A panchang (pancha = five, anga = limb) is the Hindu almanac. For any day and place it gives five elements of time, each calculated from the positions of the Sun and Moon. Together they describe the quality of the day and are the basis of festivals, fasts and muhurta, the choice of auspicious times.
The five limbs
1. Tithi, the lunar day. A tithi is completed each time the Moon gains 12° on the Sun. There are 30 in a lunar month: 15 in the bright half (Shukla paksha, ending with Purnima, the full moon) and 15 in the dark half (Krishna paksha, ending with Amavasya, the new moon). Tithis vary in length from about 19 to 26 hours. See the tithis.
2. Vara, the weekday. Each day is ruled by a planet: Sunday the Sun, Monday the Moon, Tuesday Mars, Wednesday Mercury, Thursday Jupiter, Friday Venus, Saturday Saturn. In the Vedic system the day begins at sunrise, not midnight.
3. Nakshatra, the Moon's star. The nakshatra the Moon occupies, one of 27, each 13°20'. The Moon moves through about one a day.
4. Yoga. Not to be confused with planetary yogas: here, the sum of the Sun's and Moon's longitudes, divided into 27 parts of 13°20'. Each part is one of 27 yogas, from Vishkambha to Vaidhriti. A few, such as Vyatipata and Vaidhriti, are considered inauspicious for beginnings.
5. Karana, half a tithi. There are 11 karanas: 4 fixed ones that occur once a month and 7 movable ones that repeat. Vishti (Bhadra) is the karana most avoided for auspicious work.
Also in a panchang
- Sunrise and sunset, which define the day.
- Rahu Kalam, Yamaganda and Gulika Kalam: the day's inauspicious windows. See Rahu Kalam.
- Abhijit muhurta: the auspicious window around local noon.
- The Moon's sign, festivals, eclipse information and the Hindu month.
Why the place matters
Sunrise, and therefore the tithi at sunrise, the weekday's start and every time window, depends on your location. A panchang for Delhi is not exact for Chennai or London. That is why our panchang calculates every element for your own city.
How it is used
For daily life: fasting days (Ekadashi, Pradosha), festival dates, and avoiding Rahu Kalam for new ventures. For muhurta: choosing the tithi, nakshatra, weekday and lagna for a wedding, griha pravesh, starting a business or a journey. Wedding muhurtas are chosen as part of our matchmaking service.
Open today's panchang for your city.