Open any Hindu calendar or panchang and you'll see a wall of unfamiliar terms — tithi, nakshatra, yoga, karana, vara. It can feel overwhelming, especially if no one ever explained what these words actually mean. This guide breaks down the five elements of the panchang in plain English, so you can understand what you're looking at and why it matters.
What Is a Panchang?
The word “panchang” comes from Sanskrit: pancha (five) and anga (limb). It refers to the five key astronomical elements that define each day in the Hindu calendar. Together, these five limbs tell you everything about the spiritual quality of any given moment — whether it's auspicious for a ceremony, good for starting a new venture, or a day best spent in quiet reflection.
You can check today's panchang for your location right here on Aaradhana.
The Five Elements (Panchangas)
1. Tithi — The Lunar Day
The tithi is the most important element. It measures the angular distance between the sun and moon, dividing each lunar month into 30 tithis (15 per fortnight). Each tithi has a name — Pratipada (1st), Dwitiya (2nd), and so on up to Purnima (full moon, 15th of bright half) and Amavasya (new moon, 15th of dark half).
Tithis don't correspond neatly to calendar days. A tithi can start at any time of day and lasts roughly 19 to 26 hours. This is why a festival might be celebrated on different Gregorian dates in different cities — the tithi starts and ends at different local times.
Why it matters: Most Hindu festivals, fasts, and rituals are tied to specific tithis. Ekadashi (11th tithi) is a fasting day. Chaturthi (4th tithi) is sacred to Ganesh. Amavasya and Purnima are powerful days for ancestral rites and meditation respectively.
2. Vara — The Day of the Week
Vara simply means the weekday. The Hindu week has seven days, each associated with a celestial body and a deity:
- Ravivara (Sunday) — Sun — Surya
- Somavara (Monday) — Moon — Shiva
- Mangalavara (Tuesday) — Mars — Hanuman / Mangal
- Budhavara (Wednesday) — Mercury — Vishnu
- Guruvara (Thursday) — Jupiter — Brihaspati / Vishnu
- Shukravara (Friday) — Venus — Lakshmi / Durga
- Shanivara (Saturday) — Saturn — Shani
Why it matters: Many Hindus observe specific practices based on the weekday — visiting Shiva temples on Monday, fasting for Hanuman on Tuesday, or worshipping Lakshmi on Friday.
3. Nakshatra — The Lunar Mansion
A nakshatra is a segment of the sky that the moon passes through. There are 27 nakshatras in total, and the moon visits each one roughly once a month. Each nakshatra has a name (like Ashwini, Bharani, Rohini) and is associated with specific qualities and ruling deities.
Why it matters: Your birth nakshatra (based on the moon's position when you were born) is central to Vedic astrology and determines your “rashi” (moon sign). Nakshatras also influence the auspiciousness of specific activities — some nakshatras are ideal for travel, others for starting a business, and others for spiritual practice.
4. Yoga — The Sun-Moon Combination
Don't confuse this with physical yoga! In the panchang, “yoga” refers to a specific astronomical combination of the sun and moon's positions. There are 27 yogas, each lasting about a day. They have names like Vishkumbha, Priti, Ayushman, and Saubhagya.
Why it matters: Yogas help determine the general auspiciousness of a time period. Some yogas (like Siddha, Amrita, and Shubha) are considered highly favorable, while others (like Vishkumbha and Vyaghata) are considered inauspicious for new beginnings.
5. Karana — The Half-Tithi
A karana is half of a tithi — so there are two karanas in each tithi and 60 in a lunar month. There are 11 different karanas, and they cycle through in a fixed pattern. The most common are Bava, Balava, Kaulava, Taitila, Garaja, Vanija, and Vishti.
Why it matters: Karanas fine-tune the auspiciousness of a time period. The most notable is Vishti (also called Bhadra), which is considered inauspicious — most people avoid starting important activities during Vishti Karana.
Beyond the Five: Muhurat and Rahu Kaal
While the five panchangas are the core, most modern panchang displays also include:
- Muhurat — auspicious time windows calculated from sunrise, used for timing important events like weddings, business openings, or moving into a new home
- Rahu Kaal — an inauspicious 90-minute period each day, calculated based on sunrise and the day of the week. Most Hindus avoid starting new activities during Rahu Kaal.
- Sunrise and Sunset — critical for calculations since the Hindu day begins at sunrise, not midnight
How to Use the Panchang in Daily Life
You don't need to memorize all 27 nakshatras or 27 yogas. For everyday use, focus on:
- Check the tithi — know if it's a special day (Ekadashi, Pradosh, Chaturthi, Purnima, or Amavasya)
- Note the vara — observe any weekday-specific practices your family follows
- Check Rahu Kaal — if you're planning something important, try to schedule it outside of Rahu Kaal
- Look at festivals — see if any festivals or observances fall on the day
As you become more familiar with the panchang, you'll naturally start noticing patterns — how the moon's phases affect your energy, how certain tithis feel different, and how this ancient system of timekeeping is still remarkably relevant to modern life.