Panchangam means five attributes of Hindu calendar day that is Tithi, Vaar, Nakshatra, Yoga, and Karana. It is the official astrological calendar of practicing Hindus. It forecasts celestial phenomena such as solar eclipses as well as more mundane occurrences.
The study of Panchangam involves understanding Rasi phala, the impact of the signs of the zodiac on the individual. Astrologers consult the Panchangam to set dates for weddings, corporate mergers, and other worldly activities.
These panchangam elements are same across all panchangam — Tamil panchangam, Telugu panchangam, Malayalam panchangam, and Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, and other panchangam. The difference is how they threat their months/year. Solar months and their starting rules and luni-solar moths. Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali uses solar months and the rules on how month start is determined is different, but rest of information remains same. Panchangam is important part of the Hindu Tradition.
The word panchang is derived from the Sanskrit panchangam (pancha, five; anga, limb), which refers to the Five limbs of the calendar: Vaara, Month and Tithi, Nakshatra, yoga, karana. The panchangam may also includes details about Rahu kalam, Yamagandam, Gulika Kalam, Durmuhurtham, Varjyam, Lagna Pravesh tables, daily planetory transists, and other information.
Tithi or Date
Tithi is the phase of the moon that occurs between Amavasya (No moon) to Purnima (Full Moon). There are 16 phases of the moon and Tithi is the first of all these. Tithis of the Shukla-Paksha (brighter phase) starts from the the day of Amavasya and Krishna Paksha (darker phase) tithi commences from the day of Purnima till Amavasya. Tithi is calculated from the first half of Lunar month in the phase of Shukla-Paksha in Hindu Panchangam.
1. Pratipata or Paadyami
2. Dwitiya or Vidiya
3. Tritiya or Thadiya
4. Chaturthi
5. Panchami
6. Shashthi
7. Saptami
8. Ashtami
9. Navami
10. Dashami
11. Ekadasi
12. Dwadashi
13. Trayodashi
14. Chaturdashi
15. Purnima / Amavasya
Nakshatra (constellation)
Nakshatra is the group of stars. The whole Universe is divided into parts and to each part a name has been given. These are
1. Ashwini
2. Bharani
3. Kritika
4. Rohini
5. Mrigashira
6. Aardra
7.Punarvasu
8.Pushya
9.Aaslesha
10. Magha
11. Purva Phalguni
12. Uttara Phalguni
13. Hasta
14.Chitra
15. Swati
16. Vishakha
17.Anuradha
18. Jyeshtha
19. Moola
20. Poorvaashadha
21. Uttaraashadha
22.Shravani
23.Dhanistha
24.Shatabhisha
25.Purva Bhadrapada
26.Uttara Bhadrapada
27.Revati
Every person is born in specific Nakshatra and its influence is calculated in hindu panchangam.
Yogas
Yogas are the combination adn in hindu panchangam there are 27 yogas.
Karana
Karna is the half of the tithi. In a tithi there are two karana and in vedic panchang there are 11 karana. The first seven Karana are movable so cannot be predetermined where as the last four Karana are fixed. Eleven Karana are
1)Bala
2) Baalava
3) Kaulava
4) Taitil
5) Gara
6) Vanija
7) Vishti
Shakuni
9) Chatushpada
10) Naaga
11) Kinstughna
Vara (days) of Vedic Panchang
The day or Vara as per vedic panchang begins from sunrise to next sunrise and this system is called ‘AHORATRA’. The meaning of Ahoratra is both day and night. The last three letter that is T, R, A has been taken from “HORA” a sanskrit word that means Hour and the English word Hour has been coined from HORA. According to hindu panchang there are 12 horas in a day.
Hindu Months
Chaitra March-April
Vaisakha April-May
Jyestha May-June
Ashadha June-July
Shravan July-August
Bhadra August-September
Ashwina September-October-ish
extra leap-month
Ashwina continued September-October-ish
Kartika October-November
Mrigasir November-December
Pausa December-January
Magha January-February
Phalgun February-March
