Nepali Calendar has a rich and ancient history that traces its roots back more than two millennia. It is widely believed that King Chandragupta Vikramaditya, a great Hindu ruler of Ujjain (modern-day Rajasthan, India), initiated the Vikram Sambat era in his honor around 58 BC.
The word “Sambat” means “era” in Sanskrit, so this calendar system became known as Vikram Sambat — “The Era of King Vikramaditya.”

Through cultural and marital relations between King Vikramaditya and the Lichchhavi dynasty of Nepal, the calendar system reached Nepal and was soon adopted by the Nepali kings for official and religious purposes.

During the Rana regime, Nepal temporarily replaced the Vikram Sambat with the Saka Sambat calendar. However, in 1958 AD, the Ranas restored the Vikram Sambat as the official national calendar of Nepal, which remains in use today.

Some historians believe that Vikram Sambat might have actually originated in Nepal itself. According to this theory, there was no historical evidence of King Vikramaditya ruling in India during that period. Instead, it may have been King Mandev of Nepal, one of the earliest Lichchhavi rulers, who developed and started the calendar era.

Regardless of its origin, the Bikram Sambat Calendar remains a proud symbol of Nepal’s ancient civilization, astronomical knowledge, and cultural identity.