Byline
Priya Sharma
AlmanacWrites the almanac series. For her, jyotisha begins as timekeeping, and a household that understands its calendar is much harder to frighten. Teaches the working parts and leaves the meanings light.
almanac
How to read a panchang
A panchang's day does not begin at midnight. Once you know where it does begin, the rest of that wall of small print comes loose.
almanac
The five limbs of a day
Five counters run through a single day, each on its own clock. What each limb measures, and which two of the five your household already lives by.
almanac
Rahu kaal, without the fear
An eighth of the daylight, chosen by weekday. The arithmetic is the reassuring part.
almanac
Why two panchangs disagree
Two sheets, two festival dates, one family argument. The four honest reasons panchangs differ, and why the disagreement is bookkeeping, not blasphemy.