Nanakshahi

Nanakshahi is a lunar calendar used by Sikhs. It was introduced by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in 1998. The calendar is named after Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism. Its purpose is to standardize the dates of Sikh festivals and historical events, ensuring consistency across the Sikh community worldwide. The Nanakshahi calendar aligns with the solar year but uses lunar calculations for its month lengths, similar to other traditional calendars. The start of the Nanakshahi year, known as Chet, falls around March 14th in the Gregorian calendar. The SGPC revised the calendar in 2010 to incorporate some traditional dates that were previously aligned with the Bikrami calendar. This decision aimed to address concerns from various Sikh groups. The Nanakshahi calendar dictates the observance of significant Gurpurabs (anniversaries of Gurus' births) and other historical commemorations such as Vaisakhi and Diwali according to Sikh tradition.