The Nepali Calendar (Bikram Sambat): How It Works and How to Convert

Updated 17 August 2026 · Hamro App

Every Nepali abroad hits this eventually: a relative asks you to call on Bhadra 15, or your passport shows a BS birth date and a US form wants AD. The two calendars are genuinely different systems, not just an offset.

Why the year is 2083 and not 2026

Bikram Sambat runs roughly 56 years and 8 months ahead of the Gregorian calendar. It is lunisolar, so month lengths vary from 29 to 32 days and are not fixed year to year — which is precisely why you cannot convert a date reliably in your head.

The twelve months

#	Nepali month	Roughly
1	Baishakh	Apr–May
2	Jestha	May–Jun
3	Ashadh	Jun–Jul
4	Shrawan	Jul–Aug
5	Bhadra	Aug–Sep
6	Ashwin	Sep–Oct
7	Kartik	Oct–Nov
8	Mangsir	Nov–Dec
9	Poush	Dec–Jan
10	Magh	Jan–Feb
11	Falgun	Feb–Mar
12	Chaitra	Mar–Apr

The Nepali new year falls on 1 Baishakh, in mid-April — not in January. This catches out almost everyone filling in a US form for the first time.

Converting a date

Because month lengths shift year to year, conversion needs a lookup table rather than arithmetic. Hamro App has the full Bikram Sambat calendar built in, showing today's BS date, the festival days, and the AD equivalent — which is the part you need when a form asks for a date of birth.

Frequently asked questions

What year is it in the Nepali calendar?

Bikram Sambat runs about 56 years and 8 months ahead of the Gregorian calendar, so 2026 AD corresponds to 2082–2083 BS depending on the month.

When is Nepali New Year?

On 1 Baishakh, which falls in mid-April — not in January.

Why can't I just add 57 years to convert a date?

Bikram Sambat is lunisolar and its month lengths vary between 29 and 32 days, changing year to year. A fixed offset gives the wrong day, which matters on official forms. Conversion needs a lookup table.

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