Nepali Calendar - Bikram Sambat 1959
The Nepali festival calendar (Bikram Sambat). Nepali festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
August 1959
Bikram Sambat 2016 (Paridhavi)
Shrawan – Bhadra
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 1959 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 1959, opening with Maghe Sankranti on 14 January and closing with Yomari Punhi on 15 December. Of these, 3 are vrats (fasting observances). The year runs through Bikram Sambat 2015 – 2016.
January 1959 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 Panchami |
February 1959 Magh – Falgun
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Feb | Thu |
Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja)
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
March 1959 Falgun – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Mar | Sat |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva, with the grand mela at Pashupatinath. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 24 Mar | Tue |
Fagu Purnima (Holi) The festival of colours on the full moon of Phalguna. |
Shukla Purnima |
April 1959 Chaitra – Baishakh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Apr | Wed |
Ghode Jatra Kathmandu's horse-racing festival on the dark new moon of Chaitra, said to keep the demon Tundi at bay. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 14 Apr | Tue |
Bisket Jatra Bhaktapur's chariot and pole festival welcoming the Nepali solar new year (Baishakh). |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 17 Apr | Fri |
Chaite Dashain The lesser Dashain on Chaitra Shukla Navami, coinciding with Ram Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
May 1959 Baishakh – Jestha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 May | Thu |
Mata Tirtha Aunsi (Mother's Day) The Baishakh new-moon day honouring mothers, living and departed. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 10 May | Sun |
Akshaya Tritiya An auspicious day for new beginnings on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
June 1959 Jestha – Ashadh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jun | Tue |
Ganga Dussehra The descent of the Ganga, on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
July 1959 Ashadh – Shrawan
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jul | Mon |
Guru Purnima The full moon of Ashadha honouring teachers and sage Veda Vyasa. |
Shukla Purnima |
August 1959 Shrawan – Bhadra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Aug | Sun |
Naag Panchami Serpent deities are worshipped on Shravana Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 18 Aug | Tue |
Janai Purnima Hindus change the sacred thread (janai) and tie the raksha protection cord on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 26 Aug | Wed |
Krishna Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 1959 Bhadra – Ashwin
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Sep | Sat | Teej (Haritalika Teej) Vrat | Shukla Tritiya |
| 7 Sep | Mon | Rishi Panchami Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 16 Sep | Wed |
Indra Jatra Kathmandu's great festival of Indra and the living goddess Kumari, from Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 17 Sep | Thu |
Sorah Shraddha (Pitru Paksha) The sixteen days of offerings to the ancestors. |
Shukla Purnima |
October 1959 Ashwin – Kartik
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Oct | Sat |
Ghatasthapana (Dashain Begins)
The first day of Bada Dashain, when the jamara is sown. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 10 Oct | Sat |
Maha Ashtami / Maha Navami
The climactic eighth and ninth days of Dashain. |
Shukla Navami |
| 11 Oct | Sun |
Vijaya Dashami The tenth day of Dashain, when elders give tika and jamara. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 31 Oct | Sat |
Tihar (Laxmi Puja) The festival of lights (Yamapanchak) and the worship of Goddess Lakshmi. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
November 1959 Kartik – Mangsir
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Nov | Wed | Haribodhini Ekadashi Vrat | Shukla Ekadashi |
December 1959 Mangsir – Poush
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Dec | Fri |
Vivah Panchami The wedding of Rama and Sita on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 15 Dec | Tue |
Yomari Punhi The Newar harvest full moon of Margashirsha, celebrated with sweet yomari dumplings. |
Shukla Purnima |
Months of the Nepali Calendar in 1959
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 1959, covering Bikram Sambat 2015 – 2016. 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 1959 | 14 Jan 1959 | 14 |
| Magh | 15 Jan 1959 | 12 Feb 1959 | 29 |
| Falgun | 13 Feb 1959 | 14 Mar 1959 | 30 |
| Chaitra | 15 Mar 1959 | 13 Apr 1959 | 30 |
| Baishakh | 14 Apr 1959 | 14 May 1959 | 31 |
| Jestha | 15 May 1959 | 15 Jun 1959 | 32 |
| Ashadh | 16 Jun 1959 | 16 Jul 1959 | 31 |
| Shrawan | 17 Jul 1959 | 16 Aug 1959 | 31 |
| Bhadra | 17 Aug 1959 | 16 Sep 1959 | 31 |
| Ashwin | 17 Sep 1959 | 17 Oct 1959 | 31 |
| Kartik | 18 Oct 1959 | 16 Nov 1959 | 30 |
| Mangsir | 17 Nov 1959 | 15 Dec 1959 | 29 |
| Poush part | 16 Dec 1959 | 31 Dec 1959 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1959
Beyond the dates the Nepali Calendar lists, 1959 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 3 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja) fell on 12 February, 19 days later in the year than in 1958 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1959
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Nepali date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Mar 1:41 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Fagu Purnima (Holi) | Chaitra Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 8 Apr 8:53 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) on Ghode Jatra | Chaitra Amavasya | Not visible |
| 17 Sep 6:32 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Sorah Shraddha (Pitru Paksha) | Ashwin Purnima | Penumbral only |
| 2 Oct 5:56 PM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 1 day before Ghatasthapana (Dashain Begins) | Ashwin Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 1959
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Jun 12:20 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Vrishchika → Tula re-entry while retrograde |
| 17 Aug 4:50 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Tula → Vrishchika |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Nepali Calendar 1959
How many festivals and vrats does the Nepali Calendar list in 1959?
The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 1959, of which 3 are vrats. The first is Maghe Sankranti on Wednesday, 14 January 1959, and the last is Yomari Punhi on Tuesday, 15 December 1959.
What are the main festival dates in the Nepali Calendar for 1959?
The first major observances of 1959 are:
- Maghe Sankranti - Wednesday, 14 January 1959
- Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja) - Thursday, 12 February 1959
- Maha Shivaratri - Saturday, 7 March 1959
- Fagu Purnima (Holi) - Tuesday, 24 March 1959
- Ghode Jatra - Wednesday, 8 April 1959
- Bisket Jatra - Tuesday, 14 April 1959
Which traditional year does 1959 correspond to in the Nepali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1959 spans Bikram Sambat 2015 – 2016. 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 1959 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1959 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 1959?
1959 had 4 eclipses:
- 25 March 1959 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 8 April 1959 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 17 September 1959 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 2 October 1959 - 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 2 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1959?
Yes - 2 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1959:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Tula on 22 June 1959, moving retrograde
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Vrishchika on 17 August 1959
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 1959?
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.
