Twin committees differ on calendar change

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: The two committees, formed under the Ministry of Federal Affairs, Constituent Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs and Culture (MoFACAPAC), to look into issues related with preparing a calendar, are on war path.

Nepal Panchang Nirnayak Samitee (NPNS) prepares the calendar and decides on festivals as per lunar, star and solar calendar. But the government-formed Parva Sudhar Rastriya Karyanwyan Samittee (PSRKS) has been trying to write a new calendar based on changing time with solar rotation.

However, both the committees have been refusing to cooperate for last seven months, according to the PSRKS.

“We submitted a sample calendar of 2067BS to the NPNS about seven months ago but we are yet to get a response,” said astrologer Daibagnya Kirtimadan Joshi, manager of the PSRKS, in an interaction organised by the committee today.

“We prepared the calendar reducing one month but it has not brought any change in the festivals and lunar calendar at all.” The government formed the PSRKS to make a calendar incorporating lapsed time in the course of solar rotation.

“The Earth takes 365 days and 20 minutes to complete the rotation around the Sun in a year. However, 20 minutes have not been counted for last 1,500 years and present calendar is wrongly calculated,” he said.

“In the last 1,500 years, 24 days have gone missing without affecting the seasonal calendar and festivals.”

The government of Nepal decided on December 31, 2008, to change the calendar reducing one month in the calendar of 2066BS. However, it was postponed after the disagreements with the NPNS.

According to the PSRKS, England changed the calendar in 1752AD, Germany in 1700AD, Catholics in Europe incorporated 10 days in 1582AD. Russia incorporated 14 days in 1918AD and India seven days in 1957 in their respective calendars.

“English calendar is calculated on the basis of Earth’s solar rotation,” said prof Dinesh Raj Panta.

Astrologers Dr Ram Chandra Gautam and Dr Sambha Raj Acharya said that there was a need of changing calendar incorporating lapsed 24 days.