What is Panchang?
Naksham's Panchang reads the sky for you. It shows the five parts of each Vedic day. These are Tithi (lunar day), Nakshatra (lunar mansion), Yoga (Sun and Moon mix), Karana (half tithi), and Vara (weekday).[1] The word comes from Sanskrit. Pancha means five. Anga means limb. Old texts say the right time helps any task. Indian families have used the Panchang for over 2,000 years. They check it for prayer, weddings, travel, and home moves.
The 5 Elements of Panchang
Tithi (lunar day) is the angle between Sun and Moon. There are 30 Tithis in a lunar month. Half are in Shukla Paksha (waxing fortnight). Half are in Krishna Paksha (waning fortnight).[1]
Nakshatra (lunar mansion) shows where the Moon sits. There are 27 of them. The Moon spends about one day in each.
Yoga (Sun and Moon mix) adds the Sun and Moon longitudes. There are 27 Yogas. Some help. Some hurt.[2]
Karana (half tithi) is half of a Tithi. A lunar month has 60 Karanas. They cycle through 11 kinds.[3]
Vara (weekday) is the day of the week. Each one has a planet lord. Sunday is Surya. Monday is Chandra. We compute Vara from sunrise per BPHS, not from civil midnight.[2]
Rahu Kaal and Inauspicious Periods
Rahu Kaal is a tough window each day. It lasts about 1.5 hours. The window shifts by weekday. Old texts say new work in Rahu Kaal can hit blocks. Skip new ventures, contracts, and travel in this slot. Naksham works out the exact window for your city. We use your local sunrise and sunset.[4]
How to Use Panchang Daily
Check the Panchang each morning. It takes one minute. Read the Tithi. It tells you about fasts like Ekadashi. Read the Nakshatra. It shapes the day's mood. Read the Rahu Kaal. Skip new work in that window. Look for Shubh Muhurat (good time slots). Brahma Muhurat (96 to 48 minutes before sunrise) is best for prayer. Abhijit Muhurat (around solar noon) is good for tough choices.[4] Wednesday Abhijit is marked inauspicious per Muhurta Chintamani Ch. 2.[4]
Understanding Tithi: The Lunar Day
Tithi is the most useful Panchang part for daily plans. It is the angle between the Sun and the Moon. Each 12 degree step makes one Tithi.[1]
The Moon does not move at one steady speed. So Tithis are not equal in length. Some last over 26 hours. Some last under 20 hours. A Tithi can skip a solar day. Two Tithis can fall on one day. Naksham marks both cases for you.
A lunar month has 30 Tithis in two halves. Shukla Paksha (waxing fortnight) runs from new Moon to full Moon. It is good for new work. Krishna Paksha (waning fortnight) runs from full Moon to new Moon. It is good for finishing work and prayer.[1]
Some Tithis are very special. Ekadashi (the 11th) is the top fasting day. Chaturthi is sacred to Lord Ganesha. Ashtami is for Goddess Durga. Our Tithi Calendar shows the full month at a glance. You can plan vows weeks ahead.
Nakshatra of the Day and Its Influence
Nakshatra (lunar mansion) tracks where the Moon sits today. There are 27 of them. The Moon stays in each one for about a day. Each one carries its own mood.[1]
Rohini days are good for art and farming. Ashwini days are best for medical care and quick action. Pushya is one of the best days for any task.
Muhurta Chintamani sorts Nakshatras by nature.[4] Dhruva (fixed) Nakshatras like Uttara Phalguni are best for lasting work like home build. Chara (movable) Nakshatras are best for travel.
Your birth Nakshatra also matters. When today's Nakshatra matches your own, it is your Janma Nakshatra (birth star) day. Old texts say to be careful and pray. Skip new work. Use our Nakshatra Finder to find your birth star. Then check the daily Panchang. Your Moon sign (Rashi) tunes the read further.
Yoga and Karana Explained
Yoga (Sun and Moon mix) and Karana (half tithi) are the last two Panchang parts. Many people skip them. Pandits do not. Both help fine tune your time choice.[2][3]
Yoga adds Sun and Moon longitudes, then divides by 13.333 degrees. There are 27 Yogas in all. Each one spans 13 degrees 20 minutes of arc.
Some Yogas are very good. Siddha Yoga guarantees success in your work. Amrita Yoga brings lasting good results. Shubha Yoga helps prayer and parties. Some Yogas hurt. Vyatipata and Vaidhriti are the worst. Old texts say skip new work then. Naksham flags both kinds for you.
