This week, we look at another set of important festivals along with key planetary events that are featured in this week’s Panchanga. Let us start with Lohri, a festival celebrated with great grandeur in North India alongside bonfires, music, and dancing. This heralds the conclusion of winter and the commencement of longer daylight hours. Which this is then followed by Makara Sankranti, which differs as it allows the Sun to enter Capricorn, which is considered a beneficial transfer. In the South too, Pongal will be celebrated with much excitement. Uttarayana, which is observed during this time, refers to the movement of the Sun towards the North, which means longer and warmer days that are conducive to new ideas and spiritual growth. To conclude, let us take a look at a Sun and Mars opposite which will provide us with February 16th-17th energy, which could result in a blend of great ambition and terrible impatience. This week also allows for marrying, along with muhurtas for selling and buying of vehicles and houses. Make sure to read through this panchang and check for the times suitable for your activities. This week we will focus our attention on New Delhi, whereas in the Power Of Panchanga we will use the global inputs.

Use hindi panchang to find out the ideal and not ideal time for executing your daily activities as per the celestial conditions.

Panchang is a Hindu calendar, which serves to and determine the best and worst time to perform different activities of the day, based on the movement of the planets.

Vedic Astrology defines Shubh Muhurat as:

If a task or activity is to be performed at a certain muhurta for which one has made their efforts, then the chances of success are great. What is more, there is a good altenative when it comes to deciding on conflict resolution. Therefore such a good span of time and opportunities gives us the peak of what we are destinied for, provided we perform the task in accord with time. This is the reason it is very important to observe the timing while starting any auspicious work. This week’s shubha timings for some activities include:

Vivah Muhurat: Auspicious marriage muhurat is available this week on January 16, Thursday (04:06 AM to 07:15 AM, Jan 17).

Griha Pravesh Muhurat: Aghra muhurat of griha pravesh is not available this week’s auspicious time range.

Property Purchase Muhurat: This week on January 16, Thursday, Aghra Muhurat for purchasing properties is available (07:15 am Adra to 07:15 am January 17, January).

Vehicle Purchase Muhurat: During this week on January 13, Monday 10:38 am to 7 15 am January 14 is auspicious times for muhurat.

More on Planetary Transits Scheduled For This Week

In vedic astrology, planetary transits should be regarded as one of the most important, as they are the primary means of predicting events and developments in one’s life. Each day positive and negative planets do move and cover several nakshatras and Rashis. It helps solving the nature and character of the happenings as they unfold. Below are the transits to follow this week:

Sun moves into Uttar Ashadha Nakshatra on January 11th (Saturday) at 2:30 am.

Rahu moves into Uttar Bhadrapada Pada on January 12(th) (Sunday) at 9:11 pm.

Mars moves into Punarvasu Nakshatra on January 12(th) (Sunday) at 11:52 pm.

Mercury moves into Purva Ashadha Nakshatra on January 13(th) (Monday) at 8:42 pm.

Sun moves into Capric on January 14(th) (Tuesday) at 9:03 am.

Venus and Jupiter at a deep 90-degree square on January 15(th) (Wednesday) at 1:15 am.

Neptune enters in Uttar Bhadrapada Nakshatra on January 15(th) (Wednesday) at 9:10 am.

Sun and Mars go into Opposition on January 16(th) (Thursday) at 8:06 am.

Religious Festivals Celebrated This Week

Vaikuntha Ekadashi falls regarding January 10th which is Friday Vaikuntha Ekadashi is also the Ekadashi associated with Lord Vishnu.

Followers of Hinduism often do penance and seek blessings of entering ‘Vaikuntha’ or the heaven. It is said that this Ekadashi assists in the process of helping one in liberation and cleansing their previous sins.

Kurma Dwadashi (Friday, across North India on 10 January): observed on the Dwadashi Day of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Pausha, this day is dedicated to Lord Vishnu in His Kurma (turtle) incarnation. In this instance, the devotees chant deep mantras and perform prayers for achieving stability, patience and perseverance in their life patterns drawing from the avatar of Kurma which embodies the essence of patient endurance.

Shani Trayodashi (Saturday, across North India on 11 January): this day falls on the 13th of Pausha month as per Hindu calendar, Shukla Trayodashi. This day is revered to Lord Shani (Saturn). People worship shani by using lamps, sesame seed, oil, etc., to worship shani to reduce the bad effects and instill prosperity, order and patience in their life.

