See the evolution of the Nanakshahi and the Mool Nanakshahi Calendar. A committee, under the aegis of the Institute of Sikh Studies Chandigarh, was formed to study this problem. This committee held meetings at Chandigarh and formulated proposals. These were formally accepted, in principle, in a larger meeting in which about 40 eminent scholars, from universities and other institutions, participated. The main proposals given below were submitted to the S.G.P.C.
The need for the Sikhs to have their own calendar and a proposal for such a calendar was sent to the then acting Jathedar Sahib Akal Takht Sahib in 1994 CE. In the Nanakshahi Jantri, the proceedings of all the meetings could not be given because of constraints on space. All relevant information had been published in some issues of the Abstracts of Sikh Studies published by the Institute of Sikh Studies, Chandigarh, and that the file containing the record was available with the Institute. Anyone can get this information from any of the sources. The SGPC passed a General House Resolution and asked the entire Sikh Panth was to follow this calendar which was released on the 300th year of Khalsa’s Creation in 1999 by the SGPC.
- a) Length of the solar year in the Nanakshahi Samat should conform to the more accurate tropical year, instead of the sidereal year, currently being followed.
- b) Begin the year from the month of Chet – as in the Baramahas.