Divisions of Time in a Day

There are different ways in which a day is reckoned as per the Hindu calendar when compared to the conventional system which is used for all practical purposes. As per normal wisdom it is generally perceived and believed that a day commences at the stroke of midnight right at the dot of 12 AM at any part of the world and runs up till the next day when 24 hours passes paving the way for the next day to begin. This is evident with new year celebrations being held right at the stroke of 12 AM and even while wishing people Birthdays, there is a notion to wish them right on the money when the clock hits 12 AM. Even India is said to have obtained Independence right at the stroke of midnight at the mark of 12 AM when the date moved to 15th August 1947.

Having said all this, the interesting thing to note is that based on Hinduism there is a sea of difference when it comes to how a day is to be reckoned. For a Hindu day, the guiding reference point happens to be the time of Sunrise and a day is said to commence from sunrise until the next day of sunrise when the next day is said to commence. Because the sunrise time holds fort, one would see different places recording different times of start and end when reckoning a day. Even coming to general logic, in many of the calendars one would see a start time of 6 AM igniting the start of the day as it happens to be the closest approximate ball park time when sunrise is said to occur across India and most other countries. However to be exact and when fixing the time for important events, only sunrise time needs to be taken and 6AM should be considered just for ease of use and as an approximate calculation. Thus, there is a clear head and shoulders difference of at least 6 hours when a day is reckoned as per practical norms (12 AM) and when considering the time for fixing and calculating auspicious time intervals (6AM) as per the Hindu system. 

Before delving into the different time divisions as per the Hindu system, let us briefly look into the different time horizons popular in the western world. These are not exactly defined but generally tends to be followed. On a larger framework, a day tends to be divided into 3 parts viz Morning, Afternoon and Evening. Morning is said to run from Midnight (12AM) until Midday (12PM) followed by a 6 hour slot for Afternoon running from 12PM to 6PM and the remaining 6 hours of the day namely from 6PM to 12AM being the time of Evening. This can be extended into 7 zones with the ending period being given separate names with 12AM being classified as Midnight, 12PM called as Midday, 6AM or around sunrise termed as Dawn and around 6PM or sunset being classified as Dusk. This can again be classified into 14 parts with Afternoon comprising of Early Afternoon, Mid Afternoon and Late Afternoon, Evening consisting of Early Evening, Mid Evening, Late evening and entire Morning portion which runs from 12AM to 12PM being classified as Late Night, Early Morning, Mid Morning and Late Morning and on top of that we have the 4 markers of Midday, Midnight, Dawn and Dusk. Sometimes it is also believed that the split of the day which is divided into 3 viz Morning, Afternoon and Evening can actually be split as 4 with equal windows for Morning, Afternoon, Evening and also a Night portion included from 12AM to 6PM. 

Let's now look at the various time divisions in a day which are prevalent in the Indian system

2 part time division: (1 in day and 1 in night)
As mentioned earlier, the constitution of a Hindu or Vedic day runs from the commencement of sunrise until the next sunrise. The entire day from Sunrise to next day Sunrise is divided into 2 portions viz the part from Sunrise to Sunset and from Sunset to next day Sunrise. The former is known as day time and the latter is known as night time. The time duration may not be equal for both but for an equal day and night portion in a day, it can be said to comprise of 12 hours each with sunrise portion running from 6AM to 6PM and Sunset portion from 6PM to 6AM of next day.

4 part time division: (2 in day and 2 in night)
As per Tamil timekeeping, dividing the day into 4 portions is called as 'Naal Naanku Kaalam' translating to four periods of the day. They are classified as under:
1) Kaalaiyil (Morning): 6 AM to 12 PM
2) Mathiyil (Afternoon): 12 PM to 6 AM
3) Maalai (Evening): 6 PM to 12 AM
4) Iravu (Night): 12 PM to 6 AM

6 part time division: (3 in day and 3 in night)
As per Tamil tradition, an entire day happens to be divided into 6 periods ('Pozhudhugal') with 3 of the periods being during day time and 3 of the periods occurring during night time. The classification is as given below:
1) Kaalai (Morning): 6 AM to 10 AM
2) Nanpagazh (Noon): 10 AM to 2 PM
3) Yerpaadu (Afternoon): 2 PM to 6 PM
4) Maalai (Evening): 6 PM to 10 PM
5) Yamam (Night): 10 PM to 2 AM
6) Vaigarai (Dawn): 2 AM to 6 AM

