Panchang

In Indian astrology (jyotisha), an
almanac documenting the position of
the various celestial bodies during the
course of a calendar year, including the
days of the moon’s monthly cycle, its
progression through the nakshatras,
and the position of the planets. Most
Hindu religious festivals fall according
to a lunar calendar, and thus a panchang
is needed to determine when they will
arrive. A panchang is also important for
helping people to determine auspicious
and inauspicious times for the performance of certain activities. The greatest
care is taken in fixing marriage times, to
avoid any possible inauspiciousness
that could affect the marriage, but
in many cases a panchang will be
492
Panchamahayajna
consulted before initiating any important activity.