The calendar shows important days throughout the year for commemorating the Bhikkhuni Sangha and great Bhikkhuni foremothers, with the intention of bringing these dates into greater awareness and celebration. The calendar represents countless hours of research and effort, and is based on the historical research of Tathālokā Therī, with calendar design and artwork by Thāvirā Bhikkhunī.
Please note, this is a lunar calendar, so while these dates will be consistent on the South & Southeast Asian Lunar Calendar widely used by Buddhists in these regions year after year, they will change on the western Gregorian calendar, just as with Vesak, Vassa, and other annual Buddhist holidays and commemorative dates which also follow the lunar calendar.
We plan to update the calendar for future years, and release around the time of the Astro-Solar New Year (mid-April).
We currently have a very limited number of printed 16x20 posters of the calendar, please contact us if you wold like to receive one!
This year, the printing of these posters has been made possible by a grant from the Lenz Foundation.
Please contact us for information on printing your own copies of the poster, or if you would like to support additional printings now or in future years.
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Principle Dates
September 17-18, 2024 | 🌕 | Founding Anniversary of Bhikkhunī Sangha & International Bhikkhunī Day: Fourfold Sangha Day |
December 14-15, 2024 | 🌕 | Sanghamittā Day |
February 20, 2025 | 🌗 | Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī & Bhikkhunī Founders Parinibbāna Day |
Note: The lunar dates are fixed on the Indic Lunar calendar, and change year-to-year on the Western-International (Gregorian) calendar
Bhikkhunī Sangha Lunar Calendar
Commemorative Dates 2567-2568 BE | 2024-2025 CE
Dates in Full
Mid-April: Astro-Solar New Year
June through September 2024:
Foundations of the Bhikkhunī Sangha
June 2024
🌕 Jun 21-22
Arrival of Mahinda Thero & Company to Sri Lanka, Jeṭṭha Puṇṇamī Poson Poya Full Moon Day
🌖 Jun 22-23
Anulā & 500 Parivāra Stream Entry & Stream Winning Days
September 2024
🌕 Sep 17-18
Bhikkhunī Sangha Founding Anniversary / International Bhikkhunī Day / Fourfold Sangha Day
Bhāddapada/Poṭṭhapāda Puṇṇamī (Bhadrapad Purnima) Binara Poya Full Moon Day
🌗 Sep 24-25
Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī Therī Arahatship Day Assayuja-māsaṁ Kaṇha Pakkha Aṭṭhamī Waning Half Moon Uposatha
October 2024
🌓 Oct 10-11
Sanghamittā Therī’s Parinibbāna Day
Assayuja-māsaṁ Sukka Pakkha Aṭṭhamī Waxing Half Moon Uposatha
*Note: this date is also Mahā Mahinda Thero’s Parinibbāna Day.
