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Clear explanations of the Panchang, vrat and festival rules, Muhurat, Jyotish and Vastu — and of how this site calculates them. Where traditions differ, we say so.
Articles28
Topics6
Panchang
The five limbs of the Panchang, day divisions and the lunisolar calendar.
- Panchang Ayanamsa: Why Panchangs Differ by a Few Minutes Ayanamsa is the gap between the tropical and sidereal zodiacs, growing by about 50.3 arc-seconds a year. Differences in ayanamsa, sunrise definition, location and conventions explain why two Panchangs can disagree by a few minutes.
- Panchang Adhik Maas and Kshaya Maas: Keeping the Lunar Calendar in Step An Adhik (extra) month occurs when the Sun does not change sign between two new moons; a Kshaya (omitted) month, which is very rare, occurs when it changes sign twice. Together they keep lunar months aligned with the seasons.
- Panchang Amanta and Purnimanta: Two Ways to Count a Lunar Month In the Amanta system a lunar month ends at the new moon; in the Purnimanta system it ends at the full moon. Festival dates are identical in both; only the month label of the Krishna paksha differs.
- Panchang Bhadra (Vishti Karana): What It Is and Why It Matters Bhadra is the Vishti karana, one of the half-tithi units of the Panchang. It recurs about eight times a lunar month, and tradition locates it in one of three lokas depending on the Moon’s sign.
- Panchang Panchak: Meaning, Timing and Traditional Practice Panchak is the period when the Moon moves through sidereal Kumbha and Meena, covering five nakshatras from the second half of Dhanishta to Revati. It lasts about four and a half days and recurs roughly once a lunar month.
- Panchang Brahma Muhurat and Abhijit Muhurat Explained Brahma Muhurat is the 14th muhurta of the night before sunrise, and Abhijit is the 8th muhurta of the day around local noon. Both are calculated from actual sunrise and sunset.
- Panchang Hora: The 24 Planetary Hours of the Day Hora divides the Hindu day into 24 planetary periods — 12 in the daytime and 12 at night — each ruled by one of the seven classical planets.
- Panchang Choghadiya: The Eightfold Division of Day and Night Choghadiya divides the day and the night into eight parts each, labelling every part as Amrit, Shubh, Labh, Chal, Udveg, Kaal or Rog.
- Panchang Rahu Kaal, Yamaganda and Gulika Kaal Explained Rahu Kaal, Yamaganda and Gulika are three daily periods, each one-eighth of the daytime, traditionally avoided for starting new auspicious work.
- Panchang Yoga and Karana: The Fourth and Fifth Limbs Yoga comes from the combined sidereal longitudes of the Sun and Moon; karana is half a tithi. Together they complete the five limbs of the Panchang.
- Panchang Nakshatra: The 27 Lunar Mansions Nakshatras are 27 equal divisions of the sidereal zodiac, each 13°20′ wide. The nakshatra of the day is the one the Moon occupies.
- Panchang Tithi: The Lunar Day Explained A tithi is the time the Moon takes to gain 12° on the Sun. Thirty tithis form a lunar month, split into the bright and dark fortnights.
- Panchang What Is a Panchang? The Five Limbs of the Hindu Calendar A Panchang is the traditional Hindu almanac built on five limbs — tithi, vara, nakshatra, yoga and karana — calculated for a specific place and day.
Festivals
How festival dates are derived from tithi, kaal and Sankranti rules.
- Festivals Navratri: Chaitra and Sharad Navratri Explained The two main Navratris, how Ghatasthapana is timed, and why Navratri sometimes has eight or ten days instead of nine.
- Festivals Janmashtami: Smarta and Vaishnava Dates Explained Krishna Janmashtami is often shown on two consecutive days. This article explains the Smarta midnight rule and the Vaishnava Rohini and udaya-Ashtami practice.
- Festivals Holika Dahan and Holi: Timing and Bhadra Holika Dahan is held on Phalguna Purnima in Pradosh, avoiding Bhadra, and Holi colours follow the next day. Here is how the timing is worked out.
- Festivals How the Diwali Date Is Decided Diwali Lakshmi Puja is set by Amavasya during Pradosh. Here is the rule used when Amavasya spans two evenings, and why Panchangs sometimes differ.
- Festivals Pitru Paksha and Shraddha: Dates, Tithis and Timings Pitru Paksha is the fortnight for remembering ancestors. This guide explains how each Shraddha date is chosen and which times of day are preferred.
- Festivals Sankranti and Makar Sankranti: The Sun’s Sidereal Ingress A Sankranti is the moment the Sun enters a new sidereal sign, twelve times a year. Makar Sankranti, the entry into Makara, falls around 14–15 January today and is celebrated across India under many names.
Vrat
Fasting days such as Ekadashi, Pradosh and Sankashti, and their observance rules.
- Vrat Sankashti Chaturthi: Moonrise and the Monthly Ganesha Vrat Sankashti Chaturthi is a monthly Ganesha fast on Krishna paksha Chaturthi, completed after moonrise. Here is how its date and moonrise time are worked out.
- Vrat Pradosh Vrat: Pradosh Kaal and How the Date Is Chosen Pradosh Vrat honours Shiva at dusk on Trayodashi. Learn what Pradosh Kaal is, how the vrat day is chosen, and the weekday names.
- Vrat Ekadashi Vrat: How the Date and Parana Time Are Decided Why Ekadashi is sometimes listed on two dates, how Smarta and Vaishnava rules differ, and how the Parana window on Dwadashi is worked out.
Muhurat
What traditional Muhurat selection considers for important beginnings.
- Muhurat Vivah Muhurat: How Wedding Dates Are Chosen The eleven vivah nakshatras, the periods traditionally avoided for weddings, and why wedding-date lists differ between Panchangs.
- Muhurat Griha Pravesh Muhurat: How It Is Chosen The nakshatras, tithis, months, weekdays and periods to avoid that traditionally shape a griha pravesh (house-warming) muhurat.
Jyotish
Birth-chart concepts: dashas, matching and doshas, explained without fear.
- Jyotish Manglik Dosha: A Balanced View The rule behind Manglik (Mangal) dosha, why different traditions reach different answers, and why it is no cause for alarm.
- Jyotish Ashtakoota Guna Milan: The 36-Point Match What the eight kootas of Guna Milan compare, how the 36 points are distributed, and why a score alone should not decide a marriage.
- Jyotish Vimshottari Dasha: The Basics How the 120-year Vimshottari dasha cycle is built from the Moon’s birth nakshatra, and how mahadashas and antardashas are divided.
Vastu
Directional principles of traditional architecture, and their practical limits.