Panchang Kya Hai? How to Read the Five Limbs of a Hindu Calendar Day
A panchang is the Hindu almanac. The word means "five limbs", and those five are tithi, vara, nakshatra, yoga and karana. Together they describe the quality of a day, and they are the base for festival dates and every muhurat. They also explain why a single calendar date can hold two tithis.
संक्षेप में: पंचांग का अर्थ है पाँच अंग: तिथि, वार, नक्षत्र, योग और करण। यही त्योहारों की तिथियों और हर मुहूर्त का आधार हैं। तिथि चंद्रमा की गति से तय होती है, घड़ी से नहीं, इसलिए यह दिन में किसी भी समय बदल सकती है। इस लेख में नई दिल्ली के एक वास्तविक दिन का पंचांग पंक्ति दर पंक्ति पढ़ना समझाया गया है। पूरा लेख हिंदी में पढ़ें →
The five limbs
| Limb | What it measures | How many |
|---|---|---|
| Tithi | The lunar day: each 12 degrees the Moon moves ahead of the Sun | 30 in a lunar month |
| Vara | The weekday, counted from sunrise | 7 |
| Nakshatra | The star division the Moon is in | 27 |
| Yoga | A combination of the Sun's and Moon's longitude | 27 |
| Karana | Half of a tithi | 11 names in a repeating scheme |
One real day, read line by line
This is the panchang for New Delhi on Monday, 2 November 2026:
| Item | Value | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Tithi | Krishna Ashtami, to 1:11 PM | The 8th day of the waning Moon. After 1:11 PM it is Navami. |
| Vara | Somavara | Monday, ruled by the Moon. |
| Nakshatra | Ashlesha, to 3:46 AM on 3 November | The Moon then moves into Magha. |
| Yoga | Shubha | Counted among the auspicious yogas. |
| Karana | Kaulava | The karana at local noon. |
| Sunrise, sunset | 6:34 AM, 5:35 PM | These set the day's other windows. |
| Abhijit Muhurat | 11:42 AM - 12:27 PM | The midday window considered auspicious. |
| Rahu Kaal | 7:56 AM - 9:19 AM | Avoid starting new work. See how it is worked out. |
Why the tithi changes mid-day
A tithi is set by the Moon's distance from the Sun, not by the clock, so it can begin and end at any hour. It usually lasts a little under a day. Most fasts and everyday references use the tithi running at sunrise, but not all: this is why some festivals fall on a different day from what a quick look suggests. Diwali follows the tithi in the pradosh period after sunset, and Ganesh Chaturthi the one at midday.
Purnimanta or amanta?
North India usually ends a lunar month on the full Moon (purnimanta), while much of the west and south ends it on the new Moon (amanta). The tithi is the same, but the month name can differ by a fortnight. Our pages use purnimanta months.
How to use a panchang
Start with the tithi if you are checking a fast or festival, and with the nakshatra if you are planning something the rules name, such as a vehicle purchase. Then look at the barred windows, and use choghadiya to choose a time. Today's Panchang shows the day, and logging in lets you set your location and explore any date.
Panchang: FAQs
What are the five parts of a panchang?
Tithi, vara, nakshatra, yoga and karana.
Why is the panchang different for each city?
Sunrise and sunset differ by place, which changes the day's windows and sometimes which tithi is running at sunrise. The moment a tithi ends is the same everywhere.
Which tithi applies if it changes during the day?
Daily reckoning normally uses the tithi at sunrise. Each festival has its own rule, such as pradosh or midday.
What is the difference between a tithi and a date?
A date runs midnight to midnight by the clock. A tithi follows the Moon and can start at any hour.
Is panchang the same as a kundli?
No. A panchang describes a day for everyone in a place. A kundli describes one birth moment; you can make yours as a free kundli.
Developers can get the daily panchang, in English or Hindi, through the AstroLogics API.
