How we calculate

Astronomy

Positions come from the open-source Astronomy Engine library and are converted to the sidereal zodiac with the Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsa. Times are for Amritsar (31.63° N, 74.87° E) in Indian Standard Time.

Desi months and Sangrand

A desi month begins on the sunrise-to-sunrise day in which the Sun enters a new sidereal sign. For 2026 and early 2027, every month start calculated this way matches the SGPC calendar except 1 Magh 2026, which the SGPC placed on 13 January. We follow the SGPC wherever it has published a date.

Lunar dates

Lunar months are purnimanta: the dark half (Vadi) comes first and the month ends on Puranmashi, as in Punjab jantris. A lunar month with no Sangrand in it is an adhik (extra) month. In 2026 this produced Adhik Jeth, as printed in Punjabi jantris. The lunar date shown is the one current at sunrise.

Masya and Puranmashi

These are the days on which the new-moon or full-moon tithi is current at sunrise, or during which it begins and ends if it falls between two sunrises. For 2026 our Puranmashi dates match the SGPC list. For Masya, some printed calendars show a day earlier when the new moon falls in the early morning.

Festivals

Each festival page states its rule, such as "Katak Puranmashi" for Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Prakash Purab. For 2026 we compared every calculated state holiday with the Punjab Government list, including Hola Mohalla, Vaisakhi, Dussehra, Valmiki Jayanti, Diwali, Guru Nanak Gurpurab and the Shaheedi Jor Mela, and all of them matched.

Gurpurab dates

Gurpurab and historic dates are taken from the SGPC Nanakshahi calendar, not calculated by us.

Corrections

Write to [email protected] with the page, the date and your source.