Nepali Calendar

Nepali Calendar - Bikram Sambat 1979

The Nepali festival calendar (Bikram Sambat). Nepali festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.

February 1979

Bikram Sambat 2035 (Prajapati)

Magh – Falgun

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.

Nepali Calendar 1979 - festivals and vrats through the year

The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 1979, opening with Maghe Sankranti on 14 January and closing with Yomari Punhi on 3 December. Of these, 3 are vrats (fasting observances). The year runs through Bikram Sambat 2035 – 2036.

January 1979 Poush – Magh

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
14 Jan Sun Maghe Sankranti

The Sun's entry into Makara, the great winter festival of Nepal.

Krishna Pratipada

February 1979 Magh – Falgun

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
1 Feb Thu Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja)

The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami.

Shukla Panchami
25 Feb Sun Maha Shivaratri

The great night of Lord Shiva, with the grand mela at Pashupatinath.

Krishna Chaturdashi

March 1979 Falgun – Chaitra

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
13 Mar Tue Fagu Purnima (Holi)

The festival of colours on the full moon of Phalguna.

Shukla Purnima
27 Mar Tue Ghode Jatra

Kathmandu's horse-racing festival on the dark new moon of Chaitra, said to keep the demon Tundi at bay.

Krishna Chaturdashi

April 1979 Chaitra – Baishakh

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
5 Apr Thu Chaite Dashain

The lesser Dashain on Chaitra Shukla Navami, coinciding with Ram Navami.

Shukla Navami
14 Apr Sat Bisket Jatra

Bhaktapur's chariot and pole festival welcoming the Nepali solar new year (Baishakh).

Krishna Dwitiya
26 Apr Thu Mata Tirtha Aunsi (Mother's Day)

The Baishakh new-moon day honouring mothers, living and departed.

Krishna Amavasya
29 Apr Sun Akshaya Tritiya

An auspicious day for new beginnings on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya.

Shukla Tritiya

June 1979 Jestha – Ashadh

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
5 Jun Tue Ganga Dussehra

The descent of the Ganga, on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami.

Shukla Dashami

July 1979 Ashadh – Shrawan

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
9 Jul Mon Guru Purnima

The full moon of Ashadha honouring teachers and sage Veda Vyasa.

Shukla Purnima
29 Jul Sun Naag Panchami

Serpent deities are worshipped on Shravana Shukla Panchami.

Shukla Panchami

August 1979 Shrawan – Bhadra

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
8 Aug Wed Janai Purnima

Hindus change the sacred thread (janai) and tie the raksha protection cord on Shravana Purnima.

Shukla Purnima
15 Aug Wed Krishna Janmashtami

The midnight birth of Lord Krishna.

Krishna Ashtami
25 Aug Sat Teej (Haritalika Teej) Vrat Shukla Tritiya
27 Aug Mon Rishi Panchami Vrat Shukla Chaturthi

September 1979 Bhadra – Ashwin

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
5 Sep Wed Indra Jatra

Kathmandu's great festival of Indra and the living goddess Kumari, from Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi.

Shukla Chaturdashi
7 Sep Fri Sorah Shraddha (Pitru Paksha)

The sixteen days of offerings to the ancestors.

Krishna Pratipada
22 Sep Sat Ghatasthapana (Dashain Begins)

The first day of Bada Dashain, when the jamara is sown.

Shukla Pratipada
30 Sep Sun Maha Ashtami / Maha Navami

The climactic eighth and ninth days of Dashain.

Shukla Navami

October 1979 Ashwin – Kartik

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
1 Oct Mon Vijaya Dashami

The tenth day of Dashain, when elders give tika and jamara.

Shukla Dashami
20 Oct Sat Tihar (Laxmi Puja)

The festival of lights (Yamapanchak) and the worship of Goddess Lakshmi.

Krishna Amavasya
31 Oct Wed Haribodhini Ekadashi Vrat Shukla Ekadashi

November 1979 Kartik – Mangsir

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
24 Nov Sat Vivah Panchami

The wedding of Rama and Sita on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami.

Shukla Panchami

December 1979 Mangsir – Poush

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
3 Dec Mon Yomari Punhi

The Newar harvest full moon of Margashirsha, celebrated with sweet yomari dumplings.

Shukla Purnima

Months of the Nepali Calendar in 1979

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 1979, covering Bikram Sambat 2035 – 2036. 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 1979 14 Jan 1979 14
Magh 15 Jan 1979 12 Feb 1979 29
Falgun 13 Feb 1979 14 Mar 1979 30
Chaitra 15 Mar 1979 14 Apr 1979 31
Baishakh 15 Apr 1979 14 May 1979 30
Jestha 15 May 1979 15 Jun 1979 32
Ashadh 16 Jun 1979 16 Jul 1979 31
Shrawan 17 Jul 1979 17 Aug 1979 32
Bhadra 18 Aug 1979 17 Sep 1979 31
Ashwin 18 Sep 1979 17 Oct 1979 30
Kartik 18 Oct 1979 16 Nov 1979 30
Mangsir 17 Nov 1979 16 Dec 1979 30
Poush part 17 Dec 1979 31 Dec 1979 15

What happened in the sky in 1979

Beyond the dates the Nepali Calendar lists, 1979 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja) fell on 1 February, 10 days earlier in the year than in 1978 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.

Eclipses of 1979

Date (IST) Eclipse Nepali date Seen from India
26 Feb 10:24 PM Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 1 day after Maha Shivaratri Falgun Amavasya Not visible
14 Mar 2:38 AM Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Fagu Purnima (Holi) Falgun Krishna Pratipada Yes - Sutak observed
22 Aug 10:51 PM Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Bhadra Amavasya Not visible
6 Sep 4:24 PM Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Indra Jatra Bhadra Purnima Yes - Sutak observed

Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.

Guru and Shani in 1979

Date Graha Sign change
29 Aug 7:20 PM Guru (Jupiter) Karka → Simha
4 Nov 1:20 AM Shani (Saturn) Simha → Kanya

Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.

Frequently asked questions about the Nepali Calendar 1979

How many festivals and vrats does the Nepali Calendar list in 1979?

The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 1979, of which 3 are vrats. The first is Maghe Sankranti on Sunday, 14 January 1979, and the last is Yomari Punhi on Monday, 3 December 1979.

What are the main festival dates in the Nepali Calendar for 1979?

The first major observances of 1979 are:

  • Maghe Sankranti - Sunday, 14 January 1979
  • Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja) - Thursday, 1 February 1979
  • Maha Shivaratri - Sunday, 25 February 1979
  • Fagu Purnima (Holi) - Tuesday, 13 March 1979
  • Ghode Jatra - Tuesday, 27 March 1979
  • Chaite Dashain - Thursday, 5 April 1979
Which traditional year does 1979 correspond to in the Nepali Calendar?

The Gregorian year 1979 spans Bikram Sambat 2035 – 2036. 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 1979 have an Adhik Maas?

No. 1979 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 1979?

1979 had 4 eclipses:

  • 26 February 1979 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
  • 14 March 1979 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 22 August 1979 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
  • 6 September 1979 - Total 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 2 of these were kept in India.

Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1979?

Yes - 2 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1979:

  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Simha on 29 August 1979
  • Shani (Saturn) entered Kanya on 4 November 1979

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 1979?

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.

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