Bikram Sambat Calendar Explained
The Bikram Sambat (BS) calendar, also known as Vikram Samvat, is the official calendar of Nepal. It is approximately 56 years and 8.5 months ahead of the Gregorian (AD) calendar.
Origins
The Bikram Sambat calendar is believed to have been started by King Vikramaditya of Ujjain in 57 BCE. It is a solar calendar based on the Hindu solar year, with months aligned to the zodiac signs.
Nepali Months
The 12 months of the Bikram Sambat calendar are:
| # | Nepali Month | Approximate Gregorian |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baishakh (बैशाख) | April - May |
| 2 | Jestha (जेठ) | May - June |
| 3 | Ashadh (असार) | June - July |
| 4 | Shrawan (श्रावण) | July - August |
| 5 | Bhadra (भदौ) | August - September |
| 6 | Ashwin (असोज) | September - October |
| 7 | Kartik (कार्तिक) | October - November |
| 8 | Mangsir (मंसिर) | November - December |
| 9 | Poush (पुष) | December - January |
| 10 | Magh (माघ) | January - February |
| 11 | Falgun (फाल्गुन) | February - March |
| 12 | Chaitra (चैत्र) | March - April |
Key Differences from Gregorian Calendar
- BS New Year falls in mid-April (Baishakh 1)
- Months have varying lengths (29-32 days)
- The calendar is about 56.7 years ahead of AD
- Official government documents in Nepal use BS dates
Use our Date Converter to easily convert between BS and AD dates.