Panchang

What is Panchang?

Panchang (from Sanskrit pancha, "five", and anga, "limb") is the traditional Hindu calendar used to measure time and select auspicious moments. Unlike a Gregorian calendar, which tracks only the solar date, the Panchang describes the precise relationship between the Sun and the Moon at a given place and moment. Because that relationship changes continuously, a Panchang is always calculated for a specific date, time and location — the same day produces different values in Delhi and in New York.

The Five Limbs of Panchang

Every Panchang is built from five core elements:

1. Tithi — the lunar day, defined by each 12° of separation between the Sun and Moon. There are 30 Tithis in a lunar month, split between the waxing (Shukla Paksha) and waning (Krishna Paksha) fortnights. Tithi governs most festival dates and fasting days.
2. Nakshatra — the lunar mansion, one of 27 divisions of the zodiac of 13°20' each, marking where the Moon sits at a given moment. Nakshatra is central to muhurat selection and to kundli matching.
3. Yoga — one of 27 combinations derived from the sum of the Sun's and Moon's longitudes. Certain Yogas, such as Vyatipata and Vaidhriti, are traditionally avoided for new undertakings.
4. Karana — half of a Tithi; there are 11 Karanas, and each Tithi contains two. Karana is used for finer timing of short activities.
5. Vara — the weekday, each ruled by a planet: Sunday by the Sun, Monday by the Moon, and so on.

Auspicious and Inauspicious Timings

Alongside the five limbs, a full Panchang lists the day's favourable and unfavourable windows. These are the periods most people actually consult the Panchang for:

• Rahu Kaal — an inauspicious period of roughly 90 minutes each day, traditionally avoided for beginning important work, travel or financial commitments.
• Yamaganda and Gulika Kaal — two further inauspicious segments of the day, each tied to the weekday and the local sunrise and sunset times.
• Abhijit Muhurat — a short, generally auspicious window around local solar noon, considered suitable for most new beginnings.
• Brahma Muhurat — the pre-dawn period roughly 96 minutes before sunrise, traditionally favoured for meditation, study and spiritual practice.

Because all of these depend on local sunrise and sunset, entering your correct city matters. A Panchang computed for the wrong location will give the wrong Rahu Kaal and the wrong muhurat windows.

How to Use This Panchang Calculator

Select your date, search for your city, and the calculator returns the complete Panchang for that place: Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga, Karana and weekday, together with sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset, and the day's inauspicious periods. Calculations use the Swiss Ephemeris, the same astronomical engine used in professional astrology software, so planetary positions are accurate to the arc-second.

You can switch the Ayanamsha used for these calculations on the Ayanamsha calculator page — Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) is the default and is the standard used by most Indian almanacs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is today's Tithi?

Today's Tithi depends on your location and the current Sun–Moon angle. Select today's date and your city above to see the exact Tithi, along with the time at which it changes — Tithis do not begin at midnight and often span parts of two calendar days.

Why does Rahu Kaal differ between websites?

Rahu Kaal is calculated by dividing the time between local sunrise and sunset into eight parts. Any difference in the sunrise time used — whether from a different location, or a different definition of sunrise — shifts the result. This calculator derives sunrise from your exact coordinates.

Is Panchang the same as a horoscope?

No. A Panchang describes the sky for a date and place and applies to everyone there. A horoscope or Janam Kundali is cast for one person's exact birth moment and is unique to them. The Panchang of your birth day does form part of your birth chart, recorded as the Birth Panchanga.

Can I check Panchang for a past or future date?

Yes. The calculator accepts any date, so you can look up the Panchang of a past event or plan around a future one. This is commonly used to find suitable dates for ceremonies, travel and new ventures.