The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee or SGPC (the top Sikh religious institution) implemented the Nanakshahi calendar in December 1999, despite an order from the Akal Takht (the other top religious and legal institution in Sikhism) that the calendar should not be implemented until a general consensus emerged on ...

When did Nanakshahi calendar start?

The revised Nanakshahi calendar was designed by Pal Singh Purewal to replace the Bikrami calendar. The epoch of this calendar is the birth of the first Sikh Guru, Nanak Dev in 1469 and the Nanakshahi year commences on 1 Chet. New Year's Day falls annually on what is 14 March in the Gregorian Western calendar.

When was Sikhism founded?

Sikhism was founded in 1469 by Guru Nanak in the Indian region of Punjab. Guru Nanak and his nine successors shaped the core beliefs of the religion during the 16th and 17th centuries. Sikhs first arrived in the US in the late 19th century.