Today's Panchang

Panchang comes from the Sanskrit pancha-anga, meaning "five limbs". Those five limbs are Tithi (lunar day), Nakshatra (lunar mansion), Yoga (Sun–Moon combination), Karana (half-tithi), and Vara (weekday). Every Vedic muhurta — auspicious timing — is derived from some combination of these five. A good day for a wedding, a business launch, buying property, starting medicine, or a long journey is one where these limbs align favorably for the type of action being taken.

Panchang has been consulted across the Indian subcontinent for over two thousand years, and modern computed Panchangs still power decisions in millions of households — from the sowing calendar of a farmer to the boardroom timing of a family business. Our tool surfaces the five limbs plus sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset, and Abhijit Muhurta for your exact location.

A tithi is the time it takes the Moon to gain 12 degrees of angular distance from the Sun. Because the Moon's speed varies, tithis are not exactly 24 hours — they can run anywhere from about 19 to 26 hours. A lunar month has 30 tithis, split into a waxing (Shukla Paksha) and waning (Krishna Paksha) fortnight of 15 each.

Tithis are grouped into five classes: Nanda (1, 6, 11 — joy, celebrations), Bhadra (2, 7, 12 — auspicious general work), Jaya (3, 8, 13 — victory, competitions), Rikta (4, 9, 14 — empty, avoid launches, finish tasks), and Purna (5, 10, 15 — fullness, completion, ceremony). If today's tithi is Rikta, the classical guidance is: finish what's already in motion, don't start anything new. On Nanda, Bhadra, Jaya, and Purna tithis, launch, sign, and celebrate freely.

A nakshatra is one of 27 lunar mansions — each a 13°20' slice of the ecliptic tied to a specific fixed star cluster. The Moon travels through one nakshatra roughly every day, and where the Moon sits at sunrise sets the nakshatra of the day. Each nakshatra has a ruling deity, a planetary lord in the Vimshottari dasha system, a temperament, and a natural affinity for certain kinds of action.

Nakshatras are grouped by quality: Fixed (Rohini, Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Ashadha, Uttara Bhadrapada) are ideal for foundations, laying cornerstones, marriage, and lasting work. Swift/Movable (Ashwini, Pushya, Hasta, Punarvasu, Shravana, Dhanishta, Shatabhisha) suit travel and quick action. Fierce/Sharp (Bharani, Magha, Purva Phalguni, Purva Ashadha, Purva Bhadrapada, Ardra, Ashlesha, Jyeshtha, Mula) are traditionally avoided for weddings and gentle ceremonies. Nakshatra is often more decisive for muhurta than the Sun sign.

Yoga is the third limb: the sum of the Sun's and Moon's longitudes divided into 27 equal segments. There are 27 yogas, each with its own quality. Nine are considered inauspicious — Vishkumbha, Atiganda, Shula, Ganda, Vyaghata, Vajra, Vyatipata, Parigha, and Vaidhriti — and traditionally avoided for launches, weddings, and consequential purchases. The remaining 18 are broadly favorable, with names like Siddhi (accomplishment), Shubha (auspicious), Shukla (bright), and Brahma (creative). On an auspicious yoga, push forward on the ambitious plans you've been sitting on.

Karana is half of a tithi — so each tithi is made of two karanas, giving 60 karanas across a lunar month. There are 11 unique karanas: seven that rotate through the month (Bava, Balava, Kaulava, Taitila, Gara, Vanija, Vishti) and four fixed karanas (Shakuni, Chatushpada, Naga, Kimstughna) around the new-moon transition. Most karanas are neutral to auspicious. The one to watch is Vishti (Bhadra) — treated like a Rikta tithi. When Vishti is running, finish existing work only; avoid launches, first meetings, and travel starts.

Alongside the five limbs, Vedic tradition marks three daily inauspicious windows, each derived from splitting the daylight span (sunrise to sunset) into eight equal parts and assigning specific slots by weekday. Rahu Kala is roughly 90 minutes, rotating by day: Monday early morning, Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday late morning, Thursday mid-afternoon, Friday late morning, Saturday early morning, Sunday late afternoon. It is avoided for anything new — new ventures, journeys, first meetings, buying vehicles, or signing contracts. Ongoing work is fine.

Yamagandam ("the strangler of Yama") is traditionally avoided for journeys and signing important documents. Gulika Kala is a slower, heavier window associated with Saturn's son — avoid major purchases, starting medicine, or medical procedures during it (though anything begun in Gulika is said to endure, which is why some use it for spiritual practice and long-term work). Balanced against these is Abhijit Muhurta — 48 minutes around solar noon — the day's single most auspicious window for almost any important action. If in doubt, do it in Abhijit.