Nepali Calendar - Bikram Sambat 1981
The Nepali festival calendar (Bikram Sambat). Nepali festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
May 1981
Bikram Sambat 2038 (Bhava)
Baishakh – Jestha
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 1981 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 1981, opening with Maghe Sankranti on 14 January and closing with Yomari Punhi on 11 December. Of these, 3 are vrats (fasting observances). September is the fullest month with 5 dates. The year runs through Bikram Sambat 2037 – 2038.
January 1981 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 Navami |
February 1981 Magh – Falgun
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Feb | Mon |
Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja)
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
March 1981 Falgun – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Mar | Wed |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva, with the grand mela at Pashupatinath. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 20 Mar | Fri |
Fagu Purnima (Holi) The festival of colours on the full moon of Phalguna. |
Shukla Purnima |
April 1981 Chaitra – Baishakh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Apr | Sat |
Ghode Jatra Kathmandu's horse-racing festival on the dark new moon of Chaitra, said to keep the demon Tundi at bay. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 12 Apr | Sun |
Chaite Dashain The lesser Dashain on Chaitra Shukla Navami, coinciding with Ram Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
| 14 Apr | Tue |
Bisket Jatra Bhaktapur's chariot and pole festival welcoming the Nepali solar new year (Baishakh). |
Shukla Ekadashi |
May 1981 Baishakh – Jestha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 May | Mon |
Mata Tirtha Aunsi (Mother's Day) The Baishakh new-moon day honouring mothers, living and departed. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 6 May | Wed |
Akshaya Tritiya An auspicious day for new beginnings on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya. |
Shukla Tritiya |
June 1981 Jestha – Ashadh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jun | Fri |
Ganga Dussehra The descent of the Ganga, on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
July 1981 Ashadh – Shrawan
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Jul | Fri |
Guru Purnima The full moon of Ashadha honouring teachers and sage Veda Vyasa. |
Shukla Purnima |
August 1981 Shrawan – Bhadra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Aug | Wed |
Naag Panchami Serpent deities are worshipped on Shravana Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 15 Aug | Sat |
Janai Purnima Hindus change the sacred thread (janai) and tie the raksha protection cord on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 23 Aug | Sun |
Krishna Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 1981 Bhadra – Ashwin
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Sep | Tue | Teej (Haritalika Teej) Vrat | Shukla Tritiya |
| 3 Sep | Thu | Rishi Panchami Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 13 Sep | Sun |
Indra Jatra Kathmandu's great festival of Indra and the living goddess Kumari, from Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 15 Sep | Tue |
Sorah Shraddha (Pitru Paksha) The sixteen days of offerings to the ancestors. |
Krishna Pratipada |
| 29 Sep | Tue |
Ghatasthapana (Dashain Begins)
The first day of Bada Dashain, when the jamara is sown. |
Shukla Pratipada |
October 1981 Ashwin – Kartik
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Oct | Wed |
Maha Ashtami / Maha Navami
The climactic eighth and ninth days of Dashain. |
Shukla Navami |
| 8 Oct | Thu |
Vijaya Dashami The tenth day of Dashain, when elders give tika and jamara. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 27 Oct | Tue |
Tihar (Laxmi Puja) The festival of lights (Yamapanchak) and the worship of Goddess Lakshmi. |
Krishna Amavasya |
November 1981 Kartik – Mangsir
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Nov | Sun | Haribodhini Ekadashi Vrat | Shukla Ekadashi |
December 1981 Mangsir – Poush
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Dec | Tue |
Vivah Panchami The wedding of Rama and Sita on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 11 Dec | Fri |
Yomari Punhi The Newar harvest full moon of Margashirsha, celebrated with sweet yomari dumplings. |
Shukla Purnima |
Months of the Nepali Calendar in 1981
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 1981, covering Bikram Sambat 2037 – 2038. 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 1981 | 13 Jan 1981 | 13 |
| Magh | 14 Jan 1981 | 12 Feb 1981 | 30 |
| Falgun | 13 Feb 1981 | 14 Mar 1981 | 30 |
| Chaitra | 15 Mar 1981 | 13 Apr 1981 | 30 |
| Baishakh | 14 Apr 1981 | 14 May 1981 | 31 |
| Jestha | 15 May 1981 | 14 Jun 1981 | 31 |
| Ashadh | 15 Jun 1981 | 16 Jul 1981 | 32 |
| Shrawan | 17 Jul 1981 | 16 Aug 1981 | 31 |
| Bhadra | 17 Aug 1981 | 16 Sep 1981 | 31 |
| Ashwin | 17 Sep 1981 | 17 Oct 1981 | 31 |
| Kartik | 18 Oct 1981 | 16 Nov 1981 | 30 |
| Mangsir | 17 Nov 1981 | 15 Dec 1981 | 29 |
| Poush part | 16 Dec 1981 | 31 Dec 1981 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1981
Beyond the dates the Nepali Calendar lists, 1981 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 1 was above the horizon somewhere in India. Maghe Sankranti fell on 14 January, 1 day earlier in the year than in 1980 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1981
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Nepali date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jan 1:19 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Magh Purnima | Not visible |
| 5 Feb 3:38 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Magh Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 17 Jul 10:16 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Guru Purnima | Shrawan Purnima | Not visible |
| 31 Jul 9:15 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Shrawan Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 1 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1981
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Oct 1:30 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Kanya → Tula |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Mithuna on 24 December 1981, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Nepali Calendar 1981
How many festivals and vrats does the Nepali Calendar list in 1981?
The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 1981, of which 3 are vrats. The first is Maghe Sankranti on Wednesday, 14 January 1981, and the last is Yomari Punhi on Friday, 11 December 1981.
What are the main festival dates in the Nepali Calendar for 1981?
The first major observances of 1981 are:
- Maghe Sankranti - Wednesday, 14 January 1981
- Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja) - Monday, 9 February 1981
- Maha Shivaratri - Wednesday, 4 March 1981
- Fagu Purnima (Holi) - Friday, 20 March 1981
- Ghode Jatra - Saturday, 4 April 1981
- Chaite Dashain - Sunday, 12 April 1981
Which month of 1981 has the most observances in the Nepali Calendar?
September 1981 is the fullest month with 5 dates, including Teej (Haritalika Teej), Rishi Panchami, Indra Jatra, Sorah Shraddha (Pitru Paksha), Ghatasthapana (Dashain Begins).
Which traditional year does 1981 correspond to in the Nepali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1981 spans Bikram Sambat 2037 – 2038. 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 1981 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1981 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 1981?
1981 had 4 eclipses:
- 20 January 1981 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 5 February 1981 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 17 July 1981 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 31 July 1981 - 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 1 of these was kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1981?
Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 1981:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Tula on 27 October 1981
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 1981?
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.
