Understanding Tithi, Nakshatra and Muhurat: A Beginner's Guide

Why does Diwali fall in October one year and November the next? Why do priests ask for the "tithi" before a puja? What is a "muhurat", and who decides it?

The answers lie in the panchang, the traditional Hindu almanac. This guide explains its key ideas simply, so you can understand festival dates, puja timings and the advice of your Acharya.

The Panchang: Five Limbs

Panchang (पञ्चाङ्ग) means "five limbs". For every day, it records five elements:

Together, these describe the quality of time on a given day in the traditional view.

Tithi: The Lunar Day

A tithi is the time it takes for the Moon to move 12 degrees ahead of the Sun. Because the Moon's speed varies, a tithi can be shorter or longer than a solar day, and it can begin at any time of day or night.

The Two Fortnights (Pakshas)

The Fifteen Tithi Names

1. Pratipada · 2. Dwitiya · 3. Tritiya · 4. Chaturthi · 5. Panchami · 6. Shashthi · 7. Saptami · 8. Ashtami · 9. Navami · 10. Dashami · 11. Ekadashi · 12. Dwadashi · 13. Trayodashi · 14. Chaturdashi · 15. Purnima or Amavasya

Ashtami is especially important for Maa Baglamukhi's devotees: her Jayanti falls on Vaishakh Shukla Ashtami.

Read more: Monthly Auspicious Days for Baglamukhi Puja

Tithi Kshaya and Vriddhi

Because tithis and solar days don't match exactly: - Sometimes a tithi spans two sunrises (vriddhi, repeated), as Saptami did in Sharad Navratri 2026. - Sometimes a tithi begins and ends between two sunrises (kshaya, skipped), which is why Ashtami and Navami sometimes fall on the same day.

Read more: Sharad Navratri 2026

Vaar: The Weekday

The seven weekdays are named after planets: Ravivar (Sun, Sunday), Somvar (Moon, Monday), Mangalvar (Mars, Tuesday), Budhvar (Mercury, Wednesday), Guruvar (Jupiter, Thursday), Shukravar (Venus, Friday) and Shanivar (Saturn, Saturday). Thursday (Guruvar), whose colour is yellow, is especially loved by Maa Baglamukhi's devotees.

Nakshatra: The Lunar Mansions

The sky along the Moon's path is divided into 27 nakshatras. The Moon spends roughly a day in each.

Your birth nakshatra is the one the Moon occupied when you were born, and it is often used in naming and in jyotish.

Yoga and Karana (Briefly)

• Yoga: one of 27 combinations derived from the positions of the Sun and Moon. Some, such as Vyatipata and Vaidhriti, are traditionally avoided for starting important rituals.
• Karana: half of a tithi; there are 11 types, and one (Vishti, also called Bhadra) is traditionally avoided for auspicious beginnings.

You don't need to memorise these; your Acharya checks them when fixing a muhurat.

What Is a Muhurat?

In everyday use, a muhurat is an auspicious window of time for beginning an important act: a puja, a wedding, entering a new home, or starting a business. Traditionally, a muhurta is also a unit of time of about 48 minutes (1/30 of a day).

How an Acharya Chooses a Muhurat

1. The tithi suitable for the ritual (for example, Ashtami for Maa Baglamukhi)
2. The vaar, such as Thursday
3. The nakshatra, yoga and karana
4. Avoiding Rahu Kaal and inauspicious combinations
5. Where relevant, the devotee's birth chart
6. Practical factors, such as whether the family can attend or join by video

Read more: Best Days and Muhurat for Baglamukhi Puja · Why a Kundli Review Before a Puja Helps

The Twelve Hindu Months

Maa Baglamukhi's Jayanti falls in Vaishakh; the Gupt Navratris in Magh and Ashadh; Sharad Navratri in Ashwin.

Amanta and Purnimanta: Two Ways to Count a Month

India uses two systems for ending a lunar month: - Purnimanta (common in North India): the month ends on Purnima (full moon). - Amanta (common in South and West India): the month ends on Amavasya (new moon).

This is why the same day can be called by a different month name in different regions, even though the tithi is the same. Festivals fixed by tithi fall on the same day in both systems.

Samvat: The Traditional Year

Many North Indian panchangs count years in Vikram Samvat, which runs about 57 years ahead of the Gregorian year and begins around Chaitra Shukla Pratipada. The Shaka Samvat is also used, including in India's national calendar.

Why Do Festival Dates Change Every Year?

The Gregorian calendar follows the Sun; Hindu festivals follow the Moon's tithis (with the solar months as a framework). A lunar year is about 354 days, so festivals move against the Gregorian calendar each year. An extra month (adhik maas) is added roughly every three years to keep the lunar calendar in step with the seasons.

Nakshatra and Naming

In many families, a child's name begins with a syllable associated with their birth nakshatra and its quarter (pada). Your priest or a panchang can tell you the syllables for each nakshatra. It is a lovely example of how the panchang touches everyday family life.

How to Read a Panchang

1. Choose your city in a reliable panchang or app.
2. Find the date. Note the tithi, paksha, nakshatra, yoga and karana.
3. Check timings: when each begins and ends, plus sunrise and sunset.
4. Look for Rahu Kaal and any special notes (festivals, vrats).
5. For observances, the tithi prevailing at sunrise usually determines the day.

Timing When You Live Abroad

• For home worship, use a panchang set to your own city. Tithis and sunrise times are calculated for your location.
• For a puja performed in India for you, the Indian muhurat applies; you join at the converted local time.

Read more: Time Zones and Muhurat

Why This Matters for Devotees

You don't need to become an astrologer to benefit from the panchang. Knowing the basics helps you: - Understand why a festival falls on a particular day - Plan your practice around Ashtami, Thursdays and festivals - Follow your Acharya's advice about timing with confidence - Explain traditions to your children

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Using an Indian panchang for your home puja abroad.
2. Assuming a tithi starts at midnight. It can start at any time.
3. Ignoring kshaya and vriddhi, which change which day a festival is observed.
4. Worrying about perfect timing for simple daily prayer. Daily devotion needs no muhurat.

About Acharya Ashish Sharma

Acharya Ashish Sharma has served in the tradition of Maa Baglamukhi for more than 25 years. He is Sanskrit-trained and connected with this tradition since birth, and his office is near Maa Baglamukhi Temple, Nalkheda. He performs traditional Maa Baglamukhi Puja, Havan and Special Anushthan, and offers personal spiritual guidance according to each devotee's situation, for families in India and around the world.