Kathmandu, November 10

Nepal Sambat celebration committee has announced that programmes, including vehicle rally to mark the Newari New Year, will be held on November 26. The programmes were earlier scheduled to be during Tihar festival.

Nepal Sambat celebrations were cancelled to mourn the death of civil society activist and leader Padmaratna Tuladhar, who died on November 4.

Nepal Sambat is believed to have been started by the Newar community in Kathmandu valley. As per the calendar, this is Nepal Sambat’s 1,139th year.

People of Newar community, especially from Kathmandu valley, hold a vehicle rally on the day of Mha Puja to mark Nepal Sambat. People from the Newar community have been demanded that Nepal Sambat be made the official calendar.

The government in 2008 had decided that Nepal Sambat would be the national calendar. The decision, however, was never implemented.

This year Nepal Sambat celebrations will take place on the birth anniversary of Sankhadhar Sakhwa. who is believed to have started the Nepal Sambat calendar.

A member of the event organising committee Sujib Bajracharya said, “We are organising the event to spread awareness about how scientific and accurate Nepal Sambat calendar is and to mount pressure on the government to implement it as the national calendar.”

Organisers have also appealed to the people to gather around Basantapur on the day to mark Nepal Sambat celebrations.