What is Panchangam? (பஞ்சாங்கம்)

The Hindu Almanac — Five Limbs of Time

The Five Elements (Pancha Anga)

The word Panchangam (பஞ்சாங்கம்) comes from Sanskrit: Pancha (five) + Anga (limb). It is the traditional Hindu almanac that tracks five fundamental astronomical measurements every day of the year. These five "limbs of time" together describe the quality and character of each day from an astrological perspective.

🌙 Tithi

Lunar Day

The angular distance between Sun and Moon, divided into 30 segments of 12° each. There are 30 Tithis in a lunar month — 15 in the waxing (Shukla Paksha) and 15 in the waning (Krishna Paksha) fortnight.

→ Tithi Calculator

⭐ Nakshatra

Lunar Mansion

The 27 (or 28) divisions of the sky through which the Moon travels. Each Nakshatra spans 13°20′ of the sidereal zodiac. The Moon spends approximately one day in each Nakshatra.

→ Nakshatra Calculator

☯ Yoga

Combined Position

Calculated from the combined sidereal longitudes of the Sun and Moon. There are 27 Yogas, each spanning 13°20′ of combined longitude. Some Yogas are auspicious (Siddha, Amrita) and some are inauspicious (Vyatipata, Vaidhriti).

→ Yoga Calculator

🔆 Karana

Half-Tithi

Each Tithi is divided into two Karanas of 6° each. There are 11 types of Karana — 4 fixed and 7 repeating. Karana indicates the sub-quality of a time period within a Tithi.

→ Karana Calculator

📅 Vara

Weekday

The day of the week, each governed by a planet: Sunday (Sun), Monday (Moon), Tuesday (Mars), Wednesday (Mercury), Thursday (Jupiter), Friday (Venus), Saturday (Saturn). Vara influences which activities are favoured each day.

Additional Elements in Tamil Panchangam

Beyond the five Pancha Angas, the Tamil Panchangam tradition includes several additional data points that are especially important in South Indian practice:

Rahu Kalam — The inauspicious period of 90 minutes each day, ruled by Rahu, during which new ventures should be avoided. See today's Rahu Kalam
Yamagandam — Another daily inauspicious period associated with Yama, god of death.
Nalla Neram — The auspicious "good time" of day, particularly observed in Tamil tradition. See today's Nalla Neram
Hora — Planetary hours dividing day and night into equal segments ruled by the seven classical planets.
Sunrise & Sunset — The precise times for a given location that define the start and end of the astronomical day.
Tamil Month — The solar month of the Tamil calendar (Chithirai, Vaikasi, Aani, etc.), distinct from the lunar month.

How to Read a Panchangam

A daily Panchangam entry typically lists:

The current Tithi and the time it ends (Tithi End Time)
The current Nakshatra and the time it ends
The current Yoga and Karana
Sunrise and Sunset times for the day
Rahu Kalam, Yamagandam, and Gulika Kalam windows
Special observances or festival notes

The most auspicious muhurtham (auspicious time) falls when a favourable Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga, and Vara all align simultaneously during a period outside Rahu Kalam.

See Today's Complete Panchangam: Daily Panchangam → · Muhurtham Dates →

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Panchangam mean?

Panchangam (also spelled Panchang or Panchangam) comes from Sanskrit: Pancha (five) + Anga (limb). It is the Hindu almanac that records the five key astronomical elements — Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga, Karana, and Vara — for every day of the year.

What are the five elements of Panchangam?

The five Pancha Angas are: 1) Tithi (lunar day), 2) Nakshatra (lunar mansion), 3) Yoga (combined Sun-Moon position), 4) Karana (half-Tithi), and 5) Vara (weekday). Each element has astrological significance for timing activities.

Why is Panchangam important in Tamil culture?

Panchangam guides every major life event in Tamil Hindu tradition — from weddings and housewarmings to starting a new business or naming a child. Auspicious timings (Muhurtham) are selected based on favourable combinations of the five elements.

How is Tamil Panchangam different from other Panchangams?

Tamil Panchangam follows the Tamil solar calendar (Thirukanitham or Vakya) and uses Tamil month names (Chithirai, Vaikasi, etc.). It includes Tamil-specific festivals, auspicious periods like Nalla Neram, and regional observances not found in North Indian Panchangams.