The Panchang (पञ्चाङ्ग, literally "five limbs") is the Hindu astronomical almanac. It compresses the position of the Sun and Moon — relative to Earth and the zodiac — into five daily values used for over 2,000 years to schedule weddings, ceremonies, business openings, and travel.
Each of the five elements describes a different aspect of the day. Together they form an muhurta — the moment-by-moment evaluation of what activities are auspicious or inauspicious.
If you just want today's panchang, jump to our interactive panchang page. Otherwise, here's the complete guide.
The five limbs of Panchang
| Element | Meaning | Count | Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tithi | Lunar day | 30 | Lunar month (~29.5 days) |
| Vara | Weekday | 7 | 1 week |
| Nakshatra | Lunar mansion | 27 | Sidereal month (~27.3 days) |
| Yoga | Sun-Moon distance | 27 | Variable |
| Karana | Half-tithi | 11 | Bi-daily |
1. Tithi — the lunar day
Tithi is the angular distance between the Sun and Moon, measured in 12° increments. Each 12° step is one tithi, and there are 30 tithis in a lunar month.
Tithis are divided into two halves:
- Shukla Paksha (waxing fortnight) — days 1-15, from new moon to full.
- Krishna Paksha (waning fortnight) — days 1-15, from full back to new.
The 15 named tithis are: Pratipada, Dvitiya, Tritiya, Chaturthi, Panchami, Shashthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami, Dashami, Ekadashi, Dvadashi, Trayodashi, Chaturdashi, and Purnima (or Amavasya for new moon).
Notable tithis:
- Ekadashi (11th) — fasting day, observed by many Hindus and Vaishnavas.
- Purnima (15th Shukla) — full moon, often festival days (Buddha Purnima, Guru Purnima).
- Amavasya (15th Krishna) — new moon, ancestral rituals.
- Chaturthi (4th) — auspicious for Lord Ganesha (Ganesh Chaturthi falls on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi).
2. Vara — the weekday
The seven days, named after the classical "planets" (Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn), each ruled by a deity:
| Vara | Planet | English | Ruling deity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ravivara | Sun | Sunday | Surya |
| Somavara | Moon | Monday | Chandra |
| Mangalavara | Mars | Tuesday | Mangala |
| Budhavara | Mercury | Wednesday | Budha |
| Brihaspativara | Jupiter | Thursday | Brihaspati |
| Shukravara | Venus | Friday | Shukra |
| Shanivara | Saturn | Saturday | Shani |
Each day has favored activities (e.g., Thursday for marriage, Friday for purchases, Saturday for hard work and discipline).
3. Nakshatra — the lunar mansion
The ecliptic is divided into 27 segments of 13°20' each, called nakshatras. The nakshatra of the day is whichever segment contains the Moon at sunrise.
The 27 nakshatras: Ashwini, Bharani, Krittika, Rohini, Mrigashirsha, Ardra, Punarvasu, Pushya, Ashlesha, Magha, Purva Phalguni, Uttara Phalguni, Hasta, Chitra, Swati, Vishakha, Anuradha, Jyeshtha, Mula, Purva Ashadha, Uttara Ashadha, Shravana, Dhanishta, Shatabhisha, Purva Bhadrapada, Uttara Bhadrapada, Revati.
Each is associated with:
- A presiding deity
- A ruling planet
- Symbolic imagery (a person, animal, or object)
- Personality traits for people born under it (used in Vedic astrology)
For example, Rohini (the 4th nakshatra) is ruled by Brahma, depicted as a cart, and is one of the most auspicious for marriage and business launches.
4. Yoga — the angular sum
Yoga is the sum of Sun and Moon longitudes, divided into 27 segments of 13°20' (same size as nakshatras). The 27 yogas have names like Vishkambha, Priti, Ayushman, Saubhagya, Shobhana, and so on.
Some yogas are auspicious (e.g., Siddha, Sadhya), others are avoided (e.g., Vyatipata, Vaidhriti). Knowing the day's yoga helps choose ceremonial timing.
5. Karana — half of a tithi
A karana is half a tithi. There are 11 karanas, with the first 7 cycling 8 times in a month (Bava, Balava, Kaulava, Taitila, Gara, Vanija, Vishti) plus 4 fixed karanas at the end (Shakuni, Chatushpada, Naga, Kintughna).
Karana is used for very fine-grained scheduling — like choosing the exact moment to start a procedure.
How to read a panchang
A typical panchang entry for one day looks like:
Wednesday, 26 May 2026 \
Tithi: Krishna Trayodashi (until 14:32 IST) → Chaturdashi \
Vara: Budhavara (Mercury) \
Nakshatra: Bharani (until 09:18) → Krittika \
Yoga: Shobhana (until 22:45) → Atiganda \
Karana: Vanija (until 14:32) → Vishti
The transitions ("until 14:32") happen because none of the five elements line up with sunrise-to-sunrise day boundaries.
Auspicious times (Muhurta)
From the five elements, panchang computes muhurtas — short windows of time evaluated for specific activities:
- Abhijit Muhurta — daily 48-minute auspicious window at solar noon (skipped on Wednesdays in some traditions).
- Brahma Muhurta — 96 minutes before sunrise, ideal for meditation and study.
- Rahu Kalam — 90-minute inauspicious window, different time per weekday.
- Yamagandam — second daily inauspicious window.
- Gulika Kalam — third daily inauspicious window.
Regional variations
The panchang varies by region:
- North India / Nepal — typically uses Vikram Samvat year (2082-2083) and Purnimanta month start (new month begins after full moon).
- South India / Karnataka / Andhra — uses Amanta system (month begins after new moon) with same names.
- Tamil Nadu — solar Tamil calendar — see Tamil panchangam.
- Bengal — solar Bangla calendar — see Bangla calendar.
How accurate is automated panchang?
Modern panchang calculation uses precise astronomical algorithms (Vedic or Dhrik). Tithi accuracy depends on:
- The local time zone (different cities, slightly different tithis).
- Sunrise location (panchang transitions are anchored to local sunrise).
- Ayanamsa value (the offset between sidereal and tropical zodiacs; varies by school).
For ceremonial use, always cross-reference a printed panchang from your tradition.
Related references
- Today's panchang — tithi, nakshatra, yoga
- Hindu calendar 2026 — Vikram Samvat 2083
- Tamil calendar today — solar panchangam
- Bangla calendar — Bengali year 1432
- India holidays 2026
- Diwali 2026 detail
This guide describes general Vedic panchang. Regional traditions (Vaishnavite, Shaivite, Smarta, Madhva) may differ in specific calculations and emphasis.