SIKH CALENDAR

 

 

 

 

Sikh Calendar origin

Until the 13th of March, 1998, the Sikhs used a Hindu lunar calendar to determine their feast days. They now use their own Nanakshahi calendar which started on 14 March 1999 Gregorian (1 Chet, year 531 Nanakshahi ) and aligns with the Gregorian calendar as follows. The era (1 Chet 1 Nanakshahi) is the date of the birth of the 1st Guru, Nanak Dev, in the Punjab in 1469. Although there is an obvious relationship with the Hindu Solar Calendar, the Sikh Organisation states that these dates are fixed relative to the Gregorian Calendar.

The Nanakshahi calendar is used for all the Gurupurabs (festivals marking events in the lives of the Gurus) except the birthday of Guru Nanak which continues to be celebrated according to the Hindu Lunar calendar on Katik Poornamashi. Events such as Maghi and Hola Mohalla continue to be celebrated according to the relevant calendars. Some Gurupurabs are considered more significant that others. These are the ones that commonly appear as holidays.

Gurpurabs mark the culmination of Prabhat Pheris, the early morning religious procession which goes around the localities singing shabads (hymns). These pheris generally start three weeks before the festival. Devotees offer sweets and tea when the procession passes their homes. The celebrations start with the three-day akhand path, in which the Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book of the Sikhs) is read continuously from beginning to end without a break. The conclusion of the reading coincides with the day of the festival. The Granth Sahib is also carried in procession on a float decorated with flowers throughout the village or city. Five armed guards, who represent the Panj Pyares, head the procession carrying Nishan Sahibs (the Sikh flag). Local bands play religious music and marching schoolchildren form a special part of the procession. Free sweets and langar (community lunches) are also offered to everyone irrespective of religious faith. Local volunteers serve it with a spirit of seva (service) and bhakti (devotion). Sikhs visit gurdwaras (Sikh temples) where special programmes are arranged and kirtans (religious songs) sung. Houses and gurdwaras are lit up to add to the festivities.

 

SIKH MONTHS

Sikh Month

Begins

Chet

March 14

Vaisakh

April 14

Jeth

May 15

Harh

June 15

Sawan

July 16

Bhadon

August 16

Asu

September 15

Katik

October 15

Maghar

November 14

Poh

December 14

Magh

January 13

Phagan

February 12

 

Sikh Events By Date

Nanakshahi
Date

Gregorian
Date

Event

Chet 1

March 14

Accession of Guru Har Rai & Nanakshahi New Year Day

Chet 6

March 19

Guru Hargobind left this world

Vaisakh 3

April 16

Guru Angad Dev left this world
Accession of Guru Amar Das
Guru Harkrishan left this world
Accession of Guru Tegh Bahadur

Vaisakh 5

April 18

Birth of Guru Angad Dev
Birth of Guru Tegh Bahadur

Vaisakh 19

May 2

Birth of Guru Arjan Dev

Jeth 9

May 23

Birth of Guru Amar Das

Jeth 28

June 11

Accession of Guru Hargobind

Harh 2

June 16

Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev, burnt alive at the stake. Kachi lassi (sweetened milk) is offered to the thirsty passers-by to commemorate his exit from this world.

Harh 21

July 5

Birth of Guru Hargobind

Sawan 8

July 23

Birth of Guru Harkrishan

Bhadon 17

September 1

Installation of the Guru Granth Sahib (holy book of the Sikhs) in the Golden Temple by Guru Arjan Dev

Asu 2

September 16

Guru Amar Das left this world
Accession of Guru Ram Das
Guru Ram Das left this world
Accession of Guru Arjan Dev

Asu 4

September 18

Accession of Guru Angad Dev

Asu 8

September 22

Guru Nanak Dev left this world

Asu 25

October 9

Birth of Guru Ram Das

Katik 6

October 20

Installation of the Guru Granth Sahib (holy book of the Sikhs) as eternal Guru
Guru Har Rai left this world
Accession of Guru Harkrishan

Katik 7

October 21

Martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh at Nanded.

Maghar 11

November 24

Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur, beheaded in Delhi by the Moghul emperor.
Accession of Guru Gobind Singh

Poh 23

January 5

Birth of Guru Gobind Singh in Patna. He created the Khalsa (Sikh Brotherhood) and made it mandatory for them to have the five Ks - Kesh (hair), Kripan (dagger), Kada (bracelet), Kangha (comb) and Kachcha (underwear). During his time the warrior/yogi Maadhav Das, later known as Banda Bairagi successfully fought the Moghuls and finally died a martyr. Gobind Singh was a poet and archer and knew Persian, Arabic and Punjabi as well as Samskrit and Hindi,

Magh 19

January 31

Birth of Guru Har Rai

Other Observances

 

Vaisakh 1

April 14

The Creation of the Khalsa (Sikh brotherhood, "the pure")

Poh 1

December 21

Martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh's Elder Sons, Ajit and Jujhar

Poh 13

December 26

Martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh's Younger Sons

 

Sikh Events By Guru

Guru

Parkash
(Birthday)

Gur Ghaddhi
(Guruship)

Jyoti Jot
(left this world)

