Nanakshahi Calendar

Nanakshahi Calendar

The Nanakshahi (Punjabi: ਨਾਨਕਸ਼ਾਹੀ, nānakashāhī) calendar is a tropical solar calendar that was adopted by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee to determine the dates for important Sikh events. It was designed by Pal Singh Purewal to replace the Saka calendar and has been in use since 1998. Since 1998, amongst the critics, no-one has come forward with suggestions of specific changes, other than to suggest that the Sikhs should revert back to the Vikrami calendar. The epoch of this calendar is the birth of the first Sikh Guru, Nanak Dev in 1469. New Year's Day falls annually on what is March 14 in the Gregorian Western calendar.

The calendar is accepted in about 90% of the gurdwaras throughout the world. There is some controversy about the acceptance of the calendar among certain orthodox sectors of the Sikh world. The situation with this calendar is similar to the one at the time of the implementation and acceptance of the Gregorian calendar in the late 16th century. Even after more than 400 years, some of the Greek Orthodox churches, the Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox churches still follow the Julian Calendar in their observances. Some orthodox organizations and factions have not accepted it including many orders dating from the time of the Gurus such as Damdami Taksal, Buddha Dal Nihungs, Takhats etc.

Features of the new calendar:

• a tropical solar calendar

• called Nanakshahi after Guru Nanak (founder of Sikhism)

• year one is the year of Guru Nanak's birth (1469 CE). * 2010 CE is NANAKSHAHI 541 *

• uses most of the mechanics of the Western calendar

• year length is same as Western calendar (365 days 5 hours 48 minutes 45 seconds)

• contains 5 months of 31 days followed by 7 months of 30 days

• leap year every 4 years in which the last month (Phagun) has an extra day

• Approved by Akal Takht in 2003 but later amended