What is Panchang?

Panchang (पञ्चाङ्ग) literally means "five limbs" — pancha (five) and anga (limb or part). It's the traditional Hindu almanac that records five astronomical elements for every single day, which together determine festival dates, auspicious timings (Muhurat), and fasting days. Where the Gregorian calendar tracks only the solar date, a Panchang tracks the Moon, the Sun, and their relationship to each other and to fixed stars.

The five elements (Panchanga)

1. Tithi — the lunar day. Defined by the angular distance between the Moon and Sun increasing by 12°, there are 30 tithis in a lunar month. See our full guide to Tithi.

2. Vaara — the weekday, same seven-day cycle as the Gregorian week, each ruled by a planet (Sunday–Sun, Monday–Moon, Tuesday–Mars, and so on).

3. Nakshatra — the lunar mansion, one of 27 star-based segments the Moon passes through as it orbits Earth. See our full guide to Nakshatra.

4. Yoga — one of 27 combinations calculated from the combined longitudes of the Sun and Moon, believed to colour the day's general character.

5. Karana — half of a tithi. Since a tithi can run slightly under or over 24 hours, each is split into two Karanas, giving 11 recurring Karana types across the lunar month.

What Panchang is used for

Festival dates are set by Tithi, not the Gregorian date — which is why Diwali or Holi fall on a different date each year (see our 2026 festival calendar). Panchang also determines Shubh Muhurat (auspicious timing for weddings, house-warmings and other milestones), fasting days like Ekadashi, and inauspicious windows like Rahu Kalam that many prefer to avoid for new beginnings.

Why it varies by location

Tithi, Nakshatra and Karana all begin and end at specific astronomical moments — not at midnight. Whether a particular tithi is "in force" at your local sunrise depends on your city's exact sunrise time, which is why the same festival can occasionally be observed a day apart in different regions.