Coming to Astrology treatise, as per the age old classic "Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra", one of the features in ascertaining the six fold strength of planets is through the rule of Tribhagha Bala where day and night is said to be divided into 3 equal parts with specific planets gaining strength accordingly based on the time of birth. The information of the same is shared below:
Day Time First Part: 6 AM to 10 AM - Mercury becomes strong
Day Time Second Part: 10 AM to 2 PM - Sun becomes strong
Day Time Third Part: 2 PM to 6 PM - Saturn becomes strong
Night Time First Part: 6 PM to 10 PM - Moon becomes strong
Night Time Second Part: 10 PM to 2 AM - Venus becomes strong
Night Time Third Part: 2 AM to 6 AM - Mars becomes strong
Jupiter is always said to be strong at any point of the day or night. Also as per one tradition, it is said that Jupiter is the torchbearer of the Panchang element of 'Vara' which makes perfect sense based on its assertion that it's always strong irrespective of whether birth takes place during day time or night time.

8 part time division: (4 in day and 4 in night)
There is another time division which divides an entire day into 8 parts allotting 4 parts to the day and 4 parts to the night. This is called 'Prahara' which is a Sanskrit term for unit of time. The first Prahara is said to begin at Sunrise and the 4th Prahara is said to end when Sunset begins. Likewise the 5th Prahara starts when Sunset begins and the last Prahara ends with the completion of Sunset leading to Sunrise of the next day.  The names of the Praharas and the time slot of approximately 3 hours each is listed below
1) Purvaanha (Day): 6 AM to 9 AM
2) Madhyaanha (Day): 9 AM to 12 PM
3) Aparaanha (Day): 12 PM to 3 PM
4) Saayankaala (Day): 3 PM to 6 PM
5) Pradosha (Night): 6 PM to 9 PM
6) Nishitha (Night): 9 PM to 12 AM
7) Triyaama (Night): 12 AM to 3 AM
8) Usha (Night): 3 AM to 6 AM

10 part time division: (5 in day and 5 in night)
Somewhat similar to Prahara, there is another sub division as per the Hindu calendar which divides both the day time hours and night time hours into 5 equal parts. For an equal day and night, this would equate to 2 hours 24 minutes each. The names of it is given below
1) Prata (Day): 6 AM to 8:24 AM
2) Sangava (Day): 8:24 AM to 10:48 AM
3) Madhyahna (Day): 10:48 AM to 1:12 PM
4) Aparaanha (Day): 1:12 PM to 3:36 PM
5) Sayana (Day): 3:36 PM to 6 PM
6) Pradosha (Night): 6 PM to 8:24 PM
7) Ratri (Night): 8:24 PM to 10:48 PM
8) Madhya Ratri (Night): 10:48 PM to 1:12 AM
9) Apa Ratri (Night): 1:12 AM to 3:36 AM
10) Prata Sandhya (Night): 3:36 AM to 6 AM

Also, as per ancient tamil literature, there is a system called as 'Pancha Pakshi' where Pancha means the number '5' and Pakshi means 'Bird'. It is believed that the 5 elements of Air, Fire, Water, Earth and Ether are represented by these birds and each of these birds Vulture, Owl, Crow, Cock and Peacock performs an activity for the 2 hours and 24 minutes allotted which includes Eating, Walking, Ruling, Sleeping and Dying. The method of splitting the day time and night time into 5 parts is termed as 'Yama'.
For more detailed discourse on Pancha Pakshi Shastra, one can refer to the below link:
https://tuningmymelody.blogspot.com/2019/04/time-technique-of-pancha-pakshi-shastra.html?m=0

16 part time division: (8 in day and 8 in night)
This classification of time is of prime importance as it's actually used for decoding auspicious and inauspicious time slots within a day. There are three different methodologies which is earmarked in the calculation of the definition of time.

Kala Vela: This is used to mark the designated time zones by each of the 7 planets viz Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. There are 8 periods of about 1 hour and 30 minutes each within Sunrise and Sunset but only 7 planets to be assigned. Hence the extra portion is considered to be headless and a blank or Lordless portion is assigned to it. There is however a thought process given to mention it as Rahu but that portion is not necessarily the time period for 'Rahu Kalam' and hence should not be confused. The time period ruled by Jupiter and Saturn are said to be Yama Ghanta Kala and Gulika Kala respectively which is used in ascertaining time slots for activities.

