Nepali Calendar

Nepali Calendar - Bikram Sambat 1985

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

November 1985

Bikram Sambat 2042 (Bahudhanya)

Kartik – Mangsir

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 1985 - festivals and vrats through the year

The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 1985, opening with Maghe Sankranti on 14 January and closing with Yomari Punhi on 27 December. Of these, 3 are vrats (fasting observances). September is the fullest month with 5 dates. The year runs through Bikram Sambat 2041 – 2042. 1985 carries an Adhik Maas (Shravana (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several festivals later than usual.

January 1985 Poush – Magh

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
14 Jan Mon Maghe Sankranti

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

Krishna Ashtami
25 Jan Fri Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja)

The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami.

Shukla Chaturthi

February 1985 Magh – Falgun

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
17 Feb Sun Maha Shivaratri

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

Krishna Trayodashi

March 1985 Falgun – Chaitra

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
6 Mar Wed Fagu Purnima (Holi)

The festival of colours on the full moon of Phalguna.

Shukla Chaturdashi
21 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
30 Mar Sat Chaite Dashain

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

Shukla Ashtami

April 1985 Chaitra – Baishakh

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
14 Apr Sun Bisket Jatra

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

Krishna Dashami
20 Apr Sat Mata Tirtha Aunsi (Mother's Day)

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

Krishna Amavasya
23 Apr Tue Akshaya Tritiya

An auspicious day for new beginnings on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya.

Shukla Tritiya

May 1985 Baishakh – Jestha

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
29 May Wed Ganga Dussehra

The descent of the Ganga, on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami.

Shukla Dashami

July 1985 Ashadh – Shrawan

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
2 Jul Tue Guru Purnima

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

Shukla Purnima

August 1985 Shrawan – Bhadra

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
20 Aug Tue Naag Panchami

Serpent deities are worshipped on Shravana Shukla Panchami.

Shukla Chaturthi
30 Aug Fri Janai Purnima

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

Shukla Purnima

September 1985 Bhadra – Ashwin

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
7 Sep Sat Krishna Janmashtami

The midnight birth of Lord Krishna.

Krishna Ashtami
17 Sep Tue Teej (Haritalika Teej) Vrat Shukla Tritiya
19 Sep Thu Rishi Panchami Vrat Shukla Panchami
27 Sep Fri Indra Jatra

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

Shukla Chaturdashi
29 Sep Sun Sorah Shraddha (Pitru Paksha)

The sixteen days of offerings to the ancestors.

Krishna Pratipada

October 1985 Ashwin – Kartik

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
15 Oct Tue Ghatasthapana (Dashain Begins)

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

Shukla Pratipada
22 Oct Tue Maha Ashtami / Maha Navami

The climactic eighth and ninth days of Dashain.

Shukla Navami
22 Oct Tue Vijaya Dashami

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

Shukla Navami

November 1985 Kartik – Mangsir

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
12 Nov Tue Tihar (Laxmi Puja)

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

Krishna Amavasya
23 Nov Sat Haribodhini Ekadashi Vrat Shukla Ekadashi

December 1985 Mangsir – Poush

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
16 Dec Mon Vivah Panchami

The wedding of Rama and Sita on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami.

Shukla Panchami
27 Dec Fri Yomari Punhi

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

Shukla Purnima

Months of the Nepali Calendar in 1985

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 1985, covering Bikram Sambat 2041 – 2042. 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 1985 13 Jan 1985 13
Magh 14 Jan 1985 12 Feb 1985 30
Falgun 13 Feb 1985 14 Mar 1985 30
Chaitra 15 Mar 1985 13 Apr 1985 30
Baishakh 14 Apr 1985 14 May 1985 31
Jestha 15 May 1985 14 Jun 1985 31
Ashadh 15 Jun 1985 16 Jul 1985 32
Shrawan 17 Jul 1985 16 Aug 1985 31
Bhadra 17 Aug 1985 16 Sep 1985 31
Ashwin 17 Sep 1985 17 Oct 1985 31
Kartik 18 Oct 1985 16 Nov 1985 30
Mangsir 17 Nov 1985 15 Dec 1985 29
Poush part 16 Dec 1985 31 Dec 1985 16

What happened in the sky in 1985

Beyond the dates the Nepali Calendar lists, 1985 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Shravana, running from 18 July 1985 to 16 August 1985. Maghe Sankranti fell on 14 January, 1 day earlier in the year than in 1984 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.

Eclipses of 1985

Date (IST) Eclipse Nepali date Seen from India
5 May 1:26 AM Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Baishakh Krishna Pratipada Yes - Sutak observed
20 May 2:58 AM Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Jestha Shukla Pratipada Not visible
28 Oct 11:12 PM Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Kartik Purnima Yes - Sutak observed
12 Nov 7:40 PM Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) on Tihar (Laxmi Puja) Kartik Amavasya Not visible

Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.

Guru and Shani in 1985

Date Graha Sign change
10 Jan 2:40 PM Guru (Jupiter) Dhanu → Makara
1 Jun 2:40 AM Shani (Saturn) Vrishchika → Tula re-entry while retrograde
17 Sep 5:20 AM Shani (Saturn) Tula → Vrishchika

Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Mesha on 29 January 1985, carrying the eclipse axis with it.

Frequently asked questions about the Nepali Calendar 1985

How many festivals and vrats does the Nepali Calendar list in 1985?

The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 1985, of which 3 are vrats. The first is Maghe Sankranti on Monday, 14 January 1985, and the last is Yomari Punhi on Friday, 27 December 1985.

What are the main festival dates in the Nepali Calendar for 1985?

The first major observances of 1985 are:

  • Maghe Sankranti - Monday, 14 January 1985
  • Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja) - Friday, 25 January 1985
  • Maha Shivaratri - Sunday, 17 February 1985
  • Fagu Purnima (Holi) - Wednesday, 6 March 1985
  • Ghode Jatra - Thursday, 21 March 1985
  • Chaite Dashain - Saturday, 30 March 1985
Which month of 1985 has the most observances in the Nepali Calendar?

September 1985 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 1985 correspond to in the Nepali Calendar?

The Gregorian year 1985 spans Bikram Sambat 2041 – 2042. 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 1985 have an Adhik Maas?

Yes. 1985 carried an Adhik Maas (Shravana (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 1985 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.

Were there any eclipses in 1985?

1985 had 4 eclipses:

  • 5 May 1985 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 20 May 1985 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
  • 28 October 1985 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 12 November 1985 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India

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 1985?

Yes - 3 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1985:

  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Makara on 10 January 1985
  • Shani (Saturn) entered Tula on 1 June 1985, moving retrograde
  • Shani (Saturn) entered Vrishchika on 17 September 1985

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 1985?

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.

Get your Daily Tarot Readings Draw Today's card