The 12 Nepali Calendar Months in Order (Baisakh to Chaitra)

The Nepali calendar, known as the Bikram Sambat (BS) system, runs through twelve months that begin with Baisakh and end with Chaitra. Unlike the fixed Gregorian months, each BS month carries a different number of days, usually between 29 and 32, because the calendar follows the movement of the Sun across the zodiac.

If you have ever wondered why a Nepali month does not line up neatly with January or February, this guide explains the full sequence. We list every month in order, its approximate Gregorian span, its typical length, and the season and festivals tied to it.

What are the 12 Nepali calendar months in order?

The twelve Bikram Sambat months in order are Baisakh, Jestha, Ashadh, Shrawan, Bhadra, Ashwin, Kartik, Mangsir, Poush, Magh, Falgun, and Chaitra. The year starts in mid-April with Baisakh 1, which is celebrated as Nepali New Year, and closes in mid-April the following year with Chaitra.

Each month begins when the Sun enters a new zodiac sign, an event called Sankranti. Because the Sun does not move at a perfectly even pace and the entry can fall at any time of day, month lengths shift from year to year. The table below shows the standard order and the rough Gregorian window each month covers.

For background on how this dating system started and why the BS year runs about 56 to 57 years ahead of the Gregorian year, see our guide on what the Bikram Sambat calendar is.

Why do Nepali months have different numbers of days?

Nepali months vary in length because the Bikram Sambat is a solar calendar tied to the Sun's path through the zodiac. A month lasts exactly as long as the Sun spends in one zodiac sign, and that duration is not uniform. The result is months of 29, 30, 31, or even 32 days.

The Earth moves faster in its orbit near January and slower near July. So during the monsoon months, Ashadh and Shrawan, the Sun lingers longer in each sign, producing 31 or 32 day months. During winter, Poush and Magh tend to be shorter. This is also why the same BS month can differ by a day or two between two years.

How is each month's start fixed?

Each month begins on the day of Sankranti, the moment the Sun crosses into a new sign. Astronomers and almanac makers compute this entry precisely, then round to a calendar day. Because the exact transition can vary, official panchang publications and the government's calendar committee set the final day counts each year.

Which festivals fall in which Nepali months?

Most major Nepali festivals are anchored to specific months, which is why locals often name a festival by its month. Dashain falls in Ashwin, Tihar in Kartik, Maghe Sankranti opens Magh, and Holi lands in Falgun. Knowing the month helps you anticipate when a festival arrives, even before checking exact dates.

Festival timing also depends on the lunar cycle within the solar month. Dashain, for example, is tied to the bright fortnight of Ashwin, so its Gregorian date shifts every year. To understand how the autumn celebration is structured across its ten days, read our detailed Dashain festival guide.

• Baisakh: Nepali New Year and Bisket Jatra in Bhaktapur.

• Bhadra: Teej, Janai Purnima, and Gai Jatra.

• Ashwin: Dashain, the longest and most celebrated festival.

• Kartik: Tihar, the five-day festival of lights.

• Magh: Maghe Sankranti, marking the turn toward longer days.

• Falgun: Holi and Maha Shivaratri.

How does the Nepali year start and end?

The Nepali year starts on Baisakh 1, which usually falls around April 13 or 14 in the Gregorian calendar, and ends on the last day of Chaitra the next April. This mid-April start is fixed by the Sun entering Mesh (Aries), the first zodiac sign, rather than by any midnight on January 1.

Because the new year is set by a solar event, it does not drift through the seasons the way a purely lunar calendar would. The year always opens in spring. If you want to explore why the celebration lands in April and how it differs from the January 1 new year, our article on Nepali New Year (Navavarsha) covers it in depth.

Converting a Nepali month to a Gregorian date

Because BS months straddle two Gregorian months, you cannot simply add a fixed offset. A reliable conversion needs the official day count for that specific year. Our step-by-step walkthrough on converting BS to AD dates shows how to do this accurately, and you can always cross-check using the Nepali Calendar calendar app.

Explore more on Nepali Calendar (Katigate)

• BS to AD date converter

• Today's Panchang

• Nepali holidays & festivals

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the first month of the Nepali calendar?

Baisakh is the first month of the Bikram Sambat calendar. It begins around mid-April, on the day the Sun enters Aries, and Baisakh 1 is celebrated nationwide as Nepali New Year. The final month of the year is Chaitra, which ends the following mid-April.

How many days are in a Nepali month?

A Nepali month has between 29 and 32 days, and the exact count changes from year to year. The length depends on how long the Sun stays in a single zodiac sign. Monsoon months like Ashadh and Shrawan are often the longest, while winter months like Poush and Magh run shorter.

Why does Baisakh not start on April 1?

Baisakh begins when the Sun enters the Aries sign, an astronomical event that usually lands around April 13 or 14, not on a fixed Gregorian date. The Bikram Sambat is a solar zodiac calendar, so its month boundaries follow the Sun's position rather than the Western calendar's months.

Are Nepali calendar months the same as Indian Hindu months?

The names and order overlap closely, since both descend from the same Vedic tradition, but the systems differ. Nepal's official Bikram Sambat is solar, fixing months by the Sun's zodiac entry. Many Indian regional calendars are lunar or lunisolar, so festival dates and month start days can vary between the two.