Learn the Basics of Vedic Astrology
Short, plain-language guides to the ideas that sit behind every panchang, muhurat and kundali on this site. No jargon-first explanations — just what each concept is, why it shows up in daily life, and where to use it next.
What is Nakshatra?
The 27 lunar mansions the Moon travels through. Your birth nakshatra shapes naming, matchmaking and muhurat.
What is Tithi?
The lunar day — one of the five pillars of the panchang. Shukla and Krishna paksha explained simply.
What is Yoga (in Panchang)?
Not the exercise — a Sun+Moon measurement used for auspicious timing. There are 27 yogas.
In-depth guides
Longer explainers written by our editorial team. See how we write and review.
- Panchang · 6 minHow to Read a Hindu Panchang: The Five Limbs ExplainedEvery daily panchang is built from five parts. Learn what each one measures, how long it lasts, and how to use them together.
- Muhurat · 5 minRahu Kaal Explained: How It Is Calculated and How People Use ItRahu Kaal is a roughly 90-minute window each day that tradition advises against for starting new ventures. Here is exactly how it is worked out.
- Muhurat · 6 minChoghadiya, Hora and Abhijit Muhurat: Choosing a Time Within the DayThree different tools divide the day into favourable and unfavourable windows. Here is what each one measures and how to use them together.
- Vrat & Festivals · 6 minEkadashi Vrat: Rules, Parana Time and Why Dates DifferEkadashi is observed twice a month. This guide covers what the fast involves, how to break it correctly and why two households can observe it a day apart.
- Panchang · 5 minAmanta vs Purnimanta: Why Hindu Month Names Differ Across IndiaNorth and South India name the dark fortnight differently, so the same day can carry two month names. This guide explains why and how to read both.
- Kundali & Jyotish · 7 minKundali Basics: Lagna, 12 Houses, 9 Planets and How to Read the ChartA kundali is a map of the sky at the moment and place of birth. Learn its ingredients and the main things people read from it.
- Kundali & Jyotish · 7 minSade Sati, Mangal Dosha and Kalasarpa Yoga: What They Mean and What They Don'tThree of the most-searched terms in Vedic astrology, explained without alarm — the rules, the exceptions, and the limits of what a chart can tell you.
- Vrat & Festivals · 7 minNavratri Explained: Nine Nights, Nine Forms of Durga and How the Days Are CountedWhat each of the nine nights is dedicated to, how Ghatasthapana and fasting work, and why Navratri sometimes lasts eight or ten days.
- Vrat & Festivals · 6 minDiwali Explained: The Five Days, Lakshmi Puja Timing and Regional StoriesFrom Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj — what each day is for, how the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is chosen, and why different communities tell different stories.
- Vrat & Festivals · 6 minPitru Paksha and Shraddha: What They Are and How the Tithi Is ChosenHow the sixteen days for remembering ancestors work, how to find the right tithi for a family member, and what the main rituals involve.
- Vrat & Festivals · 5 minPradosh Vrat and Sankashti Chaturthi: Rules, Timing and MeaningTwo of the most-followed monthly vratas — what tithi each uses, when the puja is done, and how the weekday changes the name.
- Kundali & Jyotish · 6 minThe Twelve Rashis: A Guide to the Vedic Zodiac Signs, Rulers and ElementsEach of the twelve signs — its Sanskrit name, its ruler, its element and how it differs from the Western sign you may know.
- Kundali & Jyotish · 7 minVimshottari Dasha Explained: The 120-Year Planetary Period SystemThe most widely used timing system in Jyotish, explained step by step — periods, sub-periods and why calculators sometimes disagree by days.
- Panchang · 6 minSolar and Lunar Eclipses: The Astronomy, Rahu-Ketu and Sutak ExplainedThe science of eclipses, the Rahu-Ketu story, the traditional Sutak rules and how to watch safely.
Why these matter
Every morning panchang is built from five elements (the pancha-anga): Tithi, Vara (weekday), Nakshatra, Yoga and Karana. Together they answer practical questions — is today good for starting something new, when does Rahu Kaal fall, which name syllable suits a newborn — without needing a full birth chart.
The three guides above cover the three elements people ask about most. For city-specific timings, use Today's Panchang; for a full birth chart, try the Kundali calculator.