Kashmiri Calendar

Kashmiri Calendar 2023

The Kashmiri Hindu festival calendar (Navreh new year). Kashmiri Pandit festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each.

May 2023

Saptarshi Samvat 5099

Vaishakha – Jyeshtha

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.

Kashmiri Calendar 2023 - festivals and vrats through the year

The Kashmiri Calendar lists 19 dates in 2023, opening with Khetsimavas (Kheche Mavas) on 21 January and closing with Bhai Dooj on 15 November. Of these, 1 are vrats (fasting observances). October is the fullest month with 4 dates. The year runs through Saptarshi Samvat 5098 – 5099. 2023 carries an Adhik Maas (Shravana (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several festivals later than usual.

January 2023 Pausha – Magha

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
21 Jan Sat Khetsimavas (Kheche Mavas)

The Pausha new moon kept by Kashmiri Pandits with khichdi offerings to Yaksha and the household deities.

Krishna Amavasya
25 Jan Wed Basant Panchami

The first day of spring and the worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami.

Shukla Chaturthi

February 2023 Magha – Phalguna

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
5 Feb Sun Kaw Punim

The Magha full moon, when offerings of rice are made to the crows (kaw) at dawn.

Shukla Purnima
18 Feb Sat Herath (Maha Shivaratri)

The great festival of Lord Shiva — the most important festival of the Kashmiri Pandits.

Krishna Trayodashi

March 2023 Phalguna – Chaitra

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
8 Mar Wed Holi

The festival of colours, the day after the Phalguna full moon.

Krishna Pratipada
22 Mar Wed Navreh

The Kashmiri Pandit new year on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, when the Nechapatra almanac is viewed at dawn.

Shukla Pratipada
30 Mar Thu Ram Navami

The birth of Lord Rama on Chaitra Shukla Navami.

Shukla Navami

April 2023 Chaitra – Vaishakha

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
14 Apr Fri Vaisakhi Sankranti

The solar new year and harvest festival on the Sun's entry into Mesha.

Krishna Navami

May 2023 Vaishakha – Jyeshtha

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
28 May Sun Zyeth Atham (Kheer Bhawani Mela)

Kashmiri Pandits throng the Kheer Bhawani shrine for Ragnya Devi on Jyeshtha Shukla Ashtami.

Shukla Ashtami

August 2023 Shravana (Adhik) – Shravana – Bhadrapada

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
31 Aug Thu Shravan Punim (Raksha Bandhan)

Shravana Purnima — sisters tie the rakhi and the sacred thread (yajnopavit) is renewed.

Shukla Purnima

September 2023 Bhadrapada – Ashwina

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
7 Sep Thu Zarmae-Satam (Janmashtami)

The midnight birth of Lord Krishna, kept by Kashmiri Pandits as Zarmae Satam.

Krishna Ashtami
19 Sep Tue Vinayaka Tsoram (Ganesha Chaturthi)

The birth of Lord Ganesha on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi.

Shukla Chaturthi

October 2023 Ashwina – Kartika

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
14 Oct Sat Kambari Mavus (Mahalaya Amavasya)

The Mahalaya new moon that closes Pitru Paksha, when ancestors are honoured.

Krishna Amavasya
15 Oct Sun Sharad Navratri Begins

The autumn nine nights of Devi worship begin on Ashwina Shukla Pratipada.

Shukla Pratipada
23 Oct Mon Mahanavami

The ninth night of Sharad Navratri, the climax of Devi worship.

Shukla Navami
24 Oct Tue Dussehra (Vijayadashami)

The victory of Rama over Ravana and of Durga over Mahishasura.

Shukla Dashami

November 2023 Kartika – Margashirsha

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
1 Nov Wed Karva Chauth Vrat Krishna Chaturthi
12 Nov Sun Deepawali

The festival of lights and the worship of Goddess Lakshmi on Kartika Amavasya.

Krishna Chaturdashi
15 Nov Wed Bhai Dooj

Sisters honour their brothers two days after Diwali.

