The Nepali calendar (Bikram Sambat) explained

The Bikram Sambat (BS) calendar is the official calendar of Nepal. It is a solar calendar, roughly 56 to 57 years ahead of the Gregorian (AD) calendar, with its own month names, month lengths and new year. You can browse it any time on the Nepali calendar (BS patro), which shows every BS date with its English (AD) equivalent and highlights today.

How Bikram Sambat differs from the Gregorian calendar

Both calendars track the solar year, so they stay in step across the seasons — but they start the year at different points and count their years from different origins. The BS year is about 56.7 years ahead of the AD year, which is why a single Gregorian year overlaps two BS years and vice versa. The Nepali new year (नयाँ वर्ष) falls in mid-April, on the first day of Baisakh, rather than on 1 January.

The Nepali months

The Bikram Sambat year has twelve months, in this order:

1. Baisakh (बैशाख)
2. Jestha (जेठ)
3. Ashadh (असार)
4. Shrawan (साउन)
5. Bhadra (भदौ)
6. Ashwin (असोज)
7. Kartik (कार्तिक)
8. Mangsir (मंसिर)
9. Poush (पुष)
10. Magh (माघ)
11. Falgun (फागुन)
12. Chaitra (चैत)

Unlike the fixed 28–31 day pattern of Gregorian months, BS month lengths vary from year to year — a month can have 29, 30, 31 or occasionally 32 days. The lengths are set by the position of the sun, not a repeating rule, so a printed patro (calendar) is published each year rather than generated by a simple formula.

Why the BS–AD gap is not a fixed number

Because the two calendars begin their years in different months, the difference between a BS year and its AD year changes as you move through the year. For most of the Gregorian year the gap is 56 years and 8 months of counting; add the day and month and you land on either +56 or +57 to the year number depending on the date. This is exactly why you should convert specific dates with a tool rather than adding a flat number in your head — see our guide on converting BS dates to AD.

How to read the patro

On the Nepali calendar, each cell shows the BS day number with the matching AD date underneath, so you can read both systems at a glance. Navigate month by month to plan ahead, and today is highlighted so you always have your bearings. If you think in Gregorian dates, the English (AD) calendar shows the same information the other way around — AD dates with their BS equivalents.

When you need each calendar

• Official and government dates in Nepal — birth certificates, citizenship, academic and legal documents — use BS.
• International contexts — travel, foreign forms, software timestamps — use AD.
• Everyday planning — festivals and holidays are set in BS, so the patro is the natural place to look them up.

Frequently asked questions

What year is it in Bikram Sambat?

The current BS year is roughly 56 to 57 years ahead of the AD year. The Nepali calendar always shows the correct BS date for today, so it is the quickest way to check.

Why do BS months have different numbers of days each year?

Bikram Sambat is a solar calendar tied to the sun's position, so month lengths are determined astronomically rather than by a fixed rule. That is why an official patro is published for each year.

When is the Nepali new year?

The new year begins on the first day of Baisakh, which falls in mid-April on the Gregorian calendar.

Is Bikram Sambat the same as the Indian Vikram Samvat?

They share the same historical origin and era, but the two use different month-start conventions, so specific dates do not always line up. The calendar used in Nepal is the one shown on our Nepali patro.

Browse the calendar

Open the Nepali calendar (BS patro) to see this month with English dates alongside, or switch to the English calendar if you prefer to start from AD. To turn a specific date into the other system, use the BS to AD conversion guide.