How to Add the Nepali Calendar to Google Calendar or iPhone

It usually happens the same way every time.

Your manager sends a meeting invite for October 21, 2026 and you stare at it for five seconds thinking: wait, is that during Dashain? You open a separate tab, search "Dashain 2083 date," find four conflicting answers, and by the time you figure it out the slot is booked.

For Nepalis living in Kathmandu or abroad in the US, Australia, or the Gulf, this is a recurring small frustration. Your phone calendar speaks Gregorian. Your family speaks Bikram Sambat. And no one has built a clean bridge between them, until now.

The Merokalam Nepali Calendar lets you sync or download ICS calendar files, which are universal calendar formats, for Nepal public holidays and major festival dates in 2083 BS. You can add them to Google Calendar, iPhone, Apple Calendar, or Outlook without manually entering dates one by one.

This guide walks through the whole thing, step by step, with each platform broken out clearly so you can skip straight to the one you use.

What is an ICS file and why it matters

An ICS file, short for iCalendar, is a plain text file that any modern calendar app can read. Think of it as a universal language that Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook, and virtually every other calendar on the planet all speak.

When you download an ICS file and open it, your calendar app reads the list of events inside and adds them to your calendar automatically. There is no manual entry. There is no copy-pasting dates. Each event comes with a name, date, and in many cases a description that explains the occasion.

The format has been around since 1998 and has not changed meaningfully since then. Every app you use today still supports it perfectly. That is actually the point: ICS is boring, stable, and works everywhere.

Nepal public holidays 2083 BS at a glance

Before you import anything, here is what you are actually getting. The ICS file from the Merokalam Nepali Calendar includes all gazetted public holidays as published by the Government of Nepal for fiscal year 2082/83, plus major cultural dates that do not carry official leave but that most Nepalis observe.

Note: dates marked "Observed (Terai)" reflect regional practices in Madhesh Province. Final auspicious times for Dashain tika will be officially confirmed by Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Samiti approximately three weeks before Ghatasthapana.

This is how October 2026 will look inside your Google Calendar after syncing. Red events are gazetted public holidays; amber are observance days within the Dashain period.

Step 1: Get the file from the Merokalam Nepali Calendar

Everything starts at one place. Open the Merokalam Nepali Calendar, then use the action buttons for Google Calendar सँग जोड्नुहोस्, Apple / Outlook सँग जोड्नुहोस्, or PDF Download गर्नुहोस्. The tool is now built for calendar sync and printable monthly PDF downloads.

Things that go wrong and how to fix them

ICS import is generally straightforward, but a few things trip people up regularly.

A note for Nepalis abroad

If you live in the US, UK, Australia, Japan, or the Gulf, this is particularly useful. You probably use Google Calendar or iCloud Calendar for your work and personal life, and you probably have a rough idea when the big festivals fall but forget the exact dates each year until someone from home messages you.

Once you import the ICS file, your phone gives you a reminder about Dashain Tika before it happens. You can plan your time off in advance. If your workplace asks you to submit leave requests early, you have exact dates ready.

One thing the ICS file includes that most generic "Nepal holidays" sources online do not: the auspicious tika time for Vijaya Dashami, noted in the event description. For 2083, that is 11:53 AM Nepal Standard Time. From the US East Coast that is 1:38 AM EDT. From Sydney it is 4:23 PM AEDT. The description in your calendar event tells you this so you do not need to convert separately.

Works with every major calendar app

Frequently asked questions