Glossary > Sikh Calendar
Sikh Calendar
Sikhs celebrate their New Year on the 14th of March. It may sound strange and interesting, but that is what the Sikh calendar dictates! As in most other religions,
the Sikh Calendar is one of the central aspects of the Sikh Religion. Also known as the Nanakshahi calendar, it is a solar calendar that determines the dates for the most important Sikh events.
Interestingly, the Sikh calendar has only recently been adopted. For the longest time, the Sikhs have used the Hindu calendar. Since 1998, all Sikh holidays as well as Sikh festivals have been observed based on the newly-created Nanakshahi Calendar. The said calendar was designed by Pal Singh Purewal.
The epoch of the Sikh calendar is based on the birth year of first ever Sikh Guru, Nanak Dex (1469), such that 1998 is known as the Nanakshahi 530. In 1999, a slight modification of the Sikh calendar was made: since then, it has become based on the solar year and not the lunar cycle with its movable dates. When the solar calendar was adopted, dates when the festivals are celebrated are considered fixed. As was previously mentioned, the Sikh New Year begins in Chet 1. In the Common Era Calendar, Chet falls on the 14th of March; 1999 being the year 531 Nanakshahi (2000 is year 532, and so on). The months in the Sikh calendar are as follows:
However, majority of people who belong to the Sikh community firmly believe that the Nanakshahi calendar is important to their religion and re-affirms the independence of the Sikh religion from the Muslim and Hindu faiths.
The Sikh calendar contains the most important Sikh holidays. There are some similarities that can be found between the Sikh calendar and the traditional Hindu calendar. The Bandi Chhor Divas or the Diwali, the Hola Mohalla and Guru Nanak's birthday, for example, are celebrated on the same dates.
The most significant Sikh holidays and events belong to two categories. They are either the gurpurbs - important festivals that mark the martyrdom or the birth
of a certain Guru; or melas - where other Sikh religious observances and holidays fall under.
Sikhs celebrate their New Year on the 14th of March. It may sound strange and interesting, but that is what the Sikh calendar dictates! As in most other religions,
the Sikh Calendar is one of the central aspects of the Sikh Religion. Also known as the Nanakshahi calendar, it is a solar calendar that determines the dates for the most important Sikh events.
Interestingly, the Sikh calendar has only recently been adopted. For the longest time, the Sikhs have used the Hindu calendar. Since 1998, all Sikh holidays as well as Sikh festivals have been observed based on the newly-created Nanakshahi Calendar. The said calendar was designed by Pal Singh Purewal.
The epoch of the Sikh calendar is based on the birth year of first ever Sikh Guru, Nanak Dex (1469), such that 1998 is known as the Nanakshahi 530. In 1999, a slight modification of the Sikh calendar was made: since then, it has become based on the solar year and not the lunar cycle with its movable dates. When the solar calendar was adopted, dates when the festivals are celebrated are considered fixed. As was previously mentioned, the Sikh New Year begins in Chet 1. In the Common Era Calendar, Chet falls on the 14th of March; 1999 being the year 531 Nanakshahi (2000 is year 532, and so on). The months in the Sikh calendar are as follows:
- Chet: 14th of March
- Vaisakh: 14th of April
- Jeth: 15th of May
- Harh: 15th of June
- Sawan: 16th of July
- Bhadon: 16th of August
- Katik: 15th of October
- Maghar: 14th of November
- Poh: 14th of December
- Magh: 13th of January
- Phagan: 12th of February
However, majority of people who belong to the Sikh community firmly believe that the Nanakshahi calendar is important to their religion and re-affirms the independence of the Sikh religion from the Muslim and Hindu faiths.
The Sikh calendar contains the most important Sikh holidays. There are some similarities that can be found between the Sikh calendar and the traditional Hindu calendar. The Bandi Chhor Divas or the Diwali, the Hola Mohalla and Guru Nanak's birthday, for example, are celebrated on the same dates.
The most significant Sikh holidays and events belong to two categories. They are either the gurpurbs - important festivals that mark the martyrdom or the birth
of a certain Guru; or melas - where other Sikh religious observances and holidays fall under.