* Both Sanghamittā Therī’s & Mahinda Thero’s Cremation Day is one week later
October through December 2024:
Sanghamittā Therī & the Jāyasrī Mahā Bodhi Tree Story Cycle
December 2024
🌕 Dec 14-15
Lunar Sanghamitta Day
Maggasira Puṇṇamī (Margashirsha Purnima) Unduvap Poya Full Moon Day
February through March 2025:
Founding Bhikkhuni Sangha’s Parinibbānas
February 2025
🌕 Feb 12-13
Beginning of Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī Therī's Final 7-day teaching
Māgha Puṇṇamī (Māgha Purnima) Magha Puja Sangha Day/Navam Poya Full Moon Uposatha
Feb 12-20
Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī Therī's Final 7-day teaching
🌗 Feb 20
Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī Therī & Founding Bhikkhunī Sangha Parinibbana Day
Phagguṇa-māsaṁ Kaṇha Pakkha Aṭṭhamī Waning Half Moon Uposatha
* Note this half moon is also Mahā Moggallana Thero’s Arahatship Day; Sāriputta Thero’s Arahatship Day is one week later on the Phagguṇa-māsaṁ Amāvasī Dark Moon Uposatha
March 2025
🌕 Mar 13-14
Rāhulamātā Bimbā Yasodharā (Bhaddā Kaccānā) Therī Parinibbāna Day
Phagguṇa Punnamī (Phālguna Purnima) Medin Poya Day Full Moon: Celebrating the Buddha's First Return to Kapilavastu
*Note this is also Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī & Suddhodana Rāja’s Stream Entry Day
*Note the following day is Rāhulamātā Bimbā Yasodharā (Bhaddā Kaccānā) Therī’s Stream Entry Day
Bhikkhunī Sangha Lunar Calendar
Commemorative Dates 2567-2568 BE | 2024-2025 CE
Dates in Full
October through December 2024:
Sanghamittā Therī & the Jāyasrī Mahā Bodhi Tree Story Cycle
October-November 2024 (normally in November)
India Pilgrimage dates Nov 15-30
🌖 Oct 18
The Great Request to Emperor Asoka & Sanghamittā Therī: Asokan Bodhi Pūjā
Kattika-māsaṁ Pāṭipade (1st day) (through Kattika Puṇṇamī)
🌒 Nov 4-15
Ashoka's Bodhi Puja w/Southern Branch Sapling: Coronation #1
🌕 Nov 15
Final Departing Festival at Pātaliputta with Ashoka, Sanghamitta, Bhikkhuni Sangha & Bodhi Tree
Kattika Puṇṇamī (Kartik Purnima) Ill Poya Full Moon Uposatha Day: Bodhi Pūjā
🌖 Nov 16-22
Asoka, Sanghamitta & Bodhi Tree's Journeys from Pataliputra to Tamralipti Port
Maggasira Pāṭipade - 1st day of Waning Gibbous Moon
🌗 Nov 22-30
Weeklong Asokan Sendoff for Sanghamitta & Bodhi Tree at Tamralipti
Maggasira-māsaṁ Kaṇha Pakkha Aṭṭhamī Waning Half Moon Uposatha
*Note: this date is also Sāriputta Thero’s Parinibbāna Day; one week later is Mahā Moggalanna Thero’s Parinibbāna Day
December 2024
Sri Lanka Pilgrimage dates Dec 9-30
🌒 Dec 1-8
The Great Departure: Sanghamitta and Bodhi Tree's Journey by Sea India to Sri Lanka
Maggasira Waxing Crescent:
🌓 Dec 9-19.
Sanghamitta and Bodhi Tree's Ten Days Welcome on Sri Lankan shores by King
Devānampiya Tissa & Mahinda Thero
Dec 9-12
Sanghamitta & Bo Tree: At Shore Welcome (4 days, Jambukolapattana)
Dec 13-20
Sanghamitta & Bo Tree Onshore Welcome: Samuddadasanasala (7 days)
✨ Dec 13-14
Astro-Solar Sanghamitta Day: Rohini Asterism on Astro-Solar Calendar
🌕✨ Dec 14
Luni-Solar Sanghamittā Day
🌕 Dec 14-15
Lunar Sanghamittā Day
Maggasira Puṇṇamī (Margashirsha Purnima) Unduvap Poya Full Moon Day: Dec 14-15
🌖 Dec 20-24
Sanghamittā & Bodhi Tree's Journey with Great Fourfold Sangha Company to
Anuradhapura (4 days)
🌗 Dec 23-30
Bodhi Tree's Arrival & Establishment in Anuradhapura
Phussa-māsaṁ Kaṇha Pakkha Aṭṭhamī Waning Half Moon Uposatha
🌑 Dec 29-30
Anulā Therī & Founding Sri Lankan Bhikkhuni Sangha Ordination with Sanghamittā
Therī & Arahantship
Sri Lanka Bhikkhunī Sangha Founding Anniversary + Sri Lanka Fourfold Sangha
Founding Anniversary | Phussa-māsaṁ Amāvasī Dark Moon Uposatha