Learn · Panchang & muhurta

What is Panchang?

Panchang (Sanskrit pañcāṅga, “five limbs”) is the classical Hindu almanac. It describes any given day through five time-elements derived from the positions of the Sun and Moon, and is the basis for fixing festivals, vrat and auspicious timing (muhurta).

A panchang lists five elements for each day: Tithi (lunar day), Nakshatra (the constellation the Moon occupies), Yoga (a Sun–Moon angular combination), Karana (half a tithi) and Vaara (the weekday). Together they fingerprint the day astronomically.

Every limb is a function of the true (drik) longitudes of the Sun and Moon. A tithi completes each time the Moon gains 12° on the Sun; a nakshatra each 13°20′ of the Moon’s motion. Because the elements are measured from sunrise, the exact tithi and nakshatra in force — and when they change — depend on your date and location.

Festivals and vrat are defined by tithi and nakshatra rules, not by fixed Gregorian dates, so the panchang is what converts a rule like “Chaitra Shukla Pratipada” into an actual calendar date. It also underpins muhurta — choosing an auspicious window for an activity.