Panchang · Learning guide
Panchang basics: what a sunrise snapshot means
Understand the five traditional limbs, location-aware sunrise, Rahu Kaal, and the limits of an at-sunrise view.
Why date and place both matter
A Panchang is read for a local calendar day and location. Sunrise and sunset shift with coordinates, timezone, horizon, and atmospheric conditions. A value shown for New Delhi should never be copied into a different city without calculation.
Kalika finds the Sun’s rise and set for a selected local date at sea-level elevation with a level horizon and standard atmospheric refraction. It then reports a snapshot of the five limbs at that sunrise.
The five limbs
Vara is the weekday. Tithi divides the Moon–Sun angular separation into 30 parts of 12°. Nakshatra divides the Moon’s sidereal longitude into 27 parts of 13°20′. Yoga divides the sum of the sidereal Sun and Moon longitudes into 27 parts of 13°20′. Karana divides the Moon–Sun separation into 60 half-tithi parts of 6° and assigns traditional names.
The view reports all five labels at sunrise, plus sunrise, sunset, Rahu Kaal, and Sun/Moon signs. It does not report the time each limb ends. A label can change later the same day.
Rahu Kaal is a separate traditional timing rule
The daylight interval from sunrise to sunset is divided into eight equal segments. A weekday-specific segment is labelled Rahu Kaal; on Sunday it is the eighth segment, while on Monday it is the second. This is a traditional classification of time, not evidence that an interval causes harm.
Because the interval is derived from local sunrise and sunset, its clock times change with date and place. The view reports them for study, not as a guaranteed muhurta or a consequential scheduling instruction.
How to use the view responsibly
Confirm the selected place and timezone, then read the exact sunrise time and the calculation note. An approximate Lahiri-style sidereal offset makes nakshatra and yoga labels near boundaries provisional.
Do not treat the snapshot as a complete ritual almanac or use it for a consequential timing choice. Festival dates, regional calendars, limb end times, and other muhurta require separate documented conventions and independent validation.
Further reading: India Meteorological Department, Rashtriya Panchanga explanation; Drik Panchang on the eight daylight segments. Sunrise/set calculations use Astronomy Engine.
Open the sunrise snapshot →