A calendar of five parts
Panchang (Panchanga) means 'five limbs'. It is the traditional Hindu almanac, and for centuries families have consulted it to know festival dates, fasting days and good times for important work. Each day is described by five measurements, all based on the positions of the Sun and Moon.
1. Tithi: the lunar day
A tithi is the time it takes for the Moon to move 12 degrees further ahead of the Sun. Because the Moon's speed varies, a tithi can last anywhere from about 19 to 26 hours, so it rarely matches a calendar day.
There are 30 tithis in a lunar month. The fifteen of the waxing fortnight, Shukla Paksha, run from Pratipada to Purnima, the full Moon. The fifteen of the waning fortnight, Krishna Paksha, run from Pratipada to Amavasya, the new Moon. Many festivals are fixed by tithi: Ganesh Chaturthi on the fourth, Janmashtami on the eighth of Krishna Paksha, and so on.
2. Vara: the weekday
Vara is the day of the week, each ruled by a graha: Ravivara (Sun), Somavara (Moon), Mangalavara (Mars), Budhavara (Mercury), Guruvara (Jupiter), Shukravara (Venus) and Shanivara (Saturn). In the traditional reckoning, the day begins at local sunrise, not at midnight.
3. Nakshatra: the Moon's star
The third limb is the nakshatra the Moon is passing through, one of the 27 lunar mansions. It changes about once a day and is one of the most closely watched factors when choosing a muhurta.
4. Yoga: the Sun and Moon combined
This yoga is a specific calendar measure, not the yoga of postures. Add together the sidereal longitudes of the Sun and the Moon and divide the total into 27 equal parts of 13 degrees 20 minutes. Each part is one of the 27 yogas, from Vishkambha to Vaidhriti. Most are considered favourable or neutral; a few, such as Vyatipata and Vaidhriti, are traditionally avoided for new beginnings.
5. Karana: half a tithi
A karana is half of a tithi, so there are 60 in a lunar month. There are eleven karanas in all. Seven movable ones, Bava, Balava, Kaulava, Taitila, Gara, Vanija and Vishti, repeat in a cycle. Four fixed ones, Shakuni, Chatushpada, Naga and Kimstughna, fall once a month around the new Moon.
Vishti karana, also called Bhadra, is the one most often avoided for auspicious starts.
Reading a Panchang
Because every limb depends on sunrise and the Moon's position, the Panchang differs slightly from town to town. Each limb also changes at its own time during the day, so a single date can contain two tithis or two nakshatras. Traditionally, the tithi prevailing at sunrise is treated as the tithi of the whole day for most religious purposes, which is why festival dates are sometimes debated between regions.
Use the Panchang as a calm daily rhythm: to know the festival, to choose a pleasant time for a puja, or simply to feel connected to the Moon's cycle. The free Panchang page shows all five limbs for any date, time and place, with no sign-in needed.
