navami |
| 13 Jan | Mon | Bhogi / Lohri | Shukla Dashami |
| 14 Jan | Tue | Makar Sankranti / Uttarayan / Pongal | Shukla Ekadashi |
| 15 Jan | Wed | Mattu Pongal | Shukla Dwadashi |
| 23 Jan | Thu | Parakram Diwas (Netaji Jayanti) | Krishna Panchami |
| 26 Jan | Sun | Republic Day | Krishna Navami |
| 30 Jan | Thu | Martyrs' Day | Krishna Trayodashi |
February 2003 Magha – Phalguna
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Feb | Thu | Vasant Panchami | Shukla Panchami |
| 14 Feb | Fri | Valentine's Day | Shukla Dwadashi |
March 2003 Phalguna – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Mar | Sat | Maha Shivaratri | Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 8 Mar | Sat | International Women's Day | Shukla Panchami |
| 18 Mar | Tue | Holika Dahan | Shukla Purnima |
| 19 Mar | Wed | Holi / Dhuleti / Shimga | Krishna Pratipada |
| 22 Mar | Sat | Rang Panchami | Krishna Panchami |
| 23 Mar | Sun | Shaheed Diwas | Krishna Shashthi |
April 2003 Chaitra – Vaishakha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Apr | Wed | Navreh | Shukla Pratipada |
| 2 Apr | Wed | Ugadi / Gudi Padwa / Chaitra Navratri | Shukla Pratipada |
| 3 Apr | Thu | Cheti Chand (Sindhi New Year) | Shukla Dwitiya |
| 8 Apr | Tue | Yamuna Chhath (Yamuna Jayanti) | Shukla Shashthi |
| 11 Apr | Fri | Rama Navami | Shukla Navami |
| 14 Apr | Mon | Ambedkar Jayanti | Shukla Dwadashi |
| 14 Apr | Mon | Bohag Bihu (Rongali Bihu) | Shukla Dwadashi |
| 14 Apr | Mon | Pana Sankranti (Maha Vishuba) | Shukla Dwadashi |
| 14 Apr | Mon | Puthandu (Tamil New Year) | Shukla Dwadashi |
| 14 Apr | Mon | Vaisakhi | Shukla Dwadashi |
| 14 Apr | Mon | Vishu | Shukla Dwadashi |
| 15 Apr | Tue | Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year) | Shukla Trayodashi |
| 16 Apr | Wed | Hanuman Jayanti | Shukla Purnima |
| 18 Apr | Fri | Good Friday | Krishna Dwitiya |
| 20 Apr | Sun | Easter | Krishna Chaturthi |
| 22 Apr | Tue | Earth Day | Krishna Shashthi |
May 2003 Vaishakha – Jyeshtha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 May | Thu | Labour Day | Krishna Amavasya |
| 4 May | Sun | Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej) | Shukla Tritiya |
| 16 May | Fri | Buddha Purnima | Shukla Purnima |
June 2003 Jyeshtha – Ashadha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Jun | Thu | World Environment Day | Shukla Panchami |
| 10 Jun | Tue | Ganga Dussehra | Shukla Dashami |
| 21 Jun | Sat | International Yoga Day | Krishna Saptami |
July 2003 Ashadha – Shravana
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul | Tue | Jagannath Rath Yatra | Shukla Dwitiya |
| 9 Jul | Wed | Ulto Rath Yatra | Shukla Dashami |
| 13 Jul | Sun | Guru Purnima | Shukla Purnima |
August 2003 Shravana – Bhadrapada
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Aug | Sun | Nag Panchami | Shukla Panchami |
| 12 Aug | Tue | Raksha Bandhan | Shukla Purnima |
| 15 Aug | Fri | Independence Day | Krishna Tritiya |
| 20 Aug | Wed | Krishna Janmashtami | Krishna Ashtami |
| 31 Aug | Sun | Ganesh Chaturthi | Shukla Chaturthi |
September 2003 Bhadrapada – Ashwina
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Sep | Fri | Teachers' Day | Shukla Dashami |
| 8 Sep | Mon | Onam (Thiruvonam) | Shukla Trayodashi |
| 14 Sep | Sun | Hindi Diwas | Krishna Chaturthi |
| 15 Sep | Mon | Engineer's Day | Krishna Panchami |
| 25 Sep | Thu | Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya | Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 26 Sep | Fri | Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana) | Krishna Amavasya |
October 2003 Ashwina – Kartika
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Thu | Gandhi Jayanti | Shukla Saptami |
| 3 Oct | Fri | Durga Puja — Maha Navami | Shukla Ashtami |
| 4 Oct | Sat | Dussehra / Dasara (Vijayadashami) | Shukla Navami |
| 9 Oct | Thu | Kojagari Lakshmi Puja | Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 23 Oct | Thu | Dhanteras | Krishna Trayodashi |
| 24 Oct | Fri | Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan) | Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 25 Oct | Sat | Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) | Krishna Amavasya |
| 26 Oct | Sun | Bali Pratipada (Diwali Padwa / Bestu Varas) | Shukla Pratipada |
| 26 Oct | Sun | Govardhan Puja / Annakut | Shukla Pratipada |
| 27 Oct | Mon | Bhai Dooj / Bhau Beej | Shukla Dwitiya |
| 30 Oct | Thu | Chhath Puja | Shukla Shashthi |
| 31 Oct | Fri | National Unity Day | Shukla Saptami |
November 2003 Kartika – Margashirsha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Nov | Sat | Guru Nanak Jayanti | Shukla Purnima |
| 8 Nov | Sat | Kartik Purnima / Dev Deepavali | Shukla Purnima |
| 14 Nov | Fri | Children's Day | Krishna Panchami |
December 2003 Margashirsha – Pausha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Dec | Mon | World AIDS Day | Shukla Ashtami |
| 25 Dec | Thu | Christmas | Shukla Dwitiya |
What happened in the sky in 2003
Beyond the dates the Indian Calendar lists, 2003 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. 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 | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 May 9:10 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Buddha Purnima | Jyeshtha Purnima | Not visible |
| 31 May 9:38 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Jyeshtha Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 9 Nov 6:48 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Guru Nanak Jayanti | Kartika Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 24 Nov 4:19 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Margashirsha 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.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Indian Calendar 2003
How many festivals and vrats does the Indian Calendar list in 2003?
The Indian Calendar lists 69 dates in 2003. The first is New Year on Wednesday, 1 January 2003, and the last is Christmas on Thursday, 25 December 2003.
What are the main festival dates in the Indian Calendar for 2003?
The first major observances of 2003 are:
- New Year - Wednesday, 1 January 2003
- National Youth Day - Sunday, 12 January 2003
- Bhogi / Lohri - Monday, 13 January 2003
- Makar Sankranti / Uttarayan / Pongal - Tuesday, 14 January 2003
- Mattu Pongal - Wednesday, 15 January 2003
- Parakram Diwas (Netaji Jayanti) - Thursday, 23 January 2003
Which month of 2003 has the most observances in the Indian Calendar?
April 2003 is the fullest month with 16 dates, including Navreh, Ugadi / Gudi Padwa / Chaitra Navratri, Cheti Chand (Sindhi New Year), Yamuna Chhath (Yamuna Jayanti), Rama Navami, Ambedkar Jayanti, Bohag Bihu (Rongali Bihu), Pana Sankranti (Maha Vishuba).
Which traditional year does 2003 correspond to in the Indian Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2003 spans Shaka Samvat 1924 – 1925. 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 Indian Calendar opens on the current month.
About the Indian Calendar
The Indian national calendar - public holidays, national days and the main festivals of every community, listed month by month with the date for 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.
