Nepali Calendar - Bikram Sambat 2004
The Nepali festival calendar (Bikram Sambat). Nepali festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
May 2004
Bikram Sambat 2061 (Hemalambi)
Baishakh – Jestha
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 2004 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 2004, opening with Maghe Sankranti on 15 January and closing with Yomari Punhi on 26 December. Of these, 3 are vrats (fasting observances). September is the fullest month with 5 dates. The year runs through Bikram Sambat 2060 – 2061. 2004 carries an Adhik Maas (Shravana (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several festivals later than usual.
January 2004 Poush – Magh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan | Thu |
Maghe Sankranti The Sun's entry into Makara, the great winter festival of Nepal. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 26 Jan | Mon |
Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja)
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
February 2004 Magh – Falgun
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Feb | Wed |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva, with the grand mela at Pashupatinath. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
March 2004 Falgun – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Mar | Sat |
Fagu Purnima (Holi) The festival of colours on the full moon of Phalguna. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 20 Mar | Sat |
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 | Tue |
Chaite Dashain The lesser Dashain on Chaitra Shukla Navami, coinciding with Ram Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
April 2004 Chaitra – Baishakh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Apr | Tue |
Bisket Jatra Bhaktapur's chariot and pole festival welcoming the Nepali solar new year (Baishakh). |
Krishna Navami |
| 19 Apr | Mon |
Mata Tirtha Aunsi (Mother's Day) The Baishakh new-moon day honouring mothers, living and departed. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 22 Apr | Thu |
Akshaya Tritiya An auspicious day for new beginnings on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya. |
Shukla Tritiya |
May 2004 Baishakh – Jestha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 May | Sat |
Ganga Dussehra The descent of the Ganga, on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
July 2004 Ashadh – Shrawan
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Jul | Fri |
Guru Purnima The full moon of Ashadha honouring teachers and sage Veda Vyasa. |
Shukla Purnima |
August 2004 Shrawan – Bhadra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Aug | Sat |
Naag Panchami Serpent deities are worshipped on Shravana Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 30 Aug | Mon |
Janai Purnima Hindus change the sacred thread (janai) and tie the raksha protection cord on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
September 2004 Bhadra – Ashwin
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Sep | Tue |
Krishna Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 17 Sep | Fri | Teej (Haritalika Teej) Vrat | Shukla Tritiya |
| 19 Sep | Sun | Rishi Panchami Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 27 Sep | Mon |
Indra Jatra Kathmandu's great festival of Indra and the living goddess Kumari, from Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 29 Sep | Wed |
Sorah Shraddha (Pitru Paksha) The sixteen days of offerings to the ancestors. |
Krishna Pratipada |
October 2004 Ashwin – Kartik
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Oct | Fri |
Ghatasthapana (Dashain Begins)
The first day of Bada Dashain, when the jamara is sown. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 22 Oct | Fri |
Maha Ashtami / Maha Navami
The climactic eighth and ninth days of Dashain. |
Shukla Navami |
| 22 Oct | Fri |
Vijaya Dashami The tenth day of Dashain, when elders give tika and jamara. |
Shukla Navami |
November 2004 Kartik – Mangsir
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Nov | Fri |
Tihar (Laxmi Puja) The festival of lights (Yamapanchak) and the worship of Goddess Lakshmi. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 22 Nov | Mon | Haribodhini Ekadashi Vrat | Shukla Ekadashi |
December 2004 Mangsir – Poush
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Dec | Thu |
Vivah Panchami The wedding of Rama and Sita on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 26 Dec | Sun |
Yomari Punhi The Newar harvest full moon of Margashirsha, celebrated with sweet yomari dumplings. |
Shukla Purnima |
Months of the Nepali Calendar in 2004
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 2004, covering Bikram Sambat 2060 – 2061. 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 2004 | 14 Jan 2004 | 14 |
| Magh | 15 Jan 2004 | 13 Feb 2004 | 30 |
| Falgun | 14 Feb 2004 | 14 Mar 2004 | 30 |
| Chaitra | 15 Mar 2004 | 13 Apr 2004 | 30 |
| Baishakh | 14 Apr 2004 | 14 May 2004 | 31 |
| Jestha | 15 May 2004 | 14 Jun 2004 | 31 |
| Ashadh | 15 Jun 2004 | 16 Jul 2004 | 32 |
| Shrawan | 17 Jul 2004 | 16 Aug 2004 | 31 |
| Bhadra | 17 Aug 2004 | 16 Sep 2004 | 31 |
| Ashwin | 17 Sep 2004 | 16 Oct 2004 | 30 |
| Kartik | 17 Oct 2004 | 15 Nov 2004 | 30 |
| Mangsir | 16 Nov 2004 | 15 Dec 2004 | 30 |
| Poush part | 16 Dec 2004 | 31 Dec 2004 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 2004
Beyond the dates the Nepali Calendar lists, 2004 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 2004 to 16 August 2004. Maghe Sankranti fell on 15 January, 1 day later in the year than in 2003 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2004
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Nepali date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Apr 7:04 PM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) on Mata Tirtha Aunsi (Mother's Day) | Baishakh Amavasya | Not visible |
| 5 May 2:00 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Baishakh Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 14 Oct 8:29 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 1 day before Ghatasthapana (Dashain Begins) | Ashwin Amavasya | Not visible |
| 28 Oct 8:34 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Kartik Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.
Guru and Shani in 2004
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Aug 11:40 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Simha → Kanya |
| 6 Sep 4:40 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Mithuna → Karka |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Nepali Calendar 2004
How many festivals and vrats does the Nepali Calendar list in 2004?
The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 2004, of which 3 are vrats. The first is Maghe Sankranti on Thursday, 15 January 2004, and the last is Yomari Punhi on Sunday, 26 December 2004.
What are the main festival dates in the Nepali Calendar for 2004?
The first major observances of 2004 are:
- Maghe Sankranti - Thursday, 15 January 2004
- Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja) - Monday, 26 January 2004
- Maha Shivaratri - Wednesday, 18 February 2004
- Fagu Purnima (Holi) - Saturday, 6 March 2004
- Ghode Jatra - Saturday, 20 March 2004
- Chaite Dashain - Tuesday, 30 March 2004
Which month of 2004 has the most observances in the Nepali Calendar?
September 2004 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 2004 correspond to in the Nepali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2004 spans Bikram Sambat 2060 – 2061. 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 2004 have an Adhik Maas?
Yes. 2004 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 2004 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.
Were there any eclipses in 2004?
2004 had 4 eclipses:
- 19 April 2004 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 5 May 2004 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 14 October 2004 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 28 October 2004 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
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 2004?
Yes - 2 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2004:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Kanya on 27 August 2004
- Shani (Saturn) entered Karka on 6 September 2004
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 2004?
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.
