Nepali Calendar

Nepali Calendar - Bikram Sambat 2002

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

February 2002

Bikram Sambat 2058 (Jaya)

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 2002 - festivals and vrats through the year

The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 2002, opening with Maghe Sankranti on 14 January and closing with Yomari Punhi on 19 December. Of these, 3 are vrats (fasting observances). The year runs through Bikram Sambat 2058 – 2059.

January 2002 Poush – Magh

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
14 Jan Mon Maghe Sankranti

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

Shukla Pratipada

February 2002 Magh – Falgun

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
17 Feb Sun Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja)

The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami.

Shukla Panchami

March 2002 Falgun – Chaitra

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
12 Mar Tue Maha Shivaratri

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

Krishna Chaturdashi
28 Mar Thu Fagu Purnima (Holi)

The festival of colours on the full moon of Phalguna.

Shukla Purnima

April 2002 Chaitra – Baishakh

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
12 Apr Fri Ghode Jatra

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

Krishna Amavasya
14 Apr Sun Bisket Jatra

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

Shukla Dwitiya
21 Apr Sun Chaite Dashain

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

Shukla Navami

May 2002 Baishakh – Jestha

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
12 May Sun Mata Tirtha Aunsi (Mother's Day)

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

Krishna Amavasya
15 May Wed Akshaya Tritiya

An auspicious day for new beginnings on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya.

Shukla Tritiya

June 2002 Jestha – Ashadh

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
20 Jun Thu Ganga Dussehra

The descent of the Ganga, on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami.

Shukla Dashami

July 2002 Ashadh – Shrawan

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
24 Jul Wed Guru Purnima

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

Shukla Purnima

August 2002 Shrawan – Bhadra

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
13 Aug Tue Naag Panchami

Serpent deities are worshipped on Shravana Shukla Panchami.

Shukla Panchami
22 Aug Thu Janai Purnima

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

Shukla Purnima
31 Aug Sat Krishna Janmashtami

The midnight birth of Lord Krishna.

Krishna Ashtami

September 2002 Bhadra – Ashwin

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
9 Sep Mon Teej (Haritalika Teej) Vrat Shukla Tritiya
11 Sep Wed Rishi Panchami Vrat Shukla Panchami
20 Sep Fri Indra Jatra

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

Shukla Chaturdashi
22 Sep Sun Sorah Shraddha (Pitru Paksha)

The sixteen days of offerings to the ancestors.

Krishna Pratipada

October 2002 Ashwin – Kartik

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
7 Oct Mon Ghatasthapana (Dashain Begins)

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

Shukla Pratipada
14 Oct Mon Maha Ashtami / Maha Navami

The climactic eighth and ninth days of Dashain.

Shukla Navami
15 Oct Tue Vijaya Dashami

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

Shukla Dashami

November 2002 Kartik – Mangsir

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
4 Nov Mon Tihar (Laxmi Puja)

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

Krishna Amavasya
15 Nov Fri Haribodhini Ekadashi Vrat Shukla Ekadashi

December 2002 Mangsir – Poush

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
8 Dec Sun Vivah Panchami

The wedding of Rama and Sita on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami.

Shukla Panchami
19 Dec Thu Yomari Punhi

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

Shukla Purnima

Months of the Nepali Calendar in 2002

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 2002, covering Bikram Sambat 2058 – 2059. 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 2002 14 Jan 2002 14
Magh 15 Jan 2002 12 Feb 2002 29
Falgun 13 Feb 2002 14 Mar 2002 30
Chaitra 15 Mar 2002 13 Apr 2002 30
Baishakh 14 Apr 2002 14 May 2002 31
Jestha 15 May 2002 15 Jun 2002 32
Ashadh 16 Jun 2002 16 Jul 2002 31
Shrawan 17 Jul 2002 16 Aug 2002 31
Bhadra 17 Aug 2002 16 Sep 2002 31
Ashwin 17 Sep 2002 17 Oct 2002 31
Kartik 18 Oct 2002 16 Nov 2002 30
Mangsir 17 Nov 2002 15 Dec 2002 29
Poush part 16 Dec 2002 31 Dec 2002 16

What happened in the sky in 2002

Beyond the dates the Nepali Calendar lists, 2002 brought 5 eclipses - 2 solar and 3 lunar - of which 3 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja) fell on 17 February, 19 days later in the year than in 2001 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.

Eclipses of 2002

Date (IST) Eclipse Nepali date Seen from India
26 May 5:33 PM Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Jestha Purnima Penumbral only
11 Jun 5:14 AM Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Jestha Shukla Pratipada Not visible
25 Jun 2:57 AM Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Ashadh Krishna Pratipada Penumbral only
20 Nov 7:16 AM Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Mangsir Purnima Penumbral only
4 Dec 1:01 PM Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Mangsir Amavasya Not visible

No eclipse of 2002 carried Sutak Kaal in India. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.

Guru and Shani in 2002

Date Graha Sign change
5 Jul 12:30 PM Guru (Jupiter) Mithuna → Karka
23 Jul 8:20 AM Shani (Saturn) Vrishabha → Mithuna

Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Vrishabha on 16 February 2002, carrying the eclipse axis with it.

Frequently asked questions about the Nepali Calendar 2002

How many festivals and vrats does the Nepali Calendar list in 2002?

The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 2002, of which 3 are vrats. The first is Maghe Sankranti on Monday, 14 January 2002, and the last is Yomari Punhi on Thursday, 19 December 2002.

What are the main festival dates in the Nepali Calendar for 2002?

The first major observances of 2002 are:

  • Maghe Sankranti - Monday, 14 January 2002
  • Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja) - Sunday, 17 February 2002
  • Maha Shivaratri - Tuesday, 12 March 2002
  • Fagu Purnima (Holi) - Thursday, 28 March 2002
  • Ghode Jatra - Friday, 12 April 2002
  • Bisket Jatra - Sunday, 14 April 2002
Which traditional year does 2002 correspond to in the Nepali Calendar?

The Gregorian year 2002 spans Bikram Sambat 2058 – 2059. 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 2002 have an Adhik Maas?

No. 2002 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 2002?

2002 had 5 eclipses:

  • 26 May 2002 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
  • 11 June 2002 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
  • 25 June 2002 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
  • 20 November 2002 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
  • 4 December 2002 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India

None of them carried Sutak Kaal in India.

Did Guru or Shani change sign in 2002?

Yes - 2 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2002:

  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Karka on 5 July 2002
  • Shani (Saturn) entered Mithuna on 23 July 2002

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 2002?

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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