Gowri Panchanga: This is used especially in Tamil Nadu especially to delineate important activities to be performed based on allotting the time slots into 8 each for sunrise and sunset. Here the 8 parts are assigned to the 7 planets Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn and the 8th portion is given specifically to Rahu and that forms the basis for Rahu Kalam which is used quite extensively as a period to avoid in the South especially while performing auspicious tasks.

Chogadiya: This is again kind of similar to Gowri Panchanga but sticks to only 7 planets excluding Rahu and there is also no blank portion as given by Kala Vela. This is used like a Muhurtha timing in the North of India and the 8th portion within Sunrise again happens to be the planet ruling the first portion and the sequence follows in similar vein across the whole day.

It should be noted that the calculation differs for all of Kala Vela, Gowri Panchanga and Chogadiya depending upon the weekday in operation. A detailed exposition listing out the uses and it's calculation has been laid out below in this link:
https://tuningmymelody.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-8-unit-division-of-time-cycle-kala.html?m=0

24 part time division: (24 in entire day from Sunrise to next day Sunrise)
This concept is called as 'Hora' which divides the entire day from Sunrise to next day Sunrise allotting one hour each for all 7 planets viz Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. The day always starts with the Hora ruling the day viz Sun for Sunday, Moon for Monday, Mars for Tuesday, Mercury for Wednesday, Jupiter for Thursday, Venus for Friday and Saturn for Saturday. There is a debate however whether this needs to be split as 12 each for Sunrise and Sunset respectively but it does not really serve the element of 'Hora' which technically means Hour or 60 minutes. If Sunrise time happens to be let's say 13 hours and Sunset only 11 hours, then almost 65 minutes will be assigned for a planet during day time and only 55 minutes during night time. It defeats the very existence of the name 'Hora' and the time span between one sunrise to next sunrise is always on the ball park of 24 hours with just a minute or two adjusted here or there which makes one hour for a planet being assigned far more weight age. The Hora gets calculated in the order of the most slowest planet to the most fastest planet which goes in the form of Saturn -> Jupiter -> Mars -> Sun -> Venus -> Mercury -> Moon.

A more detailed explanation of the concept of Hora and how it's calculation is obtained is available on the below link:
https://tuningmymelody.blogspot.com/2019/04/timing-events-with-gowri-panchanga-and.html?m=0

30 part time division: (15 in day and 15 in night)
This is termed as 'Muhurta' and is of utmost importance when fixing time for various events. There are 30 Muhurta's in a day with 15 being part of day time and the remaining 15 considered during night time. 'Muhurta' is a Hindu unit of time and denotes a division of a period of 1/30th of a day which is roughly 48 minutes each. Each Muhurta is said to further break into smaller units of time such as 1 Muhurta of 48 minutes can be segregated into 30 Kalas (1 Kala = 1.6 Minutes or 96 seconds) and each Kala can be further bifurcated into 30 Kashtas (1 Kashta = 3.2 seconds). The list of all Muhurta's and their timing of operation for an equal day & night is listed below.
1) Rudra: 6.00 AM to 6:48 AM
2) Ahi: 6:48 AM to 7:36 AM
3) Mitra: 7:36 AM to 8:24 AM
4) Pitr: 8:24 AM to 9:12 AM
5) Vasu: 9:12 AM to 10:00 AM
6) Varaha: 10:00 AM to 10:48 AM
7) Viswadeva: 10:00 AM to 11:36 AM
8) Vidhi: 11:36 AM to 12:24 PM
9) Sutamukhi: 12:24 PM to 1:12 PM
10) Puruhuta: 1:12 PM to 2:00 PM
11) Vahini: 2:00 PM to 2:48 PM
12) Naktanakara: 2:48 PM to 3:36 PM
13) Varuna: 3:36 PM to 4:24 PM
14) Aryaman: 4:24 PM to 5:12 PM
15) Bhaga: 5:12 PM to 6:00 PM
16) Girisa: 6:00 PM to 6:48 PM
17) Ajapada: 6:48 PM to 7:36 PM
18) Ahir Budhanya: 7:36 PM to 8:24 PM
19) Pushya: 8:24 PM to 9:12 PM
20) Ashwini: 9:12 PM to 10:00 PM
21) Yama: 10:00 PM to 10:48 PM
22) Agni: 10:48 PM to 11:36 PM
23) Vidhatr: 11:36 PM to 12:24 AM
24) Kanda: 12:24 AM to 1:12 AM
25) Aditi: 1:12 AM to 2:00 AM
26) Jeeva: 2:00 AM to 2:48 AM
27) Vishnu: 2:48 AM to 3:36 AM
28) Dyumadgadyuti: 3:36 AM to 4:24 AM
29) Brahma: 4:24 AM to 5:12 AM
30) Samudra: 5:12 AM to 6:00 AM

