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Nepal JyotishTraditional Science

Nepali Ritu - Six Seasons of Nepal

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The six seasons (Ritu) of Nepal's Bikram Sambat calendar and which one falls today.

Select Bikram Sambat Year

B.S. 2083

English dates below are for Bikram Sambat 2083 — change the year to see its dates. The Nepali (B.S.) dates stay the same every year.

  • Vasanta Ritu

    Nepali date (B.S.)
    1 Chaitra – 31 Baisakh
    English date (A.D.)
    15 March – 14 May 2026

    Tropical Zodiac: Meena (Pisces) to Mesha (Aries)

    Vernal Equinox falls at the middle of this Ritu.

  • Grishma Ritu

    Nepali date (B.S.)
    1 Jestha – 32 Ashar
    English date (A.D.)
    15 May – 16 July 2026

    Tropical Zodiac: Vrishabha (Taurus) to Mithuna (Gemini)

    Summer Solstice marks the end of Grishma Ritu.

  • Varsha Ritu

    Nepali date (B.S.)
    1 Shrawan – 31 Bhadra
    English date (A.D.)
    17 July – 16 September 2026

    Tropical Zodiac: Karka (Cancer) to Simha (Leo)

    Summer Solstice marks the start of Varsha Ritu.

  • Sharad Ritu

    Nepali date (B.S.)
    1 Ashwin – 30 Kartik
    English date (A.D.)
    17 September – 16 November 2026

    Tropical Zodiac: Kanya (Virgo) to Tula (Libra)

    Autumnal Equinox falls at the start of this Ritu.

  • Hemanta Ritu

    Nepali date (B.S.)
    1 Mangsir – 30 Poush
    English date (A.D.)
    17 November 2026 – 14 January 2027

    Tropical Zodiac: Vrishchika (Scorpio) to Dhanu (Sagittarius)

    Winter Solstice marks the end of Hemanta Ritu.

  • Shishira Ritu

    Nepali date (B.S.)
    1 Magh – 30 Falgun
    English date (A.D.)
    15 January – 14 March 2027

    Tropical Zodiac: Makara (Capricorn) to Kumbha (Aquarius)

    Winter Solstice marks the start of Shishira Ritu.

Nepali dates follow the Bikram Sambat and English dates the Gregorian calendar.

What each Ritu is about

Vasanta Ritu – King of Seasons

Spring, the king of seasons. As the cold ends, nature renews itself — trees sprout fresh leaves, the rhododendron and many flowers colour the forests, and the cuckoo’s call fills the air. The days slowly turn warm and pleasant. It is in this Ritu that the Nepali New Year begins on 1 Baisakh, and festivals such as Chaite Dashain and Ram Navami are celebrated.

Grishma Ritu – Heat and preparations for farming

Summer — the hottest time with the longest days. Hot dry winds (loo) blow across the Terai while the parched hills wait for rain. The monsoon arrives near the end of this Ritu. Farmers prepare their fields for maize and paddy, and sweet fruits such as mangoes and lychees ripen. With the start of Shrawan month, farmers get busy planting rice in the fields.

Varsha Ritu – A festival of nature and farming

The monsoon — a festival of nature and farming. Heavy, continuous rain cools the parched earth. Hills all across the country turn green, and waterfalls and rivers swell and roar. The planted paddy grows tall with the help of rain. For agricultural Nepal this season is a blessing, though floods and landslides also occur at this time. Festivals such as Nag Panchami and Janai Purnima fall in this Ritu.

Sharad Ritu – Festivals and golden fields

Autumn — a season of festivals and golden fields. The rains stop and the weather turns clear and pleasant. The sky looks deep blue and the mountains gleam like silver. The paddy ripens and the Nepali landscape turns golden, ready for harvest. This is the joyful season of Nepal’s greatest festivals — Dashain, Tihar and Chhath — and the best time for tourists to visit Nepal.

Hemanta Ritu – Storing the harvest as winter begins

Early winter — the season for storing the harvest and the start of the cold. This is the transition before full winter. Farmers cut, gather and store the grain (paddy), so it is also called the “season of filling the granary”. The days slowly grow shorter, cold winds blow in the mornings, dew gathers on the grass, and fog (husso) spreads over villages and towns. Religious festivals such as Haribodhini Ekadashi and Vivah Panchami fall at this time.

Shishira Ritu – Bitter cold and rest

Winter — the season of extreme cold and rest. This is the coldest time with the shortest days. Trees shed their leaves and look dry, heavy snow falls in the high hills and mountains, and cold waves sweep the Terai. Frost forms on the fields in the morning and people gather around fires to keep warm. It is like a short rest that nature takes before regaining the warmth and new life of spring. Maghe Sankranti and Maha Shivaratri are celebrated in this Ritu.