Nepal celebrates New Year as per indigenous calendarNepal celebrated New Year 1146 on Wednesday according to the indigenous Nepal Sambat calendar, with cultural events and Mha Puja rituals. The Nepal Sambat, an indigenous calendar, belongs to the Newar community, mainly from the Himalayan nation’s capital, Kathmandu. In a message, he wished peace, prosperity and happiness, adding that Nepal Sambat has helped nurture tolerance, reconciliation and fraternity in the country. Meanwhile, the government announced that the Nepal Sambat date will be printed on Nepali banknotes starting this year. The Nepal Sambat or calendar year was introduced by Shankhadhar Sakhwa, a trader from Kathmandu, by relieving the people of Nepal from debt during the reign of Lichchhavi King Raghavdev in 880 AD.