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Nepal Sambat 1146 Welcomed with Festive Spirit Across the Nation

The Newar community is celebrating the start of Nepal Sambat 1146 nationwide with cultural rallies and rituals. First introduced by Shankhadhar Sakhwa in 937 BS, the calendar remains a proud symbol of Nepal’s heritage and identity.

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Nepal Verified News

Wed Oct 22 2025

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Colorful rallies, cultural processions, and community feasts filled the streets of Kathmandu Valley today as the country welcomed Nepal Sambat 1146, the indigenous New Year of Nepal.

 

Celebrated mainly by the Newar community, the festival holds deep cultural and historical significance, marking the beginning of a new year based on Nepal’s own lunar calendar. The Nepal Sambat era began in 937 BS (880 AD) when Shankhadhar Sakhwa, a merchant and social reformer, cleared the debts of the poor, giving birth to a symbol of liberation and unity. Historians note that the calendar was officially used during the Lichchhavi period and remained Nepal’s national calendar until the unification under Prithvi Narayan Shah.

 

After the restoration of democracy in 2007 BS, movements to restore its national status gathered momentum. In 2056 BS, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai’s government honored Shankhadhar Sakhwa as a national hero, and in 2065 BS, the calendar was formally given national recognition under Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s premiership.

 

Traditionally, the day also marks the closing of annual business ledgers and the start of new ones, symbolizing renewal, prosperity, and cultural pride rooted in Nepal’s own history.

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