60 part time division: (60 in entire day from Sunrise to next day Sunrise)
Like how 24 hours constitutes a day, as per Hindu division each of 24 minutes are termed as 'Ghati' running from Sunrise till the next day Sunrise. There is no separate name available for every Ghati or and it's usually a unit of time. If a day from sunrise to next day sunrise exceeds or falls mildly short of 24 hours, then the Ghati is adjusted accordingly but in general a Ghati is said to constitute 24 minutes. In the olden days, horoscopes were written to decode the time based on Ghati's and Vighati's (60 Vighati's is 1 Ghati) elapsed as compared to the procedure today when the exact time is mentioned. Like Hora which is said to be an hour of time running across Sunrise to next day Sunrise, similarly Ghati comprises of 60 components with a running time of 24 minutes each. However it should be noted that for the calculation of Mandi alone, Ghati needs to be divided as 30 each in the period of Sunrise and Sunset as the formula for computation is clearly elucidated in the astrological work 'Uttara Kalamrita' written by Sage Kalidas which mentions that Mandi is said to rise accordingly in a day based on the Ghati's elapsed during day time and night time. It is also to be noted that this will always fall somewhere in the middle of the portion assigned to Saturn in the Kala Vela calculation viz Gulika Kala.
Sunday - 26 Ghatikas after sun rise, 10 Ghatikas after sun set
Monday - 22 Ghatikas after sun rise, 6 Ghatikas after sun set
Tuesday - 18 Ghatikas after sun rise, 2 Ghatikas after sun set
Wednesday - 14 Ghatikas after sun rise, 26 Ghatikas after sun set
Thursday - 10 Ghatikas after sun rise, 22 Ghatikas after sun set
Friday - 6 Ghatikas after sun rise, 18 Ghatikas after sun set
Saturday - 2 Ghatikas after sun rise, 14 Ghatikas after sun set

There is even a consideration to divide a day into 32 parts each for day and night so as to blend well with it being a multiple of 8 as a 'Yamardha' is technically said to be an eighth part of a day. This would equate well with the division of Kala Vela which divides the day and night into 8 equal parts and the Mandi will fall exactly in the middle of the Saturn's portion assigned as Gulika Kala. However it doesn't make complete sense as a day is said to be comprising of 60 Ghatika's only and 64 (32 each for day and night) is used just for ease of use and get the exact middle point. Irrespective Mandi will always fall only in the period of Gulika in and around the middle portion. For more information regarding the calculation of Gulika and Mandi, the below link can be referred.
https://tuningmymelody.blogspot.com/2018/09/ascertaining-gulika-and-mandi-in.html

Note: It should be noted that 'Ghati' is also known alternatively as Ghatika, Nazhika, Pala etc and is known as a unit of time equal to one sixtieth of a day. Also all the times mentioned above is based on the fact that Sunrise begins at 6:00 AM and Sunset at 6:00 PM. The computation of different facets of time should be factored based upon the actual sunrise time and not standard 6:00 AM. It is not expected to remember all the different units of time however remembering some of the important time dimensions can be helpful such as decoding Yama Ghanta Kala and Gulika Kala which occurs based on 'Kala Vela' computation, Rahu Kalam which arises based upon 'Gowri Panchanga', knowing time of Hora and Muhurta in operation can also be helpful but however can always be checked from an Almanac. It would however be good to know the Sunrise and Sunset timings each day of the particular place one is residing as that forms the crux for majority of the time divisions.

