Today Panchang (Aaj ka Panchang)

The following are the terms that one should be well-versed with for better understanding of Day Panchang. It offers accurate information about various astrological occurrences and in some way helps you find the most appropriate time to start anything new. 

• Sunrise and Sunset – The true length of a day is considered to be from one sunrise to another in the Hindu calendar. So, the time of sunrise and sunset hold great importance in Astrology. All major decisions are taken only after considering the position of the Sun and Moon.
• Moonrise and Moonset – Moonrise time and Moonset time play an important role in the Hindu calendar to determine the favorable timings. 
• Shaka Samvat – Shaka Samvat is Indian official civil calendar, which was established in 78 AD.
• Amanta Month – Hindu Calendar, which ends the Lunar month on a New-Moon day, is known as Amanta Month. Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura are some of the states which follow this Hindu calendar.
• Purnimanta Month - Hindu calendar which ends the Lunar month on a Full-Moon day is known as Purnimanta Month. Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh are the states that follow this Hindu calendar.
• Sun sign and Moon sign – The Sun sign indicates the personality of an individual based on the zodiac and is determined by the position of the Sun in a Zodiac in a native’s chart at the time of his/her birth. Moon Sign reveals the emotional aspect of an individual’s personality, and is determined by the position of the Moon in a Zodiac in a native’s chart at the time of his/her birth.
• Paksha – Tithi is divided into two halves. Each ‘half’ is known as a Paksha. There are two Pakshas, namely: Shukla Paksha and Krishna Paksha.

Auspicious Time / Good Time

• Abhijit Nakshatra – When the transition of Lord Brahma happens in the Capricorn or Makar Zodiac, it is known as Abhijit Nakshatra. This is considered to be a one of the most auspicious periods for taking up new tasks and for making new purchases.
• Amrit Kalam – This is the time for Annaprasana Samskara and for other Hindu rituals. This is considered a very auspicious period.

Inauspicious Time

• Gulikai Kalam – Gulika was the son of Manda, alias Shani. The period is known as Gulikai Kalam. It is not considered auspicious to initiate any work during this period and should be avoided.
• Yamaganda – This is an inauspicious period, and is a hindrance to any successful and prosperous venture.
• Dur Muhurtam – It occurs once in a day before Sunset. This time should be avoided before taking up any auspicious activity
• Varjyam Kalam – The Varjyam or Vishagatika is the time which starts from the current day and ends on the following day. This is not considered to be a benign period.
• Rahu Kalam – The period of Rahu is not considered to be good for any work. Rahu’s influence should be totally avoided for any new initiative.

Astronomical Sunrise is considered as the time when the upper limb (the edge of the Sun and the Moon) of the Sun appears for the first moment. Similarly, the Sunset is the time of disappearance of the upper limb of the Sun. While, astrologically, Sunrise is the time when the Sun’s Madhyalimb or middle disk rises above eastern horizon. In addition, Vedic astrology ignores the refraction of the Sun rays.

Astrologically, there are eight segments or muhurats between Sunset and Sunrise that signify the auspicious and inauspicious times of a day. Rahu Kaal is one of these eight segments that lasts for 90 minutes every day. In this duration, Rahu, the malefic planet, is prominent. Anything that is performed or started in Rahu Kaal is said to have a negative outcome. Thus, it is suggested to not perform any auspicious event during Rahu Kaal.

Every day between Sunrise and Sunset, there are certain time durations when one should not perform any auspicious work or start any new work. This time is called in-auspicious or bad Muhurat. As per astrologers, in this duration, the stars and planetary positions are unfavorable and unpropitious. It influences the actions of the native negatively and causes ill-effects or failure. Sometimes, starting new ventures in this duration doesn’t yield expected results or get halted for an unexpected time. In Hindu Panchang, Rahu Kalam or Varjayam is considered as the most inappropriate time to do any good work.

The time of the Waxing moon is called the Shukla Paksha. It is the period from New Moon (Amavasya) to the Full Moon (Purnima) when the Moon brightens up. Whereas the time when the Moon fades its form is called Krishna Paksha. This period starts from Full Moon and ends at New Moon. Each of these periods comprises 15 days which are known as Shukla Paksha Tithi and Krishna Paksha Tithi respectively. Moreover, the dates such as Purnima Tithi and Amavsya Tithi of Hindu Panchang are considered as the most significant Tithis in Hindu traditions.