Drik Panchang: A Way To Calculate The Auspicious Moments

Drik Panchang is the Hindu calendar that shows the dates and days for religious occasions, festivals, and observances. The word ‘Panchang’ means a five-limbed calendar. This consists of Tithi (date), Nakshatra (stars), Yoga (rising or setting of the moon), Karanam (significance), and Shalahara (direction). Since this reflects all astronomical phenomena, it can be considered as a complete calendar from which you can ascertain future events based on past occurrences.

The South Asian traditional calendars, including the  panchang calendar, usually follow lunisolar systems because the most important solar event, the summer solstice, is fixed with relation to the whole moon night (“Purnimanta” – the first month of the year), also known as “Purnima.” Drik Panchang is used for day-to-day, monthly and yearly purposes. It has a very long history in India. The Indian calendars are based on astronomical observations of the sun, moon, planets, and stars from ancient times.

According to Hindu astrology and the panchang calendar 2021, there are many different ways to determine birth charts or horoscopes (called Janma Kundali). One method is by using Panchang that gives a complete picture of an individual’s life from the beginning (Janma Nakshatra/Lagna) to death (“Antya” or death Nakshatra). Panchangs are created by combining two sets of alphabets: one group is derived from the astronomical positions of the sun, moon, and planets at a given time in a year; the other set is based on numerological systems such as Numerology, Pythagorean, etc. Free Panchang may seem complex, but it is easy to use. 

The presence and strength of various planets during that day (Janma Rashi) and hour (Janma Bhavathi) of your birth as per Drik panchang can be used to determine certain events in life such as health, wealth, education

Since Panchang covers all significant events in one’s life, one can look up when they were born and find their Janma Nakshatra (birth star), giving an overview of their personality traits. This can provide a better understanding of persons who live together or even deal with each other for whatever purpose, e.g., marriage, business partnership, etc.

The earliest available Janma Drik Panchang or Kundali for the year is given here with the date and time (in GMT) of sunrise for that day. These are for reference only and may not be accurate due to the imperfection in the mathematical methods used. For official use, a registration process called “Pitraharan” must be completed before using these dates. This is just like registering births or marriages, which has to be done by any Hindu religious organization depending on local customs where this calendar will be used.

One who maintains it is called Panchangam. A panchang is a device used to demonstrate the chronological order of religious festivals and historical events over a given calendar date, usually by making linear plots on paper, foil, or transparent cloth. The modern panchang uses circular charts, also called wheel charts, to illustrate either the sky-based astrological symbolism or predict planetary positions in the solar system over a given period.

Drik Panchang is the basis for scheduling religious festivals and observing timings such as sunrise, sunset, and moonrise. According to the lunar calendar, it is essential in Hinduism because it determines the dates of all Hindu ceremonies (like weddings and death). Panchang originated from Vedas, particularly Surya Siddhanta, a branch of Hindu astrology dealing with astronomical calculations based on the Sun’s position. The word Panchanga in Hindi means ‘five times.

The 5-time aspects of online panchang are:

• sunrise
• noon
• Sunset
• Vidyarambha or sun-rise
• Moonrise

How Can Astrology Detect the life problems of one’s life as per Drik Panchang and give solutions accordingly? 

Sunrises in the east and sets in the west at the appropriate time. On any given day, the sun transits a particular place on the earth. This place is known as Ravi-sthana or Surya Sthanam, which means the position of the Sun during sunrise. Similarly, after sunset on this particular day, the sun reaches Hasta sthanam, which is just opposite to Ravi sthanam, i.e., the position of the Sun during the evening.

These positions are calculated based on the latitude and longitude of that location where they rise (Ravi) and set (Surya). Using these two points, day’s events can be identified and planned as per Hindu calendar 2021. Panchang also specifies the time for Vidyarambham (the birth of the child) and Pournami (full moon), which are important events in the Hindu calendar. We can also decide auspicious timing for other ceremonies like marriage, housewarming, etc.

The day and night hours are also decided based on this. In the Indian subcontinent, Panchang has been used for thousands of years to make sure Hindu ceremonies and festivals are planned according to the Sun, Moon, Jupiter, Venus, and other celestial bodies in the Solar System. It is prepared by an expert astrologer either manually (referred to as “Manual Panchang”) or electronically using software (“Electronic Panchang”).

In the olden days, people may have memorized panchang which they would recite daily. Nowadays, panchangs can be easily obtained from online sites or shops. They are published in newspapers or are available as wall calendars or posters. In addition, many sites exist which provide panchangs in free of charge printable format. They can also be obtained by joining mailing lists or by telephone from astrologers. 

In Hindu tradition, Drik Panchang is used to decide auspicious dates for religious ceremonies and festivals

 It is prepared based on the Sun, Moon, and other planets’ calendar called Shalakya- in the Solar System. Panchang specifies the time for daily rituals we do and traditionally determines the timing for Vidyarambham (the birth of a child) and Pournami (full moon), which are actual events in the Hindu calendar. A set of 5 to 6 panchangs constitute one year. A modern version is a circular chart showing critical periods for religious observances (and astrological data) that rotate within a perimeter depicting the sky and its constellations.

Panchang’s circular charts illustrate either the sky-based astrological symbolism or the solar system’s planetary positions during any period, such as weekly, monthly, and yearly. It also includes information about sunrise and sunset timings, moonrise, etc. This illustrates that panchang is a synonym of the calendar! In India, Panchag works as an individual’s daily personal calendar showing date -of- birth and rituals according to Hindu scriptures. It also indicates festivals that are celebrated on specific days throughout the year based on the Solar Calendar. Verses from Hindu scriptures called Panchangas are recited every day at sunrise, noon, and sunset.

Panchang is a Sanskrit word, which means “five times” or fivefold. So what Pan-chang means is the five-fold division of time-based on its function I .e., in the day, there are five times – morning (Mithuna), noon (Vaishaka), afternoon (Shatabhisha), evening (Sausyanta), and night(Shashthi). Therefore, if panchanga mentioned above are regarded as Sanskrit names for time divisions rather than their literal meaning of ‘five periods,’ it will help understand them better. On the other hand, if one takes this literal meaning, one might think that panchang is related to 5 divisions of time.   

The Drik Panchang Calendar is Unique And different from the Gregorian Calendar as it originated in India and has been used to calculate auspicious timings for Vedic Astrology 

Another point to be noticed here is that while the western (Gregorian) calendar has 12 months (30 days in a month), in Panchang, there are eight months with 28 days each and 12 months with 30 days. This difference can confuse and not mean anything if one takes the literal meaning of the five-fold division of time.

Instead, if we consider the significance of Vedic Astrology scholars as different divisions of day and night, which correspond to several aspects of human life like activities related to gods or self (or body), then their purpose becomes clear. For example, the Mithuna period for the morning, Vaishaka period for the afternoon, Shatabhisha period for the evening, and Sausyanta period for the night is a calendrical representation of the sequence of activities in human life (like bathing) till night.