GUIDE

What is Panchang?

Panchang (also spelled Panchangam) is the Hindu almanac, a five-limbed system of tracking time used for thousands of years across Hindu communities. "Pancha" means five, "Anga" means limb. Together, the five elements form a complete picture of each day's celestial energy.

THE 5 ELEMENTS OF PANCHANG
1
Tithi: Lunar Day
One Tithi = 12° angle between Sun and Moon. 30 Tithis per lunar month. Determines auspiciousness of the day, festivals, and vrat dates.
2
Nakshatra: Lunar Mansion
The Moon's position among 27 lunar mansions, each spanning 13°20'. Determines the quality of the day for specific activities.
3
Yoga: Luni-Solar Day
Combined longitude of Sun + Moon, divided into 27 equal parts. Some Yogas (Siddhi, Shubha) are auspicious; others (Vishkambha, Atiganda) are to be avoided.
4
Karana: Half Tithi
Half of a Tithi. 11 types: 7 moveable (Chara) and 4 fixed (Sthira). Vishti Karana (called "Vinchhudo" in Gujarat) is inauspicious.
5
Vara: Weekday
Each day of the week is governed by a planet: Sunday (Sun), Monday (Moon), Tuesday (Mars), Wednesday (Mercury), Thursday (Jupiter), Friday (Venus), Saturday (Saturn).

How is Panchang Calculated?

ShubhPanchang uses the Drik Ganita (observational astronomy) method, the gold standard for Vedic astronomical calculation. This is more accurate than the older Surya Siddhanta tables.

Ayanamsa: Lahiri (Chitrapaksha), the official standard for Vedic astrology, which converts tropical to sidereal zodiac positions. Consistent with India's National Calendar.

GUJARATI PANCHANG: WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT
  • Amanta tradition: Month ends on Amavasya (new moon), unlike North India's Purnimanta where it ends on Purnima
  • Gujarati New Year (Bestu Varas) falls the day after Diwali: Kartik Shukla Pratipada
  • Distinctive dialect names: "Agiyaras" not "Ekadashi", "Amas" not "Amavasya", "Poonam" not "Purnima"
  • Uttarayan (Jan 14) is the most celebrated festival unique to Gujarat
  • Bhadarvi Poonam (Ambaji Yatra) is a uniquely Gujarati pilgrimage date
WHY TRUST SHUBHPANCHANG?
Daily automated validation
Every night we validate Tithi, Nakshatra, and sunrise times against multiple independent sources for 10 Gujarat cities.
100% accuracy
Tithi and Nakshatra match rate: 100% across 30-day × 10-city automated tests.
Open methodology
We explain exactly how we calculate. No black box. Drik Ganita + Lahiri Ayanamsa + Amanta tradition.
Today's Panchang Choghadiya Muhurat 2026 Ekadashi 2026 About / Methodology