Bikram Sambat (written BS, B.S., or V.S. for Vikram Samvat) is the official calendar of Nepal. It runs about 56 years and 8 months ahead of the Gregorian (AD) calendar. In 2026 AD, the BS year is 2082 until mid-April and 2083 after that.
Bikram Sambat is a solar calendar like the Gregorian one, but it uses the sidereal zodiac. Each month starts when the sun enters a new rashi (the sankranti). Because of this, months are not fixed at 30 or 31 days, and the new year falls in mid-April instead of on 1 January. Festivals and fasts are set by lunar tithis, which the panchang lists on top of the solar dates.
This guide covers where Bikram Sambat comes from, how its months and years work, how it lines up with the Gregorian calendar, and where it is used in Nepal: government documents, schools, banks, newspapers and festivals.
Where does the Bikram Sambat calendar come from?
Bikram Sambat is traditionally counted from 57 BCE. That starting point is why the BS year is about 57 years ahead of the AD year. Tradition links the era to King Vikramaditya of Ujjain, in present-day India. Historians do not agree on its exact origin. The era was used across South Asia for many centuries.
Nepal adopted Bikram Sambat as its official civil calendar in the early 20th century, during the Rana period. Since then the government, schools, banks and newspapers have used it for all civil dates. India still uses a related Vikram Samvat for many Hindu religious purposes, but Nepal is the only country that uses it as the national administrative calendar.
Is it solar or lunar?
The civil months are solar. A month begins at the sankranti, the moment the sun enters the next sign, and ends at the next sankranti. The Earth's orbit is slightly elliptical, so the sun passes through some signs faster than others. A month can therefore be anywhere from 29 to 32 days long.
The lunar part of the calendar is the tithi. Festivals such as Dashain and Tihar follow the moon, so their BS dates change from year to year. Baisakh 1, which is solar, stays in mid-April every year.
How many years ahead is Bikram Sambat of the AD calendar?
Bikram Sambat is about 56 years and 8 months ahead of the Gregorian (AD) calendar. To estimate the BS year, add about 57 to the AD year. The gap is not exactly 57 because the two calendars start their years on different days.
The BS year starts in mid-April, so one Gregorian year covers parts of two BS years. From January to mid-April, add 56 to the AD year. From mid-April to December, add 57. Because the offset changes during the year, simple subtraction does not always give the right answer, and converting an exact date needs a lookup table.
A quick offset reference
| Gregorian period | Approximate BS year | Offset to add |
|---|---|---|
| Jan to mid-April | AD + 56 | +56 |
| Mid-April to December | AD + 57 | +57 |
Example: 1 March 2026 is in BS 2082 (2026 + 56). 1 September 2026 is in BS 2083 (2026 + 57). To go the other way, subtract 57 from the BS year for dates from Baisakh 1 to mid-Poush (up to 31 December), and subtract 56 for dates from mid-Poush to the end of Chaitra. For an exact day, use the BS to AD date converter or read the step-by-step guide on how to convert BS to AD dates and back.
What are the 12 months of the Bikram Sambat calendar?
The Bikram Sambat year has 12 months. It starts with Baisakh and ends with Chaitra. Each month matches the sun's stay in one zodiac sign, so the number of days in a month changes from year to year, between 29 and 32. The whole year still adds up to about 365 days, the length of the solar year.
| # | Month (BS) | Rough Gregorian span | Typical days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baisakh | Apr-May | 30-31 |
| 2 | Jestha | May-Jun | 31-32 |
| 3 | Ashadh | Jun-Jul | 31-32 |
| 4 | Shrawan | Jul-Aug | 31-32 |
| 5 | Bhadra | Aug-Sep | 31-32 |
| 6 | Ashwin | Sep-Oct | 30-31 |
| 7 | Kartik | Oct-Nov | 29-30 |
| 8 | Mangsir | Nov-Dec | 29-30 |
| 9 | Poush | Dec-Jan | 29-30 |
| 10 | Magh | Jan-Feb | 29-30 |
| 11 | Falgun | Feb-Mar | 29-30 |
| 12 | Chaitra | Mar-Apr | 30-31 |
The day counts change each year because they are worked out from the sun's position, not set by a fixed rule. The summer months (Jestha to Bhadra) are the longest because the Earth moves more slowly in that part of its orbit. The winter months (Kartik to Falgun) are the shortest. For the order and meaning of each month, read the 12 Nepali calendar months in order, from Baisakh to Chaitra, or see each month's page under BS months.
Why does the Bikram Sambat new year fall in April?
The Bikram Sambat new year is Baisakh 1, which usually falls on 13 or 14 April. The day is called Navavarsha and is a public holiday in Nepal. The date is set by the sun entering Aries (Mesh Sankranti), not by a fixed Gregorian date.
Because the start is astronomical, Baisakh 1 can fall on 13 or 14 April depending on the year. Being tied to the sun also keeps the Nepali year in step with the seasons. A purely lunar calendar would move through the seasons over the years. The festival and its timing are explained in Nepali New Year (Navavarsha): why it falls in April.
How is Bikram Sambat different from other Nepali calendars?
Bikram Sambat is Nepal's civil calendar, but it is not the only one used in the country. Nepal Sambat is an older local calendar closely tied to Newar culture. Its new year falls during Tihar. The Gregorian (AD) calendar is used for most international business.
Many Nepalis use all three: BS for official paperwork, AD for international work, and Nepal Sambat for some cultural observances. The difference matters when you read a historical date or plan an event with people abroad. For a side-by-side comparison, see Bikram Sambat vs Nepal Sambat vs AD and their key differences.
Where you will see Bikram Sambat in daily life
Government documents, citizenship certificates and official notices are dated in BS.
School and university academic years follow the BS calendar.
Newspapers, festival dates and the panchang use BS dates and lunar tithis.
Birthdays and anniversaries are often remembered by the BS date, not the AD one.
When a form abroad asks for your AD date of birth, convert the BS date on your citizenship certificate with a converter instead of adding 57 by hand, because the exact day depends on the month lengths of that year. For the tithi, nakshatra and other daily details shown next to each BS date, read what Panchang is, with tithi, nakshatra, yoga and karana. Today's BS date is always on the today page.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What year is it in Bikram Sambat right now?
It depends on the month. BS is about 56 years and 8 months ahead of AD. In 2026 AD, dates before Baisakh 1 (mid-April) are in BS 2082, and dates after it are in BS 2083.
Is Bikram Sambat the same as the Indian Vikram Samvat?
Both have the same origin and year count, starting around 57 BCE. The structure is different. Nepal's months are solar and start at each sankranti. India's Vikram Samvat is lunisolar. Nepal uses Bikram Sambat as its official civil calendar for all government and daily dates. In India, Vikram Samvat is used mainly for Hindu religious and festival dates, not as the national administrative calendar.
Why do Bikram Sambat months have different numbers of days?
Bikram Sambat is a sidereal solar calendar. A month begins when the sun enters a new sign and lasts until it enters the next one, so it can be 29 to 32 days long. Tying the months to the sun keeps the calendar in line with the seasons.
How do I convert a Bikram Sambat date to AD?
For the year only, subtract 57 from the BS year if the date falls between mid-April and 31 December, or 56 if it falls between 1 January and mid-April. For an exact day you need a conversion table or converter, because month lengths change every year. The guide on converting BS to AD dates explains the full method step by step.