Nepali Calendar - Bikram Sambat 2009
The Nepali festival calendar (Bikram Sambat). Nepali festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
August 2009
Bikram Sambat 2066 (Shubhakrit)
Shrawan – Bhadra
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 2009 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 2009, opening with Maghe Sankranti on 14 January and closing with Yomari Punhi on 2 December. Of these, 3 are vrats (fasting observances). September is the fullest month with 5 dates. The year runs through Bikram Sambat 2065 – 2066.
January 2009 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 Chaturthi |
| 31 Jan | Sat |
Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja)
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
February 2009 Magh – Falgun
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Feb | Mon |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva, with the grand mela at Pashupatinath. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
March 2009 Falgun – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Mar | Tue |
Fagu Purnima (Holi) The festival of colours on the full moon of Phalguna. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 26 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 Amavasya |
April 2009 Chaitra – Baishakh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Apr | Fri |
Chaite Dashain The lesser Dashain on Chaitra Shukla Navami, coinciding with Ram Navami. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 14 Apr | Tue |
Bisket Jatra Bhaktapur's chariot and pole festival welcoming the Nepali solar new year (Baishakh). |
Krishna Panchami |
| 25 Apr | Sat |
Mata Tirtha Aunsi (Mother's Day) The Baishakh new-moon day honouring mothers, living and departed. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 27 Apr | Mon |
Akshaya Tritiya An auspicious day for new beginnings on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya. |
Shukla Tritiya |
June 2009 Jestha – Ashadh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Jun | Tue |
Ganga Dussehra The descent of the Ganga, on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
July 2009 Ashadh – Shrawan
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Jul | Tue |
Guru Purnima The full moon of Ashadha honouring teachers and sage Veda Vyasa. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 26 Jul | Sun |
Naag Panchami Serpent deities are worshipped on Shravana Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
August 2009 Shrawan – Bhadra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Aug | Wed |
Janai Purnima Hindus change the sacred thread (janai) and tie the raksha protection cord on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 14 Aug | Fri |
Krishna Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 23 Aug | Sun | Teej (Haritalika Teej) Vrat | Shukla Tritiya |
| 24 Aug | Mon | Rishi Panchami Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
September 2009 Bhadra – Ashwin
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Sep | Thu |
Indra Jatra Kathmandu's great festival of Indra and the living goddess Kumari, from Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 5 Sep | Sat |
Sorah Shraddha (Pitru Paksha) The sixteen days of offerings to the ancestors. |
Krishna Pratipada |
| 19 Sep | Sat |
Ghatasthapana (Dashain Begins)
The first day of Bada Dashain, when the jamara is sown. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 27 Sep | Sun |
Maha Ashtami / Maha Navami
The climactic eighth and ninth days of Dashain. |
Shukla Navami |
| 28 Sep | Mon |
Vijaya Dashami The tenth day of Dashain, when elders give tika and jamara. |
Shukla Dashami |
October 2009 Ashwin – Kartik
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Oct | Sat |
Tihar (Laxmi Puja) The festival of lights (Yamapanchak) and the worship of Goddess Lakshmi. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 29 Oct | Thu | Haribodhini Ekadashi Vrat | Shukla Ekadashi |
November 2009 Kartik – Mangsir
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Nov | Sat |
Vivah Panchami The wedding of Rama and Sita on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
December 2009 Mangsir – Poush
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Dec | Wed |
Yomari Punhi The Newar harvest full moon of Margashirsha, celebrated with sweet yomari dumplings. |
Shukla Purnima |
Months of the Nepali Calendar in 2009
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 2009, covering Bikram Sambat 2065 – 2066. 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 2009 | 13 Jan 2009 | 13 |
| Magh | 14 Jan 2009 | 12 Feb 2009 | 30 |
| Falgun | 13 Feb 2009 | 14 Mar 2009 | 30 |
| Chaitra | 15 Mar 2009 | 13 Apr 2009 | 30 |
| Baishakh | 14 Apr 2009 | 14 May 2009 | 31 |
| Jestha | 15 May 2009 | 14 Jun 2009 | 31 |
| Ashadh | 15 Jun 2009 | 16 Jul 2009 | 32 |
| Shrawan | 17 Jul 2009 | 16 Aug 2009 | 31 |
| Bhadra | 17 Aug 2009 | 16 Sep 2009 | 31 |
| Ashwin | 17 Sep 2009 | 17 Oct 2009 | 31 |
| Kartik | 18 Oct 2009 | 16 Nov 2009 | 30 |
| Mangsir | 17 Nov 2009 | 15 Dec 2009 | 29 |
| Poush part | 16 Dec 2009 | 31 Dec 2009 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 2009
Beyond the dates the Nepali Calendar lists, 2009 brought 5 eclipses - 2 solar and 3 lunar - of which 4 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Maghe Sankranti fell on 14 January, 1 day earlier in the year than in 2008 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2009
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Nepali date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jan 1:28 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Magh Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 9 Feb 8:08 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Magh Purnima | Penumbral only |
| 7 Jul 3:08 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Guru Purnima | Ashadh Purnima | Not visible |
| 22 Jul 8:05 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Shrawan Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 6 Aug 6:09 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Janai Purnima | Shrawan Purnima | Penumbral only |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 2009
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 1 May 6:40 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Makara → Kumbha |
| 30 Jul 7:50 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Kumbha → Makara re-entry while retrograde |
| 10 Sep 12:10 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Simha → Kanya |
| 20 Dec 12:20 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Makara → Kumbha |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Dhanu on 17 November 2009, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Nepali Calendar 2009
How many festivals and vrats does the Nepali Calendar list in 2009?
The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 2009, of which 3 are vrats. The first is Maghe Sankranti on Wednesday, 14 January 2009, and the last is Yomari Punhi on Wednesday, 2 December 2009.
What are the main festival dates in the Nepali Calendar for 2009?
The first major observances of 2009 are:
- Maghe Sankranti - Wednesday, 14 January 2009
- Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja) - Saturday, 31 January 2009
- Maha Shivaratri - Monday, 23 February 2009
- Fagu Purnima (Holi) - Tuesday, 10 March 2009
- Ghode Jatra - Thursday, 26 March 2009
- Chaite Dashain - Friday, 3 April 2009
Which month of 2009 has the most observances in the Nepali Calendar?
September 2009 is the fullest month with 5 dates, including Indra Jatra, Sorah Shraddha (Pitru Paksha), Ghatasthapana (Dashain Begins), Maha Ashtami / Maha Navami, Vijaya Dashami.
Which traditional year does 2009 correspond to in the Nepali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2009 spans Bikram Sambat 2065 – 2066. 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 2009 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 2009 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 2009?
2009 had 5 eclipses:
- 26 January 2009 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 9 February 2009 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 7 July 2009 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 22 July 2009 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 6 August 2009 - 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 2 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 2009?
Yes - 4 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2009:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Kumbha on 1 May 2009
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Makara on 30 July 2009, moving retrograde
- Shani (Saturn) entered Kanya on 10 September 2009
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Kumbha on 20 December 2009
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 2009?
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.
