Nepali Calendar - Bikram Sambat 1988
The Nepali festival calendar (Bikram Sambat). Nepali festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
October 1988
Bikram Sambat 2045 (Vrisha)
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 1988 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Nepali Calendar lists 24 dates in 1988, opening with Maghe Sankranti on 15 January and closing with Yomari Punhi on 23 December. Of these, 3 are vrats (fasting observances). September is the fullest month with 4 dates. The year runs through Bikram Sambat 2044 – 2045. 1988 carries an Adhik Maas (Jyeshtha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several festivals later than usual.
January 1988 Poush – Magh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan | Fri |
Maghe Sankranti The Sun's entry into Makara, the great winter festival of Nepal. |
Krishna Ekadashi |
| 23 Jan | Sat |
Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja)
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
February 1988 Magh – Falgun
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Feb | Tue |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva, with the grand mela at Pashupatinath. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
March 1988 Falgun – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Mar | Thu |
Fagu Purnima (Holi) The festival of colours on the full moon of Phalguna. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 17 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 Chaturdashi |
| 26 Mar | Sat |
Chaite Dashain The lesser Dashain on Chaitra Shukla Navami, coinciding with Ram Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
April 1988 Chaitra – Baishakh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Apr | Wed |
Bisket Jatra Bhaktapur's chariot and pole festival welcoming the Nepali solar new year (Baishakh). |
Krishna Dwadashi |
| 16 Apr | Sat |
Mata Tirtha Aunsi (Mother's Day) The Baishakh new-moon day honouring mothers, living and departed. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 19 Apr | Tue |
Akshaya Tritiya An auspicious day for new beginnings on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya. |
Shukla Tritiya |
May 1988 Baishakh – Jestha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 May | Thu |
Ganga Dussehra The descent of the Ganga, on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
July 1988 Ashadh – Shrawan
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Jul | Fri |
Guru Purnima The full moon of Ashadha honouring teachers and sage Veda Vyasa. |
Shukla Purnima |
August 1988 Shrawan – Bhadra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Aug | Wed |
Naag Panchami Serpent deities are worshipped on Shravana Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 27 Aug | Sat |
Janai Purnima Hindus change the sacred thread (janai) and tie the raksha protection cord on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
September 1988 Bhadra – Ashwin
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Sep | Sat |
Krishna Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 14 Sep | Wed | Teej (Haritalika Teej) Vrat | Shukla Tritiya |
| 16 Sep | Fri | Rishi Panchami Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 26 Sep | Mon |
Sorah Shraddha (Pitru Paksha) The sixteen days of offerings to the ancestors. |
Krishna Pratipada |
October 1988 Ashwin – Kartik
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Oct | Tue |
Ghatasthapana (Dashain Begins)
The first day of Bada Dashain, when the jamara is sown. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 19 Oct | Wed |
Maha Ashtami / Maha Navami
The climactic eighth and ninth days of Dashain. |
Shukla Navami |
| 20 Oct | Thu |
Vijaya Dashami The tenth day of Dashain, when elders give tika and jamara. |
Shukla Dashami |
November 1988 Kartik – Mangsir
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Nov | Wed |
Tihar (Laxmi Puja) The festival of lights (Yamapanchak) and the worship of Goddess Lakshmi. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 19 Nov | Sat | Haribodhini Ekadashi Vrat | Shukla Dashami |
December 1988 Mangsir – Poush
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Dec | Tue |
Vivah Panchami The wedding of Rama and Sita on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 23 Dec | Fri |
Yomari Punhi The Newar harvest full moon of Margashirsha, celebrated with sweet yomari dumplings. |
Shukla Purnima |
Months of the Nepali Calendar in 1988
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 1988, covering Bikram Sambat 2044 – 2045. 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 1988 | 14 Jan 1988 | 14 |
| Magh | 15 Jan 1988 | 13 Feb 1988 | 30 |
| Falgun | 14 Feb 1988 | 14 Mar 1988 | 30 |
| Chaitra | 15 Mar 1988 | 13 Apr 1988 | 30 |
| Baishakh | 14 Apr 1988 | 14 May 1988 | 31 |
| Jestha | 15 May 1988 | 14 Jun 1988 | 31 |
| Ashadh | 15 Jun 1988 | 16 Jul 1988 | 32 |
| Shrawan | 17 Jul 1988 | 16 Aug 1988 | 31 |
| Bhadra | 17 Aug 1988 | 16 Sep 1988 | 31 |
| Ashwin | 17 Sep 1988 | 16 Oct 1988 | 30 |
| Kartik | 17 Oct 1988 | 15 Nov 1988 | 30 |
| Mangsir | 16 Nov 1988 | 15 Dec 1988 | 30 |
| Poush part | 16 Dec 1988 | 31 Dec 1988 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1988
Beyond the dates the Nepali Calendar lists, 1988 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 4 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Jyeshtha, running from 16 May 1988 to 14 June 1988. Maghe Sankranti fell on 15 January, 1 day later in the year than in 1987 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1988
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Nepali date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Mar 9:42 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Fagu Purnima (Holi) | Falgun Purnima | Penumbral only |
| 18 Mar 7:28 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 1 day after Ghode Jatra | Chaitra Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 27 Aug 4:34 PM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Janai Purnima | Bhadra Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 11 Sep 10:13 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Bhadra Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 3 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 1988
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Feb 2:40 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Meena → Mesha |
| 19 Jun 11:10 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Mesha → Vrishabha |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Kumbha on 6 March 1988, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Nepali Calendar 1988
How many festivals and vrats does the Nepali Calendar list in 1988?
The Nepali Calendar lists 24 dates in 1988, of which 3 are vrats. The first is Maghe Sankranti on Friday, 15 January 1988, and the last is Yomari Punhi on Friday, 23 December 1988.
What are the main festival dates in the Nepali Calendar for 1988?
The first major observances of 1988 are:
- Maghe Sankranti - Friday, 15 January 1988
- Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja) - Saturday, 23 January 1988
- Maha Shivaratri - Tuesday, 16 February 1988
- Fagu Purnima (Holi) - Thursday, 3 March 1988
- Ghode Jatra - Thursday, 17 March 1988
- Chaite Dashain - Saturday, 26 March 1988
Which month of 1988 has the most observances in the Nepali Calendar?
September 1988 is the fullest month with 4 dates, including Krishna Janmashtami, Teej (Haritalika Teej), Rishi Panchami, Sorah Shraddha (Pitru Paksha).
Which traditional year does 1988 correspond to in the Nepali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1988 spans Bikram Sambat 2044 – 2045. 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 1988 have an Adhik Maas?
Yes. 1988 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 1988 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.
Were there any eclipses in 1988?
1988 had 4 eclipses:
- 3 March 1988 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 18 March 1988 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 27 August 1988 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 11 September 1988 - Annular 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 3 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1988?
Yes - 2 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1988:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Mesha on 3 February 1988
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Vrishabha on 19 June 1988
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 1988?
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.
