Nepali Calendar - Bikram Sambat 2019
The Nepali festival calendar (Bikram Sambat). Nepali festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
May 2019
Bikram Sambat 2076 (Paridhavi)
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 2019 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 2019, opening with Maghe Sankranti on 15 January and closing with Yomari Punhi on 12 December. Of these, 3 are vrats (fasting observances). September is the fullest month with 5 dates. The year runs through Bikram Sambat 2075 – 2076.
January 2019 Poush – Magh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan | Tue |
Maghe Sankranti The Sun's entry into Makara, the great winter festival of Nepal. |
Shukla Navami |
February 2019 Magh – Falgun
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Feb | Sat |
Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja)
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Chaturthi |
March 2019 Falgun – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Mar | Mon |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva, with the grand mela at Pashupatinath. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 20 Mar | Wed |
Fagu Purnima (Holi) The festival of colours on the full moon of Phalguna. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
April 2019 Chaitra – Baishakh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 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 |
| 13 Apr | Sat |
Chaite Dashain The lesser Dashain on Chaitra Shukla Navami, coinciding with Ram Navami. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 14 Apr | Sun |
Bisket Jatra Bhaktapur's chariot and pole festival welcoming the Nepali solar new year (Baishakh). |
Shukla Navami |
May 2019 Baishakh – Jestha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 May | Sat |
Mata Tirtha Aunsi (Mother's Day) The Baishakh new-moon day honouring mothers, living and departed. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 7 May | Tue |
Akshaya Tritiya An auspicious day for new beginnings on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya. |
Shukla Tritiya |
June 2019 Jestha – Ashadh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jun | Wed |
Ganga Dussehra The descent of the Ganga, on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
July 2019 Ashadh – Shrawan
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jul | Tue |
Guru Purnima The full moon of Ashadha honouring teachers and sage Veda Vyasa. |
Shukla Purnima |
August 2019 Shrawan – Bhadra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Aug | Mon |
Naag Panchami Serpent deities are worshipped on Shravana Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 15 Aug | Thu |
Janai Purnima Hindus change the sacred thread (janai) and tie the raksha protection cord on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 24 Aug | Sat |
Krishna Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 2019 Bhadra – Ashwin
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Sep | Sun | Teej (Haritalika Teej) Vrat | Shukla Dwitiya |
| 3 Sep | Tue | Rishi Panchami Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 12 Sep | Thu |
Indra Jatra Kathmandu's great festival of Indra and the living goddess Kumari, from Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 15 Sep | Sun |
Sorah Shraddha (Pitru Paksha) The sixteen days of offerings to the ancestors. |
Krishna Pratipada |
| 29 Sep | Sun |
Ghatasthapana (Dashain Begins)
The first day of Bada Dashain, when the jamara is sown. |
Shukla Pratipada |
October 2019 Ashwin – Kartik
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Oct | Sun |
Maha Ashtami / Maha Navami
The climactic eighth and ninth days of Dashain. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 7 Oct | Mon |
Vijaya Dashami The tenth day of Dashain, when elders give tika and jamara. |
Shukla Navami |
| 27 Oct | Sun |
Tihar (Laxmi Puja) The festival of lights (Yamapanchak) and the worship of Goddess Lakshmi. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
November 2019 Kartik – Mangsir
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Nov | Fri | Haribodhini Ekadashi Vrat | Shukla Ekadashi |
December 2019 Mangsir – Poush
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Dec | Sun |
Vivah Panchami The wedding of Rama and Sita on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 12 Dec | Thu |
Yomari Punhi The Newar harvest full moon of Margashirsha, celebrated with sweet yomari dumplings. |
Shukla Purnima |
Months of the Nepali Calendar in 2019
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 2019, covering Bikram Sambat 2075 – 2076. 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 2019 | 13 Jan 2019 | 13 |
| Magh | 14 Jan 2019 | 12 Feb 2019 | 30 |
| Falgun | 13 Feb 2019 | 14 Mar 2019 | 30 |
| Chaitra | 15 Mar 2019 | 13 Apr 2019 | 30 |
| Baishakh | 14 Apr 2019 | 14 May 2019 | 31 |
| Jestha | 15 May 2019 | 14 Jun 2019 | 31 |
| Ashadh | 15 Jun 2019 | 16 Jul 2019 | 32 |
| Shrawan | 17 Jul 2019 | 16 Aug 2019 | 31 |
| Bhadra | 17 Aug 2019 | 16 Sep 2019 | 31 |
| Ashwin | 17 Sep 2019 | 17 Oct 2019 | 31 |
| Kartik | 18 Oct 2019 | 16 Nov 2019 | 30 |
| Mangsir | 17 Nov 2019 | 15 Dec 2019 | 29 |
| Poush part | 16 Dec 2019 | 31 Dec 2019 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 2019
Beyond the dates the Nepali Calendar lists, 2019 brought 5 eclipses - 3 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Maghe Sankranti fell on 15 January, 1 day later in the year than in 2018 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2019
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Nepali date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Jan 7:11 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Poush Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 21 Jan 10:42 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Magh Purnima | Not visible |
| 3 Jul 12:52 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Ashadh Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 17 Jul 3:00 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Guru Purnima | Shrawan Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 26 Dec 10:47 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Poush Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.
Guru and Shani in 2019
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Mar 8:10 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Vrishchika → Dhanu |
| 23 Apr 1:20 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Dhanu → Vrishchika re-entry while retrograde |
| 5 Nov 5:20 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Vrishchika → Dhanu |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Mithuna on 7 March 2019, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Nepali Calendar 2019
How many festivals and vrats does the Nepali Calendar list in 2019?
The Nepali Calendar lists 25 dates in 2019, of which 3 are vrats. The first is Maghe Sankranti on Tuesday, 15 January 2019, and the last is Yomari Punhi on Thursday, 12 December 2019.
What are the main festival dates in the Nepali Calendar for 2019?
The first major observances of 2019 are:
- Maghe Sankranti - Tuesday, 15 January 2019
- Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja) - Saturday, 9 February 2019
- Maha Shivaratri - Monday, 4 March 2019
- Fagu Purnima (Holi) - Wednesday, 20 March 2019
- Ghode Jatra - Friday, 5 April 2019
- Chaite Dashain - Saturday, 13 April 2019
Which month of 2019 has the most observances in the Nepali Calendar?
September 2019 is the fullest month with 5 dates, including Teej (Haritalika Teej), Rishi Panchami, Indra Jatra, Sorah Shraddha (Pitru Paksha), Ghatasthapana (Dashain Begins).
Which traditional year does 2019 correspond to in the Nepali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2019 spans Bikram Sambat 2075 – 2076. 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 2019 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 2019 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 2019?
2019 had 5 eclipses:
- 6 January 2019 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 21 January 2019 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 3 July 2019 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 17 July 2019 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 26 December 2019 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya 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 2019?
Yes - 3 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2019:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Dhanu on 29 March 2019
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Vrishchika on 23 April 2019, moving retrograde
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Dhanu on 5 November 2019
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 2019?
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.
