Nanakshahi Sammat 555

In Context

• Recently, the Prime Minister greeted the Sikh community on the commencement of Nanakshahi Sammat 555.

About

• Nanakshahi Sammat 555 is a calendar system that was introduced by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in 2003.
• It is named after the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak Dev Ji to mark his  500th birth anniversary.
• It is a tropical solar calendar used in Sikhism.
• The Nanakshahi calendar is used by Sikhs around the world to mark important dates and festivals in the Sikh calendar, including the birth anniversaries of the ten Sikh Gurus, the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev, and the anniversary of the founding of the Khalsa Panth.
• It is based on the “Barah Maha” (Twelve Months), a composition composed by the Sikh gurus reflecting the changes in nature conveyed in the twelve-month cycle of the year.
  • The year begins with the month of Chet, with 1 Chet corresponding to 14 March. 
  • The reference epoch of the Nanakshahi calendar is the birth of Guru Nanak Dev, corresponding to the year 1469 CE.

Source:PIB