KATHMANDU, April 22: The Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Bikas Samiti (Nepal Calendar Determination Committee) has approved four new Panchangas (Hindu calendars) for 2082 BS.
The committee has approved the publication of Aryavarta by Narayan Niraula, Bhrigu Angira by Keshav Raj Joshi, Muktinath by Gyan Prasad Bhandari, and Kashyap Panchanga by Khagendra Prasad Adhikari starting this year.
National Assembly convening today
Until last year, 14 Panchangas were published with the committee's approval. The committee's executive director, Surya Prasad Dhungel, said that although Divyapurush Dhakal had received approval for the Tarkeshwar Panchanga in 2081 BS, it was not published.
According to him, the following Panchangas have been regularly published with the committee's approval in previous years: Toyanath by Suryanath Pant, Baburam by Baburam Sharma Sapkota, Narnath by Murari Raj Pandey, Himal by Bishwanath Tripathi, Athola by Dilliraj Joshi, Surya by Subodh Dhungel, Aakash Darshan by Lokraj Paudel, Baglamukhi by Shashidhar Joshi, Shubha by Damodar Joshi, Baba Gorakhnath by Shreekesh Kaushik, Kirti by Kirtikiran Joshi, Siddhi by Siddhilaxmi Byanjankar, Khaptad Taranath by Chetaraj Upadhyay, and Gaurishankar by Narayan Prasad Nepal.
The committee, under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, has been authorized by the Panchanga (calendar) Publication Directive 2077 BS to approve Panchangas and wall calendars, decide on festival dates and lunar events, and regulate religious and cultural matters.
The government approved this directive on Poush 20, 2077 BS (January 4, 2021), officially assigning these responsibilities to the committee. Religious and cultural activists have also been demanding a separate bill to regulate this sector more effectively.
