Today's Panchang lists five values for the day: Tithi (lunar day), Vara (weekday), Nakshatra (lunar mansion), Yoga and Karana. Next to them you will usually see sunrise, sunset and Rahu Kaal. For daily use you only need three of these: the Tithi for festivals and fasts, Rahu Kaal before starting something important, and the Nakshatra when a ceremony or naming is planned.
This guide explains what each part of the Panchang measures, how to read the times printed next to it, and a simple routine for checking it each morning. Each value is shown with the clock time when it ends, and the next value starts after that time.
For the theory behind the five parts, read what a Panchang is and how its five limbs fit together. This article covers the practical side.
What does "Panchang" mean?
Panchang comes from the Sanskrit pancha (five) and anga (limb), so it means "five limbs." The five limbs are Tithi, Vara, Nakshatra, Yoga and Karana. Together they describe the position of the Sun and Moon on a given day, so the values change a little every morning.
The Sun sets the solar day and the weekday. The Moon moves faster and sets the lunar values, which change most often. The Moon's speed is not constant, so a Tithi or Nakshatra can last less than or more than 24 hours. This is the main point a beginner needs to understand: Panchang values change at a printed clock time, not at midnight.
What are the five elements of the Panchang?
The five elements are Tithi (lunar day), Vara (weekday), Nakshatra (lunar mansion), Yoga (a value from the Sun and Moon positions) and Karana (half of a Tithi). A full Panchang shows the value that is active now and the clock time when it changes to the next one.
Tithi: the lunar day
The Tithi is the element people use most. It tracks the Moon's phase in 30 steps across a lunar month: 15 in the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha, waxing) and 15 in the dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha, waning). Festivals and fasts are fixed by Tithi, not by weekday. Ekadashi, Purnima (full moon) and Amavasya (new moon) are all Tithis.
A Tithi rarely matches one calendar day. It might end at 10:42 the next morning, and the next Tithi begins after that. The calendar will then show something like "Dwitiya up to 10:42, then Tritiya." For rituals, the Tithi that is active at sunrise is usually the one that counts for that day.
Vara: the weekday
Vara is the weekday. Sunday is Aditya-vara, Monday Soma-vara, and so on through Shani-vara (Saturday). Each Vara is linked to a planet, and some days are tied to certain deities: Tuesday and Saturday, for example, are days for Hanuman and Shani.
Nakshatra: the lunar mansion
The Nakshatra shows which of the 27 lunar mansions the Moon is in. The Moon takes about 27.3 days to go round the sky, so it passes through roughly one Nakshatra per day. Your birth Nakshatra (Janma Nakshatra) is the one the Moon was in when you were born. It is used for naming, matchmaking and choosing a Saait.
Like the Tithi, the Nakshatra changes at a clock time, not at midnight. The full list of the 27 Nakshatras and their meanings gives each one's ruling deity and symbol.
Yoga and Karana
Most beginners can skip Yoga and Karana. Yoga is calculated from the combined longitudes of the Sun and Moon. There are 27 Yogas, and a few of them, such as Vyatipata and Vaidhriti, are considered inauspicious for important work. Karana is half a Tithi, so two Karanas pass in each lunar day. Priests use both to fix an exact Muhurat. For everyday reading, you can treat them as extra detail.
| Element | What it measures | How many | Everyday use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tithi | Lunar day (Moon phase) | 30 per month | Festivals, fasts, full and new moon |
| Vara | Weekday | 7 | Planet and deity association |
| Nakshatra | Lunar mansion | 27 | Birth star, naming, matchmaking |
| Yoga | Sun-Moon angle | 27 | Flags a few inauspicious windows |
| Karana | Half a Tithi | 11 repeating | Fine-tuning a Muhurat |
How do you read Rahu Kaal in the Panchang?
Rahu Kaal is a window of about 90 minutes each day. By tradition, people avoid starting anything important in it: travel, a purchase, signing papers or a ceremony. Work that has already started and emergencies are not affected. The window falls at a different clock time on each weekday.
To calculate it, the time from sunrise to sunset is divided into eight equal parts. Each weekday has one of those parts as its Rahu Kaal, so Sunday's slot is different from Monday's. Day length changes with the season, so the exact minutes move through the year. Use the time the Panchang shows for your location and date instead of memorising one fixed time.
The weekday-by-weekday table and the calculation are in the guide on what Rahu Kaal is and how its timings are calculated. In practice, check Rahu Kaal only before something that matters, such as leaving on a trip or signing a contract.
Why do sunrise and sunset matter on the Panchang?
In the Panchang the day starts at sunrise, not at midnight. Many ritual rules depend on which Tithi or Nakshatra is running at sunrise. Rahu Kaal, Gulika Kaal and the auspicious Abhijit Muhurat are all measured from the time between sunrise and sunset.
Sunrise-based windows depend on the location. Katigate’s daily Panchang shows Kathmandu timings, rather than using your phone’s current city. Abhijit is a traditional window around solar noon, not a universal recommendation for every ceremony. Confirm a ceremony’s location and time separately.
How do you use the Panchang day to day?
Three checks cover everyday life: the Tithi for festivals and fasts, the weekday and Rahu Kaal before starting something important, and the Nakshatra when you are planning a ceremony or a naming. Priests use the other values for exact Muhurat calculations. A beginner does not need to track them.
A simple routine:
Check the Tithi to see if today is Ekadashi, Purnima, Amavasya or a festival day. Look at its end time, because it can change during the day.
Check Rahu Kaal only before an important start, such as travel, a big purchase or a signing. You can ignore it for routine work.
Note the Nakshatra when a naming, first-rice feeding (Pasni) or other ceremony is coming up, because these are often fixed by Nakshatra.
For a ceremony, confirm the local sunrise, the relevant ritual rules and the agreed time with the people conducting it. A daily Panchang alone does not select a personalised Saait.
Many people read the Panchang together with the daily Rashifal. The Rashifal gives a reading for your zodiac sign based on planetary positions, and the Panchang gives the Sun and Moon values for the day. The Nepali Calendar app calculates today's Panchang, Rahu Kaal and local sunrise for your location, and the same data is on the Katigate home page.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the Tithi change in the middle of the day?
A Tithi measures the Moon's movement relative to the Sun, and that movement is not steady. So a Tithi can be shorter or longer than 24 hours, and it ends at a set clock time instead of at midnight. For most rituals, the Tithi running at sunrise is the one that counts.
Do I need to understand Yoga and Karana as a beginner?
No. Priests use Yoga and Karana to fix an exact Muhurat. For everyday reading, the Tithi, weekday and Nakshatra are enough. Yoga matters only when an inauspicious one, such as Vyatipata, falls on a day you have planned something important.
Is Rahu Kaal the same time every day?
No. Rahu Kaal falls in a different part of the daylight hours on each weekday. Day length also changes with the season, so the exact minutes move through the year. Use the time your Panchang shows for your location and date.
Why does my Panchang differ from one in another city?
The Panchang day starts at sunrise, and sunrise happens at different clock times in different places. A Tithi or Nakshatra changes at the same moment everywhere, but which one is running at your sunrise depends on where you are. Rahu Kaal and Muhurat windows are also measured from local sunrise and sunset. So a different city gets slightly different timings.