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.
April 2002
Bikram Sambat 2059 (Manmatha)
Chaitra – Baishakh
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.