The Planetary Cabinet - Nava Nayaka of Samvatsara

As per the Hindu calendar, a time cycle consists of 60 years (Samvatsara) and each of the Samvatsara's are associated with a specific name and the cycle keeps repeating every 60 years. The Samvatsara's by themselves are again divided into groups of 3 consisting of 20 Samvatsara's each with the trinity of Brahma (1 to 20), Vishnu (21 to 40) and Shiva (41 to 60) ruling a period of 20 years amidst these 60 years. The current time cycle beginning with Prabhava Samvatsara started in 1987-88 and will be completed with Akshaya Samvatsara in 2046-47 after which the cycle will once again reflect with Prabhava. The current operational year of 2023-24 happens to be the 37th and is titled 'Shobakrithu'.

The cycle of 60 is obtained from the relative positions of the two furthest planets in the sky as per Vedic Astrology namely Jupiter and Saturn which signify Dharma and Karma respectively. The orbital time taken by Jupiter to traverse the zodiac is approximately 12 years (1 year in each zodiac sign) and that of Saturn is 30 years (2.5 years in each zodiac sign). The least common multiple of 12 and 30 happens to be 60 and hence a time cycle consists of 60 years. It is also roughly the period in which both these planets will cross each other's part and hence the special significance with the number 60.

As per the Panchang, each year begins with the predictions of Sage 'Idaikadar' who delineates about what to expect in a particular year in the form of a verse. Some years from the Sanskrit names itself can be deduced to be good and certain years connote to be inauspicious for the world in general. For Sobhakritu year it is termed as a 'Mangalam' year that denotes prosperity and auspicious happenings taking place in general.

There is however some dissonance with respect to when exactly a year begins. As per the Lunar calendar which is largely adopted amongst Telugu and Kannada speaking population, it occurs during 'Yugadi' which takes place with the rise of Shukla Paksha Pratipada (Pratamai/Padyami) in Chaitra Masa. This normally takes place somewhere between the middle of March and April. However as per the Solar calendar which is mostly followed by Tamil and Malayalam speaking states, a year begins only with the ingress of Sun into the sign of Aries or Mesha Rasi known as 'Chithirai' ushering in the festival of Puthandu / Vishu which normally happens around 13/14/15th of April.

Speaking about the Panchang, there is an important concept called 'Nava Nayaka' which plays a vital role in determining various constituents and giving a breakdown on what to expect with respect to few important portfolios. Like how in politics we see different portfolios being occupied by ministerial candidates, in a similar vein we see different planets taking control of certain positions at the beginning of every Hindu year. The different portfolios which arise every year at the beginning of a Samvatsara happen to be:

- Raja : King (Overall Control)

- Mantri : Minister (Administration)

- Senadipati : Commander in Chief (Law and Order, Defence)

- Arghyadipati : Water (Water Levels, Prices of products, Finances)

- Meghadipati : Clouds (Rainfall, Kind of Weather)

- Sasyadipati : Agriculture (Agricultural Products, Underground Produce)

- Dhanyadipati : Grains (Food crops, Cereals)

- Rasadipati : Commodities (Essential Spices, Medicinal Drugs)

- Neerasadipati : Non Commodities (Metals, Gemstones) 

The Raja is the top most person in the cabinet and most sought after leading the reigns. The Mantri is the next most important and adviser to the King in matters of general public health and lifestyle. The Senadipati is the leader of the army and able folly to the King with regard to law and weapons. Arghyadipati deals largely with the state of water levels but also controls the finance side of things such as the pricing of Agricultural produce. Meghadipati takes the portfolio of ascertaining the weather and estimating the amount of rainfalls expected to be prevalent. Sasyadipati details the prediction of the growth of crops and Dhanyadipathi is all about the production of grains. Rasadipati tackles the essential commodities sector and Neerasadipati manages metal produce including jewellery and precious stones.

The Nava Nayaka calculation occurs largely based on the position of Sun but the rulers of the respective 9 positions can be any of the 7 planets sans the nodes Rahu & Ketu. It is generally believed that natural malefic planets getting majority of the portfolios indicates administration being tough and strict during that particular year whereas presence of more beneficial planets ruling the reigns can designate more well being. The Nava Nayaka for all the 9 portfolios are calculated as below:

Raja:
Basis - Day of Tithi (Relationship between Sun and Moon based on angular distance)
Specific - Day Lord of Shukla Paksha Pratipada in Chaitra month

Mantri:
Basis - Day of Sun's entry in zodiac sign
Specific - Day Lord of Sun's entry in Aries (Mesha Rasi)

