Nanakshahi Calendar

2022-2023 Sikh Calendar

The Nanakshahi Calendar is a calendar system used by Sikhs, which was introduced in 2003 to coincide with the 300th anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism. It is named after Guru Nanak Dev Ji and is based on the solar Gregorian calendar.

The Nanakshahi Calendar aims to provide a standardized calendar system for the Sikh community worldwide, in order to facilitate the observance of important Sikh religious events and festivals. It was developed to replace the Bikrami calendar, which was a lunar calendar and had variations in different regions.

Key features of the Nanakshahi Calendar include:

• Solar Calculation: The Nanakshahi Calendar follows the solar year and is based on the tropical year, with the start date fixed as March 14. This ensures that the dates of Sikh events and festivals remain consistent from year to year.
• Months and Days: The calendar consists of 12 months, each named after an important Sikh personality, historical figure, or Sikh principle. The months are:
  1. Chet
  2. Vaisakh
  3. Jeth
  4. Harh
  5. Sawan
  6. Bhadon
  7. Assu
  8. Katik
  9. Maghar
  10. Poh
  11. Magh
  12. Phagun
  Each month has 30, 31 or 32 days, and the year ends on March 13.
• Gurpurabs: The Gurpurabs, which are the birth anniversaries of the ten Sikh Gurus, are marked as important dates in the Nanakshahi Calendar. These events are observed and celebrated by the Sikh community worldwide.
• Fixed Dates: Certain festivals and events, such as Vaisakhi (celebrated on April 13), Guru Nanak Gurpurab (celebrated in November), and Martyrdom Day of Guru Arjan Dev Ji (celebrated in June), have fixed dates in the Nanakshahi Calendar.

The Nanakshahi Calendar was designed to provide a standardized and consistent system for Sikh religious observances and festivals. It is widely accepted and followed by the Sikh community around the world, although there may be some regional variations in certain observances.