History of Nepal Sambat

A Newari merchant named Sankhadhar Sakhwa pans gold from the sands of the Bishnumati river, accumulating great wealth. With the permission of the king, he pays off all debts owed by the people of Nepal to the crown — and initiates a new calendar era to commemorate the occasion. He erects his own stone image at the southern gate of Pashupatinath Temple.

The earliest written records using Nepal Sambat dates appear — palm-leaf manuscripts dated NS 28 and NS 40, preserved in Nepalese collections. These represent some of the oldest surviving documents in Nepal's written history, and establish Nepal Sambat as the primary system of dating for state and religious records.

The calendar is officially called "Nepal Vatsara" in a document for the first time. The name had previously simply been "Sambat." From this point forward, early medieval, medieval, and late medieval epigraphy and documents across the Nepal Valley are systematically dated according to this lunar calendar.

Nepal Sambat served as the national calendar through the entire Malla period — one of the richest eras of Newari art, architecture, and culture. All royal decrees, land grants, religious texts, and Paubha paintings were dated in Nepal Sambat. The calendar remained in continuous official use for 888 years in total.

After Prithvi Narayan Shah conquers the Kathmandu Valley and unifies Nepal, the official use of Nepal Sambat is discontinued. He revives the Vikrama Era (Bikram Sambat) as the official national calendar. Despite this political change, Nepal Sambat continues to be observed by the Newar community for all cultural and religious purposes.

The official boycott of Nepal Sambat and adoption of the Vikrama Era was formalized in 1903 during the reign of Prime Minister Candra Shumsher Rana. The Ranas adopted Vikrama Era in part to flatter their "Rajput" or solar lineage claims. Nepal Sambat's official suppression deepened, though Newar cultural practice kept it alive.

The Nepal Sambat movement achieves a landmark milestone: the Government of Nepal officially declares Sankhadhar Sakhwa a national hero — the first commoner to receive such recognition posthumously. This galvanizes broader public support for the reinstatement of Nepal Sambat as the national calendar.

The Department of Postal Services of Nepal issues a special commemorative postage stamp bearing the portrait of Sankhadhar Sakhwa — further cementing his place in national memory and the growing recognition of Nepal Sambat's cultural importance.

The Government of Nepal formally recognizes Nepal Sambat as the national calendar of Nepal, restoring its official status after 238 years. Major national newspapers now print dates in all three calendars simultaneously. The Nepal Sambat New Year (Mha Puja) is now celebrated as a public event across the country.