Nepali Calendar - Bikram Sambat 1948
The Nepali festival calendar (Bikram Sambat). Nepali festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
April 1948
Bikram Sambat 2005 (Plava)
Chaitra – Baishakh
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.
Nepali Calendar 1948 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 1948, opening with Maghe Sankranti on 14 January and closing with Yomari Punhi on 16 December. Of these, 3 are vrats (fasting observances). The year runs through Bikram Sambat 2004 – 2005.
January 1948 Poush – Magh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan | Wed |
Maghe Sankranti The Sun's entry into Makara, the great winter festival of Nepal. |
Shukla Tritiya |
February 1948 Magh – Falgun
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Feb | Sun |
Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja)
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
March 1948 Falgun – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Mar | Mon |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva, with the grand mela at Pashupatinath. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 24 Mar | Wed |
Fagu Purnima (Holi) The festival of colours on the full moon of Phalguna. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
April 1948 Chaitra – Baishakh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Apr | Fri |
Ghode Jatra Kathmandu's horse-racing festival on the dark new moon of Chaitra, said to keep the demon Tundi at bay. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 13 Apr | Tue |
Bisket Jatra Bhaktapur's chariot and pole festival welcoming the Nepali solar new year (Baishakh). |
Shukla Chaturthi |
| 18 Apr | Sun |
Chaite Dashain The lesser Dashain on Chaitra Shukla Navami, coinciding with Ram Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
May 1948 Baishakh – Jestha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 May | Sun |
Mata Tirtha Aunsi (Mother's Day) The Baishakh new-moon day honouring mothers, living and departed. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 11 May | Tue |
Akshaya Tritiya An auspicious day for new beginnings on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
June 1948 Jestha – Ashadh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jun | Wed |
Ganga Dussehra The descent of the Ganga, on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
July 1948 Ashadh – Shrawan
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Jul | Wed |
Guru Purnima The full moon of Ashadha honouring teachers and sage Veda Vyasa. |
Shukla Purnima |
August 1948 Shrawan – Bhadra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Aug | Mon |
Naag Panchami Serpent deities are worshipped on Shravana Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 19 Aug | Thu |
Janai Purnima Hindus change the sacred thread (janai) and tie the raksha protection cord on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 28 Aug | Sat |
Krishna Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 1948 Bhadra – Ashwin
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Sep | Mon | Teej (Haritalika Teej) Vrat | Shukla Tritiya |
| 7 Sep | Tue | Rishi Panchami Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 17 Sep | Fri |
Indra Jatra Kathmandu's great festival of Indra and the living goddess Kumari, from Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 19 Sep | Sun |
Sorah Shraddha (Pitru Paksha) The sixteen days of offerings to the ancestors. |
Krishna Pratipada |
October 1948 Ashwin – Kartik
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Oct | Sun |
Ghatasthapana (Dashain Begins)
The first day of Bada Dashain, when the jamara is sown. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 11 Oct | Mon |
Maha Ashtami / Maha Navami
The climactic eighth and ninth days of Dashain. |
Shukla Navami |
| 12 Oct | Tue |
Vijaya Dashami The tenth day of Dashain, when elders give tika and jamara. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 31 Oct | Sun |
Tihar (Laxmi Puja) The festival of lights (Yamapanchak) and the worship of Goddess Lakshmi. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
November 1948 Kartik – Mangsir
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Nov | Fri | Haribodhini Ekadashi Vrat | Shukla Ekadashi |
December 1948 Mangsir – Poush
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Dec | Sun |
Vivah Panchami The wedding of Rama and Sita on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 16 Dec | Thu |
Yomari Punhi The Newar harvest full moon of Margashirsha, celebrated with sweet yomari dumplings. |
Shukla Purnima |
Months of the Nepali Calendar in 1948
The Nepali 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 1948, covering Bikram Sambat 2004 – 2005. A month marked part is one the Gregorian year cuts short at its own start or end.
| Month | Begins | Ends | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poush part | 1 Jan 1948 | 14 Jan 1948 | 14 |
| Magh | 15 Jan 1948 | 12 Feb 1948 | 29 |
| Falgun | 13 Feb 1948 | 13 Mar 1948 | 30 |
| Chaitra | 14 Mar 1948 | 13 Apr 1948 | 31 |
| Baishakh | 14 Apr 1948 | 14 May 1948 | 31 |
| Jestha | 15 May 1948 | 14 Jun 1948 | 31 |
| Ashadh | 15 Jun 1948 | 15 Jul 1948 | 31 |
| Shrawan | 16 Jul 1948 | 16 Aug 1948 | 32 |
| Bhadra | 17 Aug 1948 | 16 Sep 1948 | 31 |
| Ashwin | 17 Sep 1948 | 16 Oct 1948 | 30 |
| Kartik | 17 Oct 1948 | 15 Nov 1948 | 30 |
| Mangsir | 16 Nov 1948 | 15 Dec 1948 | 30 |
| Poush part | 16 Dec 1948 | 31 Dec 1948 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1948
Beyond the dates the Nepali Calendar lists, 1948 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 4 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja) fell on 15 February, 19 days later in the year than in 1947 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1948
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Nepali date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 7:08 PM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Baishakh Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 9 May 7:55 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) on Mata Tirtha Aunsi (Mother's Day) | Baishakh Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 18 Oct 8:05 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Kartik Purnima | Penumbral only |
| 1 Nov 11:28 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 1 day after Tihar (Laxmi Puja) | Kartik Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 3 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 1948
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Feb 11:00 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Vrishchika → Dhanu |
| 22 Jun 8:50 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Dhanu → Vrishchika re-entry while retrograde |
| 26 Jul 1:40 PM | Shani (Saturn) | Karka → Simha |
| 8 Oct 1:50 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Vrishchika → Dhanu |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Nepali Calendar 1948
How many festivals and vrats does the Nepali Calendar list in 1948?
The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 1948, of which 3 are vrats. The first is Maghe Sankranti on Wednesday, 14 January 1948, and the last is Yomari Punhi on Thursday, 16 December 1948.
What are the main festival dates in the Nepali Calendar for 1948?
The first major observances of 1948 are:
- Maghe Sankranti - Wednesday, 14 January 1948
- Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja) - Sunday, 15 February 1948
- Maha Shivaratri - Monday, 8 March 1948
- Fagu Purnima (Holi) - Wednesday, 24 March 1948
- Ghode Jatra - Friday, 9 April 1948
- Bisket Jatra - Tuesday, 13 April 1948
Which traditional year does 1948 correspond to in the Nepali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1948 spans Bikram Sambat 2004 – 2005. 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 1948 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1948 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 1948?
1948 had 4 eclipses:
- 23 April 1948 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 9 May 1948 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 18 October 1948 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 1 November 1948 - Total solar eclipse (Surya 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 1948?
Yes - 4 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1948:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Dhanu on 11 February 1948
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Vrishchika on 22 June 1948, moving retrograde
- Shani (Saturn) entered Simha on 26 July 1948
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Dhanu on 8 October 1948
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 1948?
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 Nepali Calendar - Bikram Sambat opens on the current month.
About the Nepali Calendar - Bikram Sambat
The Nepali festival calendar (Bikram Sambat). Nepali 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.
