Hindu Time Units (Kala Ganana): From Truti, Ghati and Muhurta to Yugas and Kalpa
Master Hindu time units (Kala Ganana) from Surya Siddhanta and Bhagavata Purana: Prana, Pala, Ghati, Muhurta, Prahara, Tithi, Mahayuga, Manvantara and Kalpa.
॥ असतो मा सद्गमय ॥
Study Jyotish and Hindu tradition
Thoughtful guides to charts, planets, sacred texts and Hindu traditions. Begin with one subject and go one step at a time.
Panchang and sacred days
19–36 / 72How to Read Choghadiya: Day, Night and Rahu Kaal Overlaps
Read Choghadiya by city and date, understand day and night periods, check Rahu Kaal overlaps, and follow an example through midnight.
Moonrise After Midnight: Dates, Missing Events and Local Timings
Understand a moonrise after midnight, a date with no moonrise, and the difference between a calculated event and seeing the Moon, with a worked example.
How to Read a Hora Table: Day, Night and Planetary Order
Read a Hora table using a complete Monday example. Calculate unequal day and night Horas, follow the planetary order and handle times after midnight.
Panchang Yoga and Karana Explained with Worked Examples
Calculate Nitya Yoga from the Sun–Moon longitude sum and Karana from their difference. Understand the 27 Yogas, 60 half-tithis and changing end times.
Abhijit Muhurat Calculation: Why the Time and Duration Change
Calculate Abhijit Muhurat as the eighth of fifteen daylight parts. Check four examples, the 48-minute assumption, local midday and Wednesday cautions.
Sunrise, Dawn and Twilight: Which Time Does a Panchang Use?
Distinguish sunrise from civil, nautical and astronomical dawn. Read an example day and see why twilight cannot replace sunrise in a timing calculation.
Why the Earliest Sunset Is Not the Shortest Day
See why the shortest day, earliest sunset and latest sunrise differ. Work through a daylight table and understand solar noon, clock time and local conditions.
Moon Phase, Illumination and Tithi: Why They Are Different
See why a half-lit Moon can fall in either paksha, calculate tithi from sample longitudes and distinguish a full-Moon instant from the Purnima interval.
Lunar Eclipse Timings: Contacts, Totality and Your City's View
Decode P1, U1, U2, U3, U4 and P4, calculate eclipse durations and see how moonrise or moonset changes local visibility with four worked examples.
Equinox vs Equilux: Why Day and Night Are Not Exactly Equal
Why equinox daylight can exceed 12 hours: understand the Sun's edge, atmospheric refraction, local equilux dates and rounding with worked examples.
Solar Noon vs 12:00: Longitude, Time Zones and Worked Examples
Why solar noon is not always 12:00: calculate the longitude and equation-of-time adjustments, distinguish daylight midpoint, and understand overhead Sun claims.
Sidereal vs Synodic Month: Why the Moon Has Two Month Lengths
Why does the Moon orbit Earth in about 27.3 days while its phases repeat in about 29.5? Follow the relative-motion calculation and calendar examples.
Why Eclipses Do Not Happen Every Month: Nodes and Seasons
Understand why new and full Moons usually miss eclipse alignment. Explore the Moon's tilted orbit, lunar nodes, eclipse seasons and local visibility.
Supermoon Explained: Perigee, Apogee, Size and Brightness
Understand why a supermoon looks larger, what 14% and 30% compare, and how distance changes angular diameter and received light in worked examples.
Does the Sun Always Rise Due East? Read Sunrise Azimuth
Understand sunrise direction, true-north azimuth and seasonal changes with six geometric examples, equinox limits and checks for compass readings.
Why We See the Same Face of the Moon: Rotation and Libration
See why the Moon must rotate to keep one face towards Earth. Follow a five-position model, understand libration and separate the far side from darkness.
Lunar Parallax: Geocentric and Topocentric Moon Positions
Understand why the Moon's direction depends on the observer. Compare Earth-centred and surface positions with a worked parallax model and moonrise examples.