Why and What is Nanakshahi Calendar?
The Nanakshahi calendar is the official Sikh calendar, introduced in 1999. It is named after the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, and is used to determine the dates of all Sikh festivals and Gurpurabs.
History
Before 1998, Sikhs used a Hindu lunar calendar for their religious dates. The Nanakshahi Calendar was adopted to give Sikhs their own fixed calendar that aligns with the Gregorian (solar) calendar.
The Nanakshahi Calendar Era begins from 1469 CE — the birth year of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. So 2025 CE = 556 Nanakshahi.
Key Features
- 12 months aligned with the Gregorian calendar
- Dates are fixed and do not change from year to year (except movable dates tied to lunar events)
- Named after Guru Nanak Dev Ji (Nanakshahi)
- Year 1 begins on 14 March 1999 (1 Chet 531 Nanakshahi)