Amrutkaal What is Panchang?
Panchang (पञ्चाङ्ग) literally means "five limbs" in Sanskrit — pancha (five) + anga (limb). It is the Hindu almanac: a daily reckoning of time built from five astronomical quantities, used for thousands of years to choose the right moment for everything from sowing a field to solemnising a marriage. Unlike the Gregorian calendar, which counts fixed solar days, the panchang tracks the actual positions of the Sun and Moon — which is why it must be computed fresh for every location and every day.
The five limbs
Tithi — the lunar day, defined by the angle between Moon and Sun growing in 12° steps. There are 30 tithis in a lunar month, and because the Moon's speed varies, a tithi can be shorter or longer than a solar day. Tithi governs festivals: Diwali falls on Amavasya, Ekadashi fasts on the 11th tithi.
Vara — the weekday, each ruled by a graha: Sunday by the Sun, Monday by the Moon, Tuesday by Mars, and so on. The vara sets the base character of the day and drives the weekly cycle of Rahu Kaal.
Nakshatra — the lunar mansion, one of 27 equal divisions of the zodiac (13°20′ each) that the Moon passes through in about a day. Birth nakshatra is the foundation of naming ceremonies and kundli matching.
Yoga — a sum: the combined longitudes of Sun and Moon, divided into 27 parts. Certain yogas (Siddha, Amrita) are favourable; others (Vyatipata, Vaidhriti) are avoided for new ventures.
Karana — half a tithi. There are 11 karanas cycling through the month, and one of them, Vishti (Bhadra), is considered inauspicious for beginnings.
Why panchang differs by city
Every limb is anchored to local sunrise. Sunrise in Kolkata comes almost an hour before Mumbai, so the tithi prevailing at sunrise — the one assigned to the day — can differ between cities on the same date. This is why a generic "today's panchang" without a city is incomplete, and why this site computes each of its city pages separately, from New Delhi to New Jersey.
How a panchang is calculated
Classical panchangs were computed by hand from astronomical treatises like the Surya Siddhanta. Modern panchangs — including this site — use precise planetary ephemerides (we use the Swiss Ephemeris, the same data professional astronomers use) with the Lahiri ayanamsa, the sidereal correction officially adopted by the Indian government's Rashtriya Panchang. The arithmetic is identical to tradition; only the precision of the planetary positions has improved.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is panchang used for?
Daily planning around auspicious and inauspicious periods (muhurat, Rahu Kaal), determining festival and fast dates, naming ceremonies based on nakshatra, and marriage matching. Many households simply check tithi and Rahu Kaal each morning.
Is panchang the same everywhere in India?
The astronomy is the same, but timings shift with longitude and latitude because everything anchors to local sunrise and sunset. There are also two month-naming traditions: purnimanta (North India, months end on full moon) and amanta (South and West, months end on new moon) — same days, different month labels.
What is the difference between panchang and panchangam?
None — panchangam is the South Indian (Tamil/Telugu) form of the same word. Tamil panchangam additionally emphasises elements like gowri nalla neram alongside the five limbs.