Nepali Calendar - Bikram Sambat 1961
The Nepali festival calendar (Bikram Sambat). Nepali festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
October 1961
Bikram Sambat 2018 (Aananda)
Ashwin – Kartik
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 1961 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 1961, opening with Maghe Sankranti on 14 January and closing with Yomari Punhi on 21 December. Of these, 3 are vrats (fasting observances). September is the fullest month with 5 dates. The year runs through Bikram Sambat 2017 – 2018. 1961 carries an Adhik Maas (Jyeshtha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several festivals later than usual.
January 1961 Poush – Magh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan | Sat |
Maghe Sankranti The Sun's entry into Makara, the great winter festival of Nepal. |
Krishna Dwadashi |
| 21 Jan | Sat |
Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja)
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
February 1961 Magh – Falgun
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Feb | Mon |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva, with the grand mela at Pashupatinath. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
March 1961 Falgun – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Mar | Wed |
Fagu Purnima (Holi) The festival of colours on the full moon of Phalguna. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 16 Mar | Thu |
Ghode Jatra Kathmandu's horse-racing festival on the dark new moon of Chaitra, said to keep the demon Tundi at bay. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 25 Mar | Sat |
Chaite Dashain The lesser Dashain on Chaitra Shukla Navami, coinciding with Ram Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
April 1961 Chaitra – Baishakh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Apr | Thu |
Bisket Jatra Bhaktapur's chariot and pole festival welcoming the Nepali solar new year (Baishakh). |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 15 Apr | Sat |
Mata Tirtha Aunsi (Mother's Day) The Baishakh new-moon day honouring mothers, living and departed. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 17 Apr | Mon |
Akshaya Tritiya An auspicious day for new beginnings on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
June 1961 Jestha – Ashadh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Jun | Fri |
Ganga Dussehra The descent of the Ganga, on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
July 1961 Ashadh – Shrawan
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Jul | Thu |
Guru Purnima The full moon of Ashadha honouring teachers and sage Veda Vyasa. |
Shukla Purnima |
August 1961 Shrawan – Bhadra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Aug | Wed |
Naag Panchami Serpent deities are worshipped on Shravana Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 26 Aug | Sat |
Janai Purnima Hindus change the sacred thread (janai) and tie the raksha protection cord on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
September 1961 Bhadra – Ashwin
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Sep | Sat |
Krishna Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 13 Sep | Wed | Teej (Haritalika Teej) Vrat | Shukla Tritiya |
| 15 Sep | Fri | Rishi Panchami Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 23 Sep | Sat |
Indra Jatra Kathmandu's great festival of Indra and the living goddess Kumari, from Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 25 Sep | Mon |
Sorah Shraddha (Pitru Paksha) The sixteen days of offerings to the ancestors. |
Krishna Pratipada |
October 1961 Ashwin – Kartik
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Oct | Tue |
Ghatasthapana (Dashain Begins)
The first day of Bada Dashain, when the jamara is sown. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 18 Oct | Wed |
Maha Ashtami / Maha Navami
The climactic eighth and ninth days of Dashain. |
Shukla Navami |
| 19 Oct | Thu |
Vijaya Dashami The tenth day of Dashain, when elders give tika and jamara. |
Shukla Dashami |
November 1961 Kartik – Mangsir
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Nov | Tue |
Tihar (Laxmi Puja) The festival of lights (Yamapanchak) and the worship of Goddess Lakshmi. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 18 Nov | Sat | Haribodhini Ekadashi Vrat | Shukla Ekadashi |
December 1961 Mangsir – Poush
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Dec | Tue |
Vivah Panchami The wedding of Rama and Sita on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 21 Dec | Thu |
Yomari Punhi The Newar harvest full moon of Margashirsha, celebrated with sweet yomari dumplings. |
Shukla Purnima |
Months of the Nepali Calendar in 1961
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 1961, covering Bikram Sambat 2017 – 2018. 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 1961 | 13 Jan 1961 | 13 |
| Magh | 14 Jan 1961 | 12 Feb 1961 | 30 |
| Falgun | 13 Feb 1961 | 14 Mar 1961 | 30 |
| Chaitra | 15 Mar 1961 | 13 Apr 1961 | 30 |
| Baishakh | 14 Apr 1961 | 14 May 1961 | 31 |
| Jestha | 15 May 1961 | 14 Jun 1961 | 31 |
| Ashadh | 15 Jun 1961 | 16 Jul 1961 | 32 |
| Shrawan | 17 Jul 1961 | 16 Aug 1961 | 31 |
| Bhadra | 17 Aug 1961 | 16 Sep 1961 | 31 |
| Ashwin | 17 Sep 1961 | 16 Oct 1961 | 30 |
| Kartik | 17 Oct 1961 | 15 Nov 1961 | 30 |
| Mangsir | 16 Nov 1961 | 15 Dec 1961 | 30 |
| Poush part | 16 Dec 1961 | 31 Dec 1961 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1961
Beyond the dates the Nepali Calendar lists, 1961 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 3 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Jyeshtha, running from 15 May 1961 to 13 June 1961. Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja) fell on 21 January, 11 days earlier in the year than in 1960 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1961
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Nepali date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Feb 1:49 PM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 2 days after Maha Shivaratri | Falgun Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 2 Mar 6:58 PM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Fagu Purnima (Holi) | Falgun Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 11 Aug 4:16 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Shrawan Amavasya | Not visible |
| 26 Aug 8:38 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Janai Purnima | Bhadra Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 3 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1961
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Feb 12:10 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Dhanu → Makara |
| 10 Feb 11:40 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Dhanu → Makara |
| 17 Sep 10:30 PM | Shani (Saturn) | Makara → Dhanu re-entry while retrograde |
| 8 Oct 2:50 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Dhanu → Makara |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Karka on 30 October 1961, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Nepali Calendar 1961
How many festivals and vrats does the Nepali Calendar list in 1961?
The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 1961, of which 3 are vrats. The first is Maghe Sankranti on Saturday, 14 January 1961, and the last is Yomari Punhi on Thursday, 21 December 1961.
What are the main festival dates in the Nepali Calendar for 1961?
The first major observances of 1961 are:
- Maghe Sankranti - Saturday, 14 January 1961
- Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja) - Saturday, 21 January 1961
- Maha Shivaratri - Monday, 13 February 1961
- Fagu Purnima (Holi) - Wednesday, 1 March 1961
- Ghode Jatra - Thursday, 16 March 1961
- Chaite Dashain - Saturday, 25 March 1961
Which month of 1961 has the most observances in the Nepali Calendar?
September 1961 is the fullest month with 5 dates, including Krishna Janmashtami, Teej (Haritalika Teej), Rishi Panchami, Indra Jatra, Sorah Shraddha (Pitru Paksha).
Which traditional year does 1961 correspond to in the Nepali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1961 spans Bikram Sambat 2017 – 2018. 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 1961 have an Adhik Maas?
Yes. 1961 carried an Adhik Maas (Jyeshtha (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 1961 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.
Were there any eclipses in 1961?
1961 had 4 eclipses:
- 15 February 1961 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 2 March 1961 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 11 August 1961 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 26 August 1961 - 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 1961?
Yes - 4 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1961:
- Shani (Saturn) entered Makara on 2 February 1961
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Makara on 10 February 1961
- Shani (Saturn) entered Dhanu on 17 September 1961, moving retrograde
- Shani (Saturn) entered Makara on 8 October 1961
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 1961?
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.