Shakambhari Purnima (Monday, across North India on 13 January): which falls on the Pausha Shukla Purnima is observed in order to pay homage to goddess Shakambhari, the goddess associated with food. People offer prayers to Nature Gods in exchange for grains during the harvest season in hopes of gaining wealth, good health, and a successful crop.

Arudra Darshan (January 13, Monday): According to the Tamil calendar, the Arudra Dawn festival commemorates Lord Shiva’s Cosmic Dance with all his might. It is claimed that attending this darshan, along with abhishekam, enables one to git rid alternate sin karmas and facilitates spiritual oneness.

Bhogi Pandigai (January 13, Monday): The first Bhogi Pamikulu happens on the day preceding Sankrantis and is classified as the Bhogi Pangal. Depending on the south Indian solar calendar it can either come in the month of Jan or Feb. Items thought to possess relics are set ablaze, customarily associated with the destruction of ill omens and perhaps ushering propitious ones.

Lohri (January 13, Monday): A day before the Makar Sankranti, Lohri is celebrated in Punjab has a touch of song and dance, and of course, fire. This provides for the Lord Sun’s encouragement for Rabi crop growth and the people give thanks for the bounties received and blessing the wards for the of the following year.

Pausha Purnima (January 13, Monday): The day is revered as the second full moon of the Pausha month. Alongside daily worship and prayers, pleasing and offerings are said to have been made to higher powers for seeking a state of contentment, enhancement in spirituality and overall well-being.

Makara Sankranti (14-01-20214,tuesday) will be observed as the day when the Sun enters Capricorn and it is believed to mark the end of winter and begin long sunny days The day is marked with taking baths followed by prayers which are directed at ensuring wealth and success for the year to come.

Pongal (14-01-2022,tuesday): This is celebrated with great fervour in southern India and is directed towards the God of sun and is associated with harvest. Food is prepared in large quantities and thanks are offered to nature and prayed for wealth and fertility, strong families, and new opportunities.

Uttarayana (14-01-2024,tuesday): This is a solar celebration marking the start of the Solar calendar when Sun is said to move to the northern solar hemisphere which is often believed to bring auspicious energies that are light in nature and promote growth.

Makaravilakku (14-01-2024,tuesday) There are numerous devotees willing to participate in this religious ceremony marking divine power bestowed by Lord Ayyappa whereby Sabarimala in Kerala is illuminated by special lighting techniques showcasing new blessings.

Mattu Pongal (January 15, Wednesday): This festival is marked by cattle worship as Mattu Pongal, the festival of cows and bulls, is celebrated. Farmers adorn their cattle, offer their prayers and pay respect to these animals as a form of gratitude for their role in making them prosperous.

This Week's Inauspicious Rahu Kalam

If we were to consult a Vedic astrologer, he would ascertain and inform us that Rahu is an unfavorable planet: period. So, whether it be newly wedded couples wishing to begin their marital life by constructing a new home or politicians in India looking to enhance their chances of getting elected, they all have one thing in common, they try to avoid any work that is ‘karmic’ during planetary transits periods. I must add here that Rahu is extremely harmful and therefore able to spoil puja, Hawan & Yagya rituals wherein these Gods are being appeased because Rahu being malefic makes such activities difficult. So, it is advisable to avoid planning any new ventures and pursuits during Rahu Kaal, as this only increases the chances of receiving the outcome these ventures prefer. For better visualization of timings of Rahu Kalam for this week, however, I have provided a separate time table.

January 10: From 11:10 hours To 12:29 hours

January 11: From 09:52 hours To 11:11hours

January 12: From 16:25 hours To 17:44 hours

January 13: From 08:34 hours To 09:53 hours

January 14: From 15:08 hours To 16:27 hours

January 15: From 12:31 hours To 13:50 hours

January 16: From 13:50 hours To 15:09 hours

A Panchanga (Vedic Astrology Calendar) outlines the reasons for Rahu Kaal from an astrologer’s perspective by allowing events and activities to be planned based and governed in accordance with the position of the planets during predetermined intervals. The five components are: Vaara, Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga and Karana. In essence, Panchanga captures the intricate dynamics of daily relationships between the solar (Soul) and lunar (Mind) forces.

Panchanga is deployed for various aspects of Vedic astrology such as birth charts, elections, prashna (horary), calendars, as well as determining the energy of the day. The day of our birth panchanga is the one which defines our feelings, our character, our spirit. It can give a better definition to our personality and our feelings. It can enhance the planets’ influence on us and give us new features which we would not guess would be useful in understanding our natal chart alone. Panchanga is the life-sustaining energy that nurtures the birth chart.