Pwanhelā (Nepal Bhasa: 𑐥𑑂𑐰𑑃𑐴𑐾𑐮𑐵, प्वँहेला) is the third month in the Nepal Era calendar, the national lunar calendar of Nepal. The month corresponds to Pausha (पौष) in the Hindu lunar calendar and roughly aligns with January in the Gregorian calendar.
Pwanhelā begins with the new moon and the full moon falls on the 15th of the lunar month. The month is divided into the bright and dark fortnights which are known as Pwanhelā Thwa (पोहेला थ्व) and Pwanhelā Gā (पोहेला गा) respectively.
The sacred bathing festival of White Machindranath, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, is held on the 8th day of the bright fortnight at the courtyard of Jana Baha in Kathmandu. On the full moon day known as Paush Purnimā, which is celebrated as Milā Punhi (मिला पुन्हि) in Nepal Mandala, the procession of the deity Changu Narayan is held in Kathmandu.
The month-long Swasthani sacred story reciting festival also starts on the full moon day. In Sankhu, a town 16 km to the east of Kathmandu, devotees fast and take daily holy dips in the Sali Nadi River throughout the month to mark the Swasthani festival. In another event, unusable clay pots are collected at market squares and broken into pieces.
Days in the month
Thwa (थ्व) or Shukla Paksha(bright half) Gā (गा) or Krishna Paksha(dark half) 1. Pāru 1. Pāru 2. Dwitiyā 2. Dwitiyā 3. Tritiyā 3. Tritiyā 4. Chauthi 4. Chauthi 5. Panchami 5. Panchami 6. Khasti 6. Khasti 7. Saptami 7. Saptami 8. Ashtami 8. Ashtami 9. Navami 9. Navami 10. Dashami 10. Dashami 11. Ekādashi 11. Ekādashi 12. Dwādashi 12. Dwādashi 13. Trayodashi 13. Trayodashi 14. Chaturdashi 14. Charhe (चह्रे) 15. Punhi (पुन्हि) 15. Āmāi (आमाइ)
Months of the year Devanagari script Roman script Corresponding Gregorian month Name of Full Moon 1. कछला KachhalāNovemberSaki Milā Punhi, Kārtik Purnimā2. थिंलाThinlāDecemberYomari Punhi, Dhānya Purnimā3. पोहेला PwanhelāJanuaryMilā Punhi, Paush Purnimā4. सिल्लाSillāFebruarySi Punhi, Māghi Purnimā5. चिल्लाChillāMarchHoli Punhi, Phāgu Purnimā6. चौला ChaulāAprilLhuti Punhi, Bālāju Purnimā7. बछला BachhalāMaySwānyā Punhi, Baisākh Purnimā8. तछला Tachhalā JuneJyā Punhi, Gaidu Purnimā9. दिल्लाDillāJulyDillā Punhi, Guru Purnimā10. गुंलाGunlā AugustGun Punhi, Janāi Purnimā (Raksha Bandhan)11. ञला YanlāSeptemberYenyā Punhi, Bhādra Purnimā12. कौला KaulāOctoberKatin Punhi, Kojāgrat Purnimā
References