Senadipati:
Basis - Day of Sun's entry in zodiac sign
Specific - Day Lord of Sun's entry in Leo (Simha Rasi)

Arghyadipati:
Basis - Day of Sun's entry in zodiac sign
Specific - Day Lord of Sun's entry in Gemini (Mithuna Rasi)

Meghadipati:
Basis - Day of Sun's entry in Nakshatra
Specific - Day Lord of Sun's entry in Arudra Nakshatra (Tiruvadirai)

Sasyadipati:
Basis - Day of Sun's entry in zodiac sign
Specific - Day Lord of Sun's entry in Cancer (Karka Rasi)

Dhanyadipati:
Basis - Day of Sun's entry in zodiac sign
Specific - Day Lord of Sun's entry in Sagittarius (Dhanus Rasi)

Rasadipati:
Basis - Day of Sun's entry in zodiac sign
Specific - Day Lord of Sun's entry in Libra (Thula Rasi)

Neerasadipati:
Basis - Day of Sun's entry in zodiac sign
Specific - Day Lord of Sun's entry in Capricorn (Makara Rasi)

Thus in 7 of the 9 cases, Nava Nayaka is determined based on the day of Sun's entry into different zodiacs namely Aries, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius and Capricorn. For determining the 'Raja' it is based on the first Tithi of the brighter half that takes place when Sun is placed in Pisces Rasi and for obtaining 'Meghadipathi', it is the day when Sun enters Arudra Nakshatra.

There is also a concept of Pashunayaka which arises based on the planet that takes the reigns of the Raja position. Pashunayaka is decoded based on the following:
If Raja is Sun or Mars - Pashunayaka will be Yama
If Raja is Moon, Jupiter or Venus - Pashunayaka will be Sri Krishna
If Raja is Mercury or Saturn - Pashunayaka will be Balarama

Let's go about computing the Nava Nakaya planets of all the 9 portfolios for the current Samvatsara in operation which happens to be Shobakritu.

Raja:
Calculation: Day Lord of Shukla Paksha Pratipada Tithi during Sunrise in Chaitra month
Outcome: The Sun and Moon conjunct in Meena Rasi (Pisces) forming Shukla Paksha Pratipada Tithi which takes place on 21st March 2023 at 22:54 hours. This happens to be on a Tuesday. However since sunrise is not prevalent, we need to consider the day this Tithi occurs when sunrise is present which happens to be Wednesday, 22nd March 2023. Hence the Raja for the year is 'Mercury'
Result: Raja = Mercury

Mantri:
Calculation: Day Lord of Sun's entry in Aries (Mesha Rasi)
Outcome: The Sun transits into Mesha Rasi on 14th April 2023 at 14:27 hours. This happens to be a Friday. Day Lord for Friday is Venus. Hence Mantri for the year is Venus
Result: Mantri = Venus

Senadipati:
Calculation: Day Lord of Sun's entry in Leo (Simha Rasi)
Outcome: The Sun transits into Simha Rasi on 17th August 2023 at 13:01 hours. This happens to be a Thursday. Day Lord for Thursday is Jupiter. Hence Senadipati for the year is Jupiter
Result: Senadipati = Jupiter

Arghyadipati:
Calculation: Day Lord of Sun's entry in Gemini (Mithuna Rasi)
Outcome: The Sun transits into Mithuna Rasi on 15th June 2023 at 17:44 hours. This happens to be a Thursday. Day Lord for Thursday is Jupiter. Hence Arghyadipati for the year is Jupiter
Result: Arghyadipati = Jupiter

Meghadipati:
Calculation: Day Lord of Sun's entry in Arudra Nakshatra (Tiruvadirai)
Outcome: The Sun transits into Arudra Nakshatra on 22nd June 2023 at 17:17 hours. This happens to be a Thursday. Day Lord for Thursday is Jupiter. Hence Meghadipati for the year is Jupiter
Result: Meghadipati = Jupiter

Sasyadipati:
Calculation: Day Lord of Sun's entry in Cancer (Kataka Rasi)
Outcome: The Sun transits into Kataka Rasi on 17th July 2023 at 04:35 hours. This happens to be a Monday as per English Day but Sunday as per the Vedic Calendar since a Hindu Day begins from sunrise and ends during the next day Sunrise. However since the day is almost over, only Monday is considered for this portfolio with sunrise being prevalent. Day Lord for Monday is Moon. Hence Sasyadipati for the year is Moon
Result: Sasyadipati = Moon

