section_path: Abstract
section_name: Abstract
paragraph_text: The Nanakshahi calendar (Gurmukhi: ਨਾਨਕਸ਼ਾਹੀ, romanized: Nānakshāhī) is a tropical solar calendar used in Sikhism. 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.