Nepali Calendar - Bikram Sambat 2012
The Nepali festival calendar (Bikram Sambat). Nepali festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
May 2012
Bikram Sambat 2069 (Vishvavasu)
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 2012 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 2012, opening with Maghe Sankranti on 15 January and closing with Yomari Punhi on 28 December. Of these, 3 are vrats (fasting observances). The year runs through Bikram Sambat 2068 – 2069. 2012 carries an Adhik Maas (Bhadrapada (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several festivals later than usual.
January 2012 Poush – Magh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan | Sun |
Maghe Sankranti The Sun's entry into Makara, the great winter festival of Nepal. |
Krishna Saptami |
| 28 Jan | Sat |
Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja)
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
February 2012 Magh – Falgun
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Feb | Mon |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva, with the grand mela at Pashupatinath. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
March 2012 Falgun – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Mar | Wed |
Fagu Purnima (Holi) The festival of colours on the full moon of Phalguna. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 22 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 2012 Chaitra – Baishakh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Apr | Sun |
Chaite Dashain The lesser Dashain on Chaitra Shukla Navami, coinciding with Ram Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
| 14 Apr | Sat |
Bisket Jatra Bhaktapur's chariot and pole festival welcoming the Nepali solar new year (Baishakh). |
Krishna Navami |
| 21 Apr | Sat |
Mata Tirtha Aunsi (Mother's Day) The Baishakh new-moon day honouring mothers, living and departed. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 24 Apr | Tue |
Akshaya Tritiya An auspicious day for new beginnings on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya. |
Shukla Tritiya |
May 2012 Baishakh – Jestha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 May | Thu |
Ganga Dussehra The descent of the Ganga, on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
July 2012 Ashadh – Shrawan
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Jul | Tue |
Guru Purnima The full moon of Ashadha honouring teachers and sage Veda Vyasa. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 24 Jul | Tue |
Naag Panchami Serpent deities are worshipped on Shravana Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
August 2012 Shrawan – Bhadra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Aug | Thu |
Janai Purnima Hindus change the sacred thread (janai) and tie the raksha protection cord on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 10 Aug | Fri |
Krishna Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 2012 Bhadra – Ashwin
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Sep | Tue | Teej (Haritalika Teej) Vrat | Shukla Tritiya |
| 20 Sep | Thu | Rishi Panchami Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 29 Sep | Sat |
Indra Jatra Kathmandu's great festival of Indra and the living goddess Kumari, from Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
October 2012 Ashwin – Kartik
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct | Mon |
Sorah Shraddha (Pitru Paksha) The sixteen days of offerings to the ancestors. |
Krishna Pratipada |
| 16 Oct | Tue |
Ghatasthapana (Dashain Begins)
The first day of Bada Dashain, when the jamara is sown. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 23 Oct | Tue |
Maha Ashtami / Maha Navami
The climactic eighth and ninth days of Dashain. |
Shukla Navami |
| 24 Oct | Wed |
Vijaya Dashami The tenth day of Dashain, when elders give tika and jamara. |
Shukla Dashami |
November 2012 Kartik – Mangsir
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Nov | Tue |
Tihar (Laxmi Puja) The festival of lights (Yamapanchak) and the worship of Goddess Lakshmi. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 24 Nov | Sat | Haribodhini Ekadashi Vrat | Shukla Ekadashi |
December 2012 Mangsir – Poush
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Dec | Mon |
Vivah Panchami The wedding of Rama and Sita on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 28 Dec | Fri |
Yomari Punhi The Newar harvest full moon of Margashirsha, celebrated with sweet yomari dumplings. |
Shukla Purnima |
Months of the Nepali Calendar in 2012
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 2012, covering Bikram Sambat 2068 – 2069. 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 2012 | 14 Jan 2012 | 14 |
| Magh | 15 Jan 2012 | 13 Feb 2012 | 30 |
| Falgun | 14 Feb 2012 | 14 Mar 2012 | 30 |
| Chaitra | 15 Mar 2012 | 13 Apr 2012 | 30 |
| Baishakh | 14 Apr 2012 | 14 May 2012 | 31 |
| Jestha | 15 May 2012 | 14 Jun 2012 | 31 |
| Ashadh | 15 Jun 2012 | 16 Jul 2012 | 32 |
| Shrawan | 17 Jul 2012 | 16 Aug 2012 | 31 |
| Bhadra | 17 Aug 2012 | 16 Sep 2012 | 31 |
| Ashwin | 17 Sep 2012 | 16 Oct 2012 | 30 |
| Kartik | 17 Oct 2012 | 15 Nov 2012 | 30 |
| Mangsir | 16 Nov 2012 | 15 Dec 2012 | 30 |
| Poush part | 16 Dec 2012 | 31 Dec 2012 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 2012
Beyond the dates the Nepali Calendar lists, 2012 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 3 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Bhadrapada, running from 18 August 2012 to 16 September 2012. Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja) fell on 28 January, 11 days earlier in the year than in 2011 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2012
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Nepali date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 May 5:22 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Jestha Shukla Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 4 Jun 4:33 PM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Jestha Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 14 Nov 3:41 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 1 day after Tihar (Laxmi Puja) | Kartik Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 28 Nov 8:03 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Mangsir 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 2012
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 16 May 6:40 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Tula → Kanya re-entry while retrograde |
| 17 May 9:40 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Mesha → Vrishabha |
| 4 Aug 8:50 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Kanya → Tula |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Tula on 23 December 2012, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Nepali Calendar 2012
How many festivals and vrats does the Nepali Calendar list in 2012?
The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 2012, of which 3 are vrats. The first is Maghe Sankranti on Sunday, 15 January 2012, and the last is Yomari Punhi on Friday, 28 December 2012.
What are the main festival dates in the Nepali Calendar for 2012?
The first major observances of 2012 are:
- Maghe Sankranti - Sunday, 15 January 2012
- Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja) - Saturday, 28 January 2012
- Maha Shivaratri - Monday, 20 February 2012
- Fagu Purnima (Holi) - Wednesday, 7 March 2012
- Ghode Jatra - Thursday, 22 March 2012
- Chaite Dashain - Sunday, 1 April 2012
Which traditional year does 2012 correspond to in the Nepali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2012 spans Bikram Sambat 2068 – 2069. 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 2012 have an Adhik Maas?
Yes. 2012 carried an Adhik Maas (Bhadrapada (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 2012 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.
Were there any eclipses in 2012?
2012 had 4 eclipses:
- 21 May 2012 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 4 June 2012 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 14 November 2012 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 28 November 2012 - 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 2012?
Yes - 3 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2012:
- Shani (Saturn) entered Kanya on 16 May 2012, moving retrograde
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Vrishabha on 17 May 2012
- Shani (Saturn) entered Tula on 4 August 2012
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 2012?
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.
