The Tithis (Lunar Days)
A tithi is a lunar day; each has a presiding deity and a nature (Nanda, Bhadra, Jaya, Rikta, Purna) that shapes what it is good for.
A tithi is a lunar day — the time for the Moon to move 12° from the Sun. A lunar month has 30 tithis (15 waxing Shukla, 15 waning Krishna); each has a presiding deity and a nature (Nanda, Bhadra, Jaya, Rikta or Purna).
What is a tithi?
A tithi is a lunar day — the time the Moon takes to move 12° ahead of the Sun. Because the Moon's speed varies, a tithi is not a fixed 24 hours: it can be a little shorter or longer than a solar day, which is why a tithi can begin or end at any hour, and occasionally why one tithi is skipped (kshaya) or repeated (vriddhi). The panchang shows the tithi prevailing at sunrise.
A lunar month holds thirty tithis, split into two pakshas of fifteen each: the waxing Shukla Paksha from the new moon to the full moon, and the waning Krishna Paksha back to the next new moon. The fifteenth of Shukla is Purnima (full moon) and the fifteenth of Krishna is Amavasya (new moon). Each tithi has a presiding deity and belongs to one of five natures — Nanda (joyous), Bhadra (auspicious), Jaya (victorious), Rikta (empty, better avoided for new work) and Purna (full, complete) — which, with the vaara and nakshatra, guides what the day is good for.
Tap any tithi below to read its deity, nature, the festivals and vrats that fall on it, and how it is traditionally used.
Reference attributes follow traditional Vedic (Jyotish) sources and are provided for learning. For religious observance and muhurat, consult a qualified pandit.