Dhanyadipati:
Calculation: Day Lord of Sun's entry in Sagittarius (Dhanus Rasi)
Outcome: The Sun transits into Dhanus Rasi on 16th December 2023 at 15:28 hours. This happens to be a Saturday. Day Lord for Saturday is Saturn. Hence Dhanyadipati for the year is Saturn
Result: Dhanyadipati = Saturn

Rasadipati:
Calculation: Day Lord of Sun's entry in Libra (Thula Rasi)
Outcome: The Sun transits into Thula Rasi on 18th October 2023 at 00:59 hours. This happens to be a Tuesday as per English Day but Wednesday as per the Vedic Calendar since a Hindu Day begins from sunrise and ends during the next day Sunrise. However since the day is almost over, only Wednesday is considered for this portfolio with sunrise being prevalent. Day Lord for Wednesday is Mercury. Hence Rasadipati for the year is Mercury
Result: Rasadipati = Mercury

Neerasadipati:
Calculation: Day Lord of Sun's entry in Capricorn (Makara Rasi)
Outcome: The Sun transits into Makara Rasi on Saturday, 15th January 2024 at 02:13 hours. This happens to be a Monday as per English Day but Sunday as per the Vedic Calendar since a Hindu Day begins from sunrise and ends during the next day Sunrise. However since the day is almost over, only Monday is considered for this portfolio with sunrise being prevalent. Day Lord for Monday is Moon. Hence Neerasadipati for the year is Moon
Result: Neerasadipati = Moon

Note:
It is important to note that a Vedic Day begins only from Sunrise as opposed to a standard English Calendar day which starts at 12AM. Generally the mean sunrise adopted is 6AM as that is considered to be the approximate standard time in which Sun rises within most places in India. Thus, it can be roughly assimilated that 6AM is Sunrise time and 6PM is Sunset time. While calculating Navanayaka, if any of the planetary transits takes place after 6PM, as per Surya Siddhantha only the next day is considered into the equation though as per Drik Siddhantha which deals with observable placement in the skies, it could have taken place in the previous day. This needs to be carefully looked at while determining Navanayaka portfolio.

Ayanamsa used for the calculation of Navanayaka is Lahiri Chitra Paksha and the place considered is Chennai, India. There could be a change in planetary portfolio based on the Ayanamsa adopted. Also for all cases of Navanayaka, since only the day lord is considered into the equation and since the shadow planets Rahu and Ketu do not rule any of the days, they do not hold ground to become the Navanayaka's for any of the 9 portfolios in operation.

Listed below is the current operational Samvatsara cycle that runs from 1987-88 to 2046-47.

Do you know your Panchanga Planet Lord?

All you have to know in order to know the planets ruling your Panchanga viz the 5 limbs of time are the following;

i) The Day of your birth
ii) The Nakshatra (star) of your moon at birth
iii) The degrees of Sun and Moon during birth

P.S : The zodiac spans 360 degrees and is divided into 12 equal signs of 30 degrees each. It starts at Aries (Mesha) and ends at Pisces (Meena). For eg if you're Sun is at 12 degrees in Cancer, you need to take the degrees as 102 since Cancer is the 4th sign and there have been 3 signs of 30 degrees which is 90 plus 12 degrees in Cancer. Similarly, say your Moon is in Libra at 15 degrees, you need to consider it as 195 degrees since Libra is the 7th sign and 6 signs have passed making a total of 30*6=180 plus 15 degrees in Libra.

I have made a ready reckoner which will enable you to find which of the planets are ruling your 5 panchanga elements viz Vara, Nakshatra, Tithi, Karana and Yoga. Some softwares do provide the data but nothing like knowing it on your own which can be pretty useful.

1) Vara:
This is the solar day transiting during your birth which in essence is the day you were born.
Total Varas : 7
Total Duration : Sun rise start time till next day sun rise start time
Total Planets : 7 (Rahu and Ketu are excluded)
Connection : Sun
Information : Please note that the vedic weekday starts from sun rise time and ends when the next day sun rise starts. For instance if one were born at 2:15 AM on the English Day of Tuesday and the sun rise started at 6:35AM on Monday and next day sun rise