Bikram Sambat Explained: How Nepal's Calendar Works

Nepal runs on its own calendar. Government offices, schools, newspapers and most families use Bikram Sambat, usually shortened to BS or written वि.सं. in Nepali. If you've ever wondered why it's "2083" in Nepal while the rest of the world says 2026, this guide is for you.

What is Bikram Sambat?

Bikram Sambat (also spelled Vikram Samvat) is a calendar that tradition links to the legendary King Vikramaditya. It is the official calendar of Nepal and has been used for government work since the early twentieth century.

Nepal also recognises Nepal Sambat, a lunar calendar used especially by the Newar community, and of course the Gregorian (AD) calendar for international dealings. But for everyday dates, from school exams to salaries, BS is the one that counts.

Why is BS about 56 years ahead?

The BS calendar started counting years about 56 years and 8 months before the Gregorian calendar. So:

• From mid-April to December, add 57 to the AD year to get the BS year.
• From January to mid-April, add 56.

For example, November 2026 falls in BS 2083, while February 2026 falls in BS 2082.

That rule tells you the year, but not the exact date. For that you need the month lengths, which change every year.

The twelve months

The BS year starts in mid-April with Baisakh and ends in mid-April with Chaitra.

The day ranges come from the calendar table for BS 1975–2090. For more on each month, see Nepali months in English.

Why do the months have different lengths?

In the Gregorian calendar, January always has 31 days. In Bikram Sambat, the months follow the sun's movement through the zodiac.

Each month begins on a sankranti, the day the sun moves into a new zodiac sign. Earth's orbit is slightly oval, so Earth moves faster in some parts of the year than others. That's why the sun appears to spend longer in some signs:

• In the summer months (Jestha to Bhadra), it moves slowly, so months can last 32 days.
• In the winter months (Kartik to Falgun), it moves faster, so months can be as short as 29 days.

Because the exact moment of each sankranti shifts a little every year, the month lengths shift too. A month that has 31 days this year might have 32 next year.

Who decides the calendar?

Nepal's Panchanga Nirnayak Samiti (calendar decision committee) works out the official dates using astronomical calculations, and the official patro is published before each new year. Calendar tables used by websites and apps are built from these published calendars. Years further in the future are calculated in advance and occasionally corrected by a day once the official patro comes out.

When is Nepali New Year?

Nepali New Year, Baisakh 1, falls on the day of Mesh Sankranti, when the sun enters Aries. That's usually April 13 or 14:

• BS 2081 began on April 13, 2024.
• BS 2082 began on April 14, 2025.
• BS 2083 began on April 14, 2026.

The date moves between the 13th and 14th because a solar year isn't a whole number of days.

Converting between BS and AD

Since the months change length, there's no reliable formula. Adding "56 years, 8 months and 17 days" works only roughly and can be off by a day or two. A proper converter counts the real days in each month.

Use the Nepali date converter to change any date between BS and AD, with the weekday. To see a whole month at a glance, open the Nepali calendar. If you're converting a birthday for a passport or visa form, read how to convert your date of birth.

What about festivals?

Festivals like Dashain, Tihar and Teej follow the lunar calendar (tithi), not the solar months. That's why Dashain doesn't fall on the same BS date every year. Fixed-date days like Constitution Day (Asoj 3) and Republic Day (Jestha 15) always land on the same BS date.