1st Guru Nanak Dev

Katik Pooranmashi

from Parkash

Asu 8
September 22

2nd Guru Angad Dev

Vaisakh 5
April 18

Asu 4
September 18

Vaisakh 3
April 16

3rd Guru Amar Das

Jeth 9
May 23

Vaisakh 3
April 16

Asu 2
September 16

4th Guru Ram Das

Asu 25
October 9

Asu 2
September 16

Asu 2
September 16

5th Guru Arjan Dev

Vaisakh 19
May 2

Asu 2
September 16

Harh 2
June 16

6th Guru Hargobind

Harh 21
July 5

Jeth 28
June 11

Chet 6
March 19

7th Guru Har Rai

Magh 19
January 31

Chet 1
March 14

Katik 6
October 20

8th Guru Harkrishan

Sawan 8
July 23

Katik 6
October 20

Vaisakh 3
April 16

9th Guru Tegh Bahadur

Vaisakh 5
April 18

Vaisakh 3
April 16

Maghar 11
November 24

10th Guru Gobind Singh

Poh 23
January 5

Maghar 11
November 24

Katik 7
October 21

Installation of the Guru Granth Sahib
in the Golden Temple by Guru Arjan Dev

Bhadon 17
September 1

Katik 6
October 20

 

 

Other Important Days

Chet
1 Chet / 14 March - Nanakshahi New Year Day
2 Chet / 15 March - S. Baghel Singh's conquest of Delhi
12 Chet / 25 March - Shaheedi Bhai Subeg Singh, Bhai Shahbaz Singh
27 Chet / 9 April - Birthday Sahibzada Jujhar Singh Ji

Vaisakh
1 Vaisakh / 14 April (Vaisakhi) - Birth Anniversary of Khalsa

Jeth
3 Jeth / 17 May - Chhota Ghallughara
21 Jeth / 4 June - 1984 Ghallughara (Attack on Sri Akal Takht Sahib)
23 Jeth / 6 June - Shaheedi Sant Baba Jarnail Singh Ji

Harh
11 Harh / 25 June - Shaheedi Baba Banda Singh Ji Bahadur
15 Harh / 29 June - Barsi Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji
25 Harh / 9 July - Shaheedi Bhai Mani Singh Ji

Sawan
1 Sawan / 16 July - Shaheedi Bhai Taru Singh Ji
24 Sawan / 8 August - Morcha Guru Ka Bagh

Bhadon
15 Bhadon / 30 August 2004 - Mela Baba Bakala

Assu
17 Assu / 1 October - Foundation Day Singh Sabha
21 Assu / 5 October - Mela Beerh Baba Buddha Ji

Katik
8 Katik / 22 October 2004 - Khalsa Darbar
14 Katik / 28 October - Foundation Day Chief Khalsa Diwan
14 Katik / 28 October - Saka Panja Sahib
18 Katik / 1 November - Punjabi Suba Day
30 Katik / 13 November - Shaheedi Baba Deep Singh Ji Shaheed

Maghar
1 Maghar / 14 November - Foundation Day SGPC
11 Maghar / 24 November - Shaheedi Bhai Mati Das Ji, and Bhai Sati Das Ji
15 Maghar / 28 November - Birthday Sahibzada Zorawar Singh Ji
19 Maghar / 2 December - Shaheedi Baba Gurbakhsh Singh Ji
29 Maghar / 12 December - Birthday Sahibzada Fateh Singh Ji
30 Maghar / 13 December - Foundation Day Shromani Akali Dal
 

Poh
8 Poh / 21 December - Shaheedi Sahibzada Ajit Singh, Sahibzada Jujhar Singh , and other Shaheeds of Chamkaur Sahib ---- 300th Anniversary
8 Poh / 21 December - Shaheedi Baba Jeevan Singh Ji
13 Poh / 26 December - Shaheedi Sahibzada Zorawar Singh, Sahibzada Fateh Singh, and Mata Gujri Ji's passing away ---- 300th Anniversary


Magh
1 Magh / 13 January - Mela Maghi Muktsar
1 Magh / 13 January - Foundation Day Sri Harimandar Sahib
7 Magh / 19 January - Morcha for Keys
25 Magh / 6 February - Mela Kottha Sahib
27 Magh / 8 February - Great Holocast
30 Magh / 11 February - Birthday Sahibzada Ajit Singh Ji

Phagun
10 Phagun / 21 February - Saka Nankana Sahib
10 Phagun / 21 February - Jaito Morcha

Movable Dates (Change Every Year)
  Hola Mohalla Bandi Chhor Divas Parkash Guru Nanak Sahib
2003 19 Mar 25 Oct 8 Nov
2004 7 Mar 12 Nov 26 Nov
2005 26 Mar 1 Nov 15 Nov
2006 15 Mar 21 Oct 5 Nov
2007 4 Mar 9 Nov 24 Nov
2008 22 Mar 28 Oct 13 Nov
2009 11 Mar 17 Oct 2 Nov
2010 1 Mar 5 Nov 21 Nov
2011 20 Mar 26 Oct 10 Nov
2012 9 Mar 13 Nov 28 Nov
2013 28 Mar 3 Nov 17 Nov
2014 17 Mar 23 Oct 6 Nov
2015 6 Mar 11 Nov 25 Nov
2016 24 Mar 30 Oct 14 Nov
2017 13 Mar 19 Oct 4 Nov
2018 2 Mar 7 Nov 23 Nov
2019 21 Mar 27 Oct 12 Nov
2020 10 Mar 14 Nov 30 Nov

 

Notes: 1. All the dates given above are fixed, so that the Gurpurbs shall always fall on the same date of the CE calendar and Nanakshahi calendar. According to Hindu calendar there will be two Parkash Purbs of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib in 2003 CE. *2. The Calendar Committee of the SGPC in their meeting of 30 June, 1999 decided that Hola Muhalla, Bandi Chhor Divas, and the Birthday of Guru Nanak Sahib, shall continue to be celebrated according to the existing practice for the time being. This was to appease some of the so called 'Babas' and members of 'Sant Samaj'.