Kashmiri Calendar 2008
The Kashmiri Hindu festival calendar (Navreh new year). Kashmiri Pandit festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each.
December 2008
Saptarshi Samvat 5084
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.
Kashmiri Calendar 2008 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Kashmiri Calendar lists 19 dates in 2008, opening with Khetsimavas (Kheche Mavas) on 7 February and closing with Bhai Dooj on 30 October. Of these, 1 are vrats (fasting observances). October is the fullest month with 5 dates. The year runs through Saptarshi Samvat 5083 – 5084.
February 2008 Magha – Phalguna
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Feb | Thu |
Khetsimavas (Kheche Mavas) The Pausha new moon kept by Kashmiri Pandits with khichdi offerings to Yaksha and the household deities. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 11 Feb | Mon |
Basant Panchami
The first day of spring and the worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 20 Feb | Wed |
Kaw Punim The Magha full moon, when offerings of rice are made to the crows (kaw) at dawn. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
March 2008 Phalguna – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Mar | Thu |
Herath (Maha Shivaratri)
The great festival of Lord Shiva — the most important festival of the Kashmiri Pandits. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 22 Mar | Sat |
Holi The festival of colours, the day after the Phalguna full moon. |
Krishna Pratipada |
April 2008 Chaitra – Vaishakha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Apr | Mon |
Navreh The Kashmiri Pandit new year on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, when the Nechapatra almanac is viewed at dawn. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 13 Apr | Sun |
Ram Navami The birth of Lord Rama on Chaitra Shukla Navami. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 13 Apr | Sun |
Vaisakhi Sankranti The solar new year and harvest festival on the Sun's entry into Mesha. |
Shukla Ashtami |
June 2008 Jyeshtha – Ashadha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Jun | Wed |
Zyeth Atham (Kheer Bhawani Mela) Kashmiri Pandits throng the Kheer Bhawani shrine for Ragnya Devi on Jyeshtha Shukla Ashtami. |
Shukla Ashtami |
August 2008 Shravana – Bhadrapada
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Aug | Sat |
Shravan Punim (Raksha Bandhan) Shravana Purnima — sisters tie the rakhi and the sacred thread (yajnopavit) is renewed. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 24 Aug | Sun |
Zarmae-Satam (Janmashtami)
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna, kept by Kashmiri Pandits as Zarmae Satam. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 2008 Bhadrapada – Ashwina
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Sep | Wed |
Vinayaka Tsoram (Ganesha Chaturthi)
The birth of Lord Ganesha on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi. |
Shukla Chaturthi |
| 29 Sep | Mon |
Kambari Mavus (Mahalaya Amavasya) The Mahalaya new moon that closes Pitru Paksha, when ancestors are honoured. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 30 Sep | Tue |
Sharad Navratri Begins
The autumn nine nights of Devi worship begin on Ashwina Shukla Pratipada. |
Shukla Pratipada |
October 2008 Ashwina – Kartika
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Oct | Wed |
Mahanavami The ninth night of Sharad Navratri, the climax of Devi worship. |
Shukla Navami |
| 9 Oct | Thu |
Dussehra (Vijayadashami) The victory of Rama over Ravana and of Durga over Mahishasura. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 17 Oct | Fri | Karva Chauth Vrat | Krishna Tritiya |
| 28 Oct | Tue |
Deepawali The festival of lights and the worship of Goddess Lakshmi on Kartika Amavasya. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 30 Oct | Thu |
Bhai Dooj
Sisters honour their brothers two days after Diwali. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
Months of the Kashmiri Calendar in 2008
The Kashmiri 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 Saptarshi Samvat 5083 – 5084. 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 Kashmiri Calendar lists, 2008 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 3 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Khetsimavas (Kheche Mavas) fell on 7 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 | Kashmiri date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Feb 9:25 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) on Khetsimavas (Kheche Mavas) | Magha Amavasya | Not visible |
| 21 Feb 8:56 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Kaw Punim | 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 Shravan Punim (Raksha Bandhan) | 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 Kashmiri Calendar 2008
How many festivals and vrats does the Kashmiri Calendar list in 2008?
The Kashmiri Calendar lists 19 dates in 2008, of which 1 are vrats. The first is Khetsimavas (Kheche Mavas) on Thursday, 7 February 2008, and the last is Bhai Dooj on Thursday, 30 October 2008.
What are the main festival dates in the Kashmiri Calendar for 2008?
The first major observances of 2008 are:
- Khetsimavas (Kheche Mavas) - Thursday, 7 February 2008
- Basant Panchami - Monday, 11 February 2008
- Kaw Punim - Wednesday, 20 February 2008
- Herath (Maha Shivaratri) - Thursday, 6 March 2008
- Holi - Saturday, 22 March 2008
- Navreh - Monday, 7 April 2008
Which month of 2008 has the most observances in the Kashmiri Calendar?
October 2008 is the fullest month with 5 dates, including Mahanavami, Dussehra (Vijayadashami), Karva Chauth, Deepawali, Bhai Dooj.
Which traditional year does 2008 correspond to in the Kashmiri Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2008 spans Saptarshi Samvat 5083 – 5084. 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 Kashmiri Calendar opens on the current month.
About the Kashmiri Calendar
The Kashmiri Hindu festival calendar (Navreh new year). Kashmiri Pandit 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.
