Nepali Calendar - Bikram Sambat 1998
The Nepali festival calendar (Bikram Sambat). Nepali festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
March 1998
Bikram Sambat 2054 (Vikriti) · Bikram Sambat 2055 (Khara)
Falgun – Chaitra
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 1998 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 1998, 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 2054 – 2055.
January 1998 Poush – Magh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan | Wed |
Maghe Sankranti The Sun's entry into Makara, the great winter festival of Nepal. |
Krishna Dwitiya |
February 1998 Magh – Falgun
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Feb | Sun |
Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja)
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 25 Feb | Wed |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva, with the grand mela at Pashupatinath. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
March 1998 Falgun – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Mar | Thu |
Fagu Purnima (Holi) The festival of colours on the full moon of Phalguna. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 27 Mar | Fri |
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 1998 Chaitra – Baishakh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 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). |
Krishna Dwitiya |
| 26 Apr | Sun |
Mata Tirtha Aunsi (Mother's Day) The Baishakh new-moon day honouring mothers, living and departed. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 28 Apr | Tue |
Akshaya Tritiya An auspicious day for new beginnings on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
June 1998 Jestha – Ashadh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jun | Thu |
Ganga Dussehra The descent of the Ganga, on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
July 1998 Ashadh – Shrawan
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Jul | Thu |
Guru Purnima The full moon of Ashadha honouring teachers and sage Veda Vyasa. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 28 Jul | Tue |
Naag Panchami Serpent deities are worshipped on Shravana Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
August 1998 Shrawan – Bhadra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Aug | Sat |
Janai Purnima Hindus change the sacred thread (janai) and tie the raksha protection cord on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 15 Aug | Sat |
Krishna Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 25 Aug | Tue | Teej (Haritalika Teej) Vrat | Shukla Tritiya |
| 27 Aug | Thu | Rishi Panchami Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
September 1998 Bhadra – Ashwin
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Sep | Sat |
Indra Jatra Kathmandu's great festival of Indra and the living goddess Kumari, from Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 7 Sep | Mon |
Sorah Shraddha (Pitru Paksha) The sixteen days of offerings to the ancestors. |
Krishna Pratipada |
| 21 Sep | Mon |
Ghatasthapana (Dashain Begins)
The first day of Bada Dashain, when the jamara is sown. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 30 Sep | Wed |
Maha Ashtami / Maha Navami
The climactic eighth and ninth days of Dashain. |
Shukla Navami |
October 1998 Ashwin – Kartik
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct | Thu |
Vijaya Dashami The tenth day of Dashain, when elders give tika and jamara. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 19 Oct | Mon |
Tihar (Laxmi Puja) The festival of lights (Yamapanchak) and the worship of Goddess Lakshmi. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 31 Oct | Sat | Haribodhini Ekadashi Vrat | Shukla Ekadashi |
November 1998 Kartik – Mangsir
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Nov | Tue |
Vivah Panchami The wedding of Rama and Sita on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
December 1998 Mangsir – Poush
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Dec | Thu |
Yomari Punhi The Newar harvest full moon of Margashirsha, celebrated with sweet yomari dumplings. |
Shukla Purnima |
Months of the Nepali Calendar in 1998
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 1998, covering Bikram Sambat 2054 – 2055. 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 1998 | 14 Jan 1998 | 14 |
| Magh | 15 Jan 1998 | 12 Feb 1998 | 29 |
| Falgun | 13 Feb 1998 | 14 Mar 1998 | 30 |
| Chaitra | 15 Mar 1998 | 13 Apr 1998 | 30 |
| Baishakh | 14 Apr 1998 | 14 May 1998 | 31 |
| Jestha | 15 May 1998 | 15 Jun 1998 | 32 |
| Ashadh | 16 Jun 1998 | 16 Jul 1998 | 31 |
| Shrawan | 17 Jul 1998 | 16 Aug 1998 | 31 |
| Bhadra | 17 Aug 1998 | 16 Sep 1998 | 31 |
| Ashwin | 17 Sep 1998 | 17 Oct 1998 | 31 |
| Kartik | 18 Oct 1998 | 16 Nov 1998 | 30 |
| Mangsir | 17 Nov 1998 | 15 Dec 1998 | 29 |
| Poush part | 16 Dec 1998 | 31 Dec 1998 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1998
Beyond the dates the Nepali Calendar lists, 1998 brought 5 eclipses - 2 solar and 3 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 1997 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1998
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Nepali date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Feb 10:58 PM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 1 day after Maha Shivaratri | Falgun Amavasya | Not visible |
| 13 Mar 9:50 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Fagu Purnima (Holi) | Falgun Purnima | Not visible |
| 8 Aug 7:54 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Janai Purnima | Shrawan Purnima | Not visible |
| 22 Aug 7:36 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Bhadra Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 6 Sep 4:40 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Indra Jatra | Bhadra Purnima | Penumbral only |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 1 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 1998
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Jan 4:00 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Makara → Kumbha |
| 17 Apr 1:10 PM | Shani (Saturn) | Meena → Mesha |
| 26 May 4:20 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Kumbha → Meena |
| 10 Sep 11:20 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Meena → Kumbha re-entry while retrograde |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Nepali Calendar 1998
How many festivals and vrats does the Nepali Calendar list in 1998?
The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 1998, of which 3 are vrats. The first is Maghe Sankranti on Wednesday, 14 January 1998, and the last is Yomari Punhi on Thursday, 3 December 1998.
What are the main festival dates in the Nepali Calendar for 1998?
The first major observances of 1998 are:
- Maghe Sankranti - Wednesday, 14 January 1998
- Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja) - Sunday, 1 February 1998
- Maha Shivaratri - Wednesday, 25 February 1998
- Fagu Purnima (Holi) - Thursday, 12 March 1998
- Ghode Jatra - Friday, 27 March 1998
- Chaite Dashain - Sunday, 5 April 1998
Which traditional year does 1998 correspond to in the Nepali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1998 spans Bikram Sambat 2054 – 2055. 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 1998 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1998 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 1998?
1998 had 5 eclipses:
- 26 February 1998 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 13 March 1998 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 8 August 1998 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 22 August 1998 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 6 September 1998 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak 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 1998?
Yes - 4 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1998:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Kumbha on 8 January 1998
- Shani (Saturn) entered Mesha on 17 April 1998
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Meena on 26 May 1998
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Kumbha on 10 September 1998, moving retrograde
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 1998?
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.