Shukla Dwitiya

Months of the Kashmiri Calendar in 2023

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 2023, covering Saptarshi Samvat 5098 – 5099. 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 2023 14 Jan 2023 14
Magha 15 Jan 2023 13 Feb 2023 30
Phalguna 14 Feb 2023 15 Mar 2023 30
Chaitra 16 Mar 2023 14 Apr 2023 30
Vaishakha 15 Apr 2023 15 May 2023 31
Jyeshtha 16 May 2023 15 Jun 2023 31
Ashadha 16 Jun 2023 16 Jul 2023 31
Shravana 17 Jul 2023 17 Jul 2023 1
Shravana (Adhik) 18 Jul 2023 16 Aug 2023 30
Shravana 17 Aug 2023 17 Aug 2023 1
Bhadrapada 18 Aug 2023 17 Sep 2023 31
Ashwina 18 Sep 2023 17 Oct 2023 30
Kartika 18 Oct 2023 16 Nov 2023 30
Margashirsha 17 Nov 2023 16 Dec 2023 30
Pausha part 17 Dec 2023 31 Dec 2023 15

What happened in the sky in 2023

Beyond the dates the Kashmiri Calendar lists, 2023 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Shravana, running from 18 July 2023 to 16 August 2023. Khetsimavas (Kheche Mavas) fell on 21 January, 11 days earlier in the year than in 2022 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.

Eclipses of 2023

Date (IST) Eclipse Kashmiri date Seen from India
20 Apr 9:46 AM Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Vaishakha Amavasya Not visible
5 May 10:53 PM Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Vaishakha Purnima Penumbral only
14 Oct 11:29 PM Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) on Kambari Mavus (Mahalaya Amavasya) Ashwina Amavasya Not visible
29 Oct 1:44 AM Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Kartika Krishna Pratipada Yes - Sutak observed

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

Guru and Shani in 2023

Date Graha Sign change
17 Jan 6:10 PM Shani (Saturn) Makara → Kumbha
22 Apr 5:20 AM Guru (Jupiter) Meena → Mesha

Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Meena on 30 October 2023, carrying the eclipse axis with it.

Frequently asked questions about the Kashmiri Calendar 2023

How many festivals and vrats does the Kashmiri Calendar list in 2023?

The Kashmiri Calendar lists 19 dates in 2023, of which 1 are vrats. The first is Khetsimavas (Kheche Mavas) on Saturday, 21 January 2023, and the last is Bhai Dooj on Wednesday, 15 November 2023.

What are the main festival dates in the Kashmiri Calendar for 2023?

The first major observances of 2023 are:

  • Khetsimavas (Kheche Mavas) - Saturday, 21 January 2023
  • Basant Panchami - Wednesday, 25 January 2023
  • Kaw Punim - Sunday, 5 February 2023
  • Herath (Maha Shivaratri) - Saturday, 18 February 2023
  • Holi - Wednesday, 8 March 2023
  • Navreh - Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Which month of 2023 has the most observances in the Kashmiri Calendar?

October 2023 is the fullest month with 4 dates, including Kambari Mavus (Mahalaya Amavasya), Sharad Navratri Begins, Mahanavami, Dussehra (Vijayadashami).

Which traditional year does 2023 correspond to in the Kashmiri Calendar?

The Gregorian year 2023 spans Saptarshi Samvat 5098 – 5099. 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 2023 have an Adhik Maas?

Yes. 2023 carried an Adhik Maas (Shravana (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 2023 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.

Were there any eclipses in 2023?

2023 had 4 eclipses:

  • 20 April 2023 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
  • 5 May 2023 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
  • 14 October 2023 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
  • 29 October 2023 - 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 1 of these was kept in India.

Did Guru or Shani change sign in 2023?

Yes - 2 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2023:

  • Shani (Saturn) entered Kumbha on 17 January 2023
  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Mesha on 22 April 2023

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 2023?

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.

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