Karana is half a Tithi. A lunar month has 60 Karanas. They cycle through 11 kinds. Watch out for Vishti (Bhadra Karana, an inauspicious half-day). It comes 8 times each lunar month. Old texts say it is bad for any new task. Skip travel, contracts, and medical care in Vishti. Our Muhurat Finder filters out Vishti for you.
Rahu Kaal and Abhijit Muhurat: Daily Timing Essentials
Two Panchang slots help you the most each day. Rahu Kaal is the slot to skip. Abhijit Muhurat is the slot to use.[4]
Rahu Kaal lasts about 1.5 hours. The shadow planet Rahu rules it. It is tied to mix ups and blocks. The window shifts by weekday. Monday is about 7:30 to 9:00 AM. Saturday is 9:00 to 10:30 AM. Friday is 10:30 to 12:00 PM. Wednesday is 12:00 to 1:30 PM. Thursday is 1:30 to 3:00 PM. Tuesday is 3:00 to 4:30 PM. Sunday is 4:30 to 6:00 PM. Exact times shift with your city sunrise.
In Rahu Kaal, skip new contracts, new work, travel, and big buys. But a visit to a Rahu temple in this slot is fine. Old texts say it is the right time for Rahu prayers.
Abhijit Muhurat is the opposite. It is a 48 minute window around solar noon. Old texts say it is good for any task. It can offset most weak Tithi or Nakshatra days.[4] Naksham works out the Abhijit window for your city. Wednesday Abhijit is marked inauspicious per Muhurta Chintamani Ch. 2.[4]
Planning Life Events with Panchang
The Panchang is a planning tool, not just a religious one. Indian families have used it for life events for ages. Weddings, home moves (Griha Pravesh), naming days (Naamkaran), business launches, and a child's first school day all start with a Panchang check.
For weddings, pick a Shukla Paksha day. Good Tithis are Dwitiya, Panchami, Saptami, Dashami, and Trayodashi. Good Nakshatras are Rohini, Mrigashira, Magha, Uttara Phalguni, Hasta, Swati, Anuradha (following Radha), and Uttara Ashadha. Skip Vishti Karana and harsh Yogas. Our Muhurat Finder runs all of these checks for you.
For business choices, read the Panchang with our 90-day Vedic forecast. The forecast tells you which weeks help your career and money. The Panchang picks the exact day and hour. For property buys, pick Dhruva (fixed) Nakshatras. For travel, pick Chara (movable) Nakshatras. For school start, Hasta and Ashwini are best.
The Panchang also brings you closer to Hindu festivals. Each festival date comes from a fixed Tithi, Nakshatra, and Vedic month. Diwali falls on Kartika Krishna Amavasya. Holi falls on Phalguna Shukla Purnima. Navaratri starts on Ashwin Shukla Pratipada. Naksham detects Adhika Masa (intercalary lunar month) on its own. This matters in 2026 when Adhika Jyeshtha runs May 17 to June 15. Makar Sankranti detection is also built in. It is a solar event when the Sun enters Makara Rashi (Capricorn).
Read the Panchang each day. You start to feel the rhythm of the year. Plan your family events well ahead. Pair the Panchang with your daily Rashifal. For deep self study, build your free Kundali. It shows how your birth chart meets each day's Panchang.
How Naksham Computes Your Panchang
Naksham is accurate within 1 to 2 minutes for India locations. Sunrise and sunset use the NOAA solar position model. Sidereal positions use Lahiri ayanamsa, the Rashtriya Panchang standard.[5] Timezone is derived from your coordinates. Vara (weekday) is computed from sunrise per BPHS, not from civil midnight.[2] Tithi is anchored to your local sunrise per Drik Panchang convention.[5] Adhika Masa (intercalary lunar month) is detected on its own. Makar Sankranti is detected as a solar event when the Sun enters Makara Rashi.
Footnotes
- Surya Siddhanta (8th century CE), Chapters 1 to 2 on Tithi and Nakshatra computation.
- Maharshi Parashara, Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (BPHS), Chapter 24 on Vara, ed. R. Santhanam, Ranjan Publications.
- Maharshi Parashara, Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (BPHS), Chapter 86 on Yoga and Chapter 87 on Karana.
- Rama Daivajna, Muhurta Chintamani (16th century CE), Chapter 2 on Brahma Muhurat, Abhijit Muhurat, and Wednesday exception. Choghadiya rules per the same work.
- Drik Panchang convention for sunrise-anchored Tithi. Lahiri ayanamsa per the Rashtriya Panchang of the Government of India (Calendar Reform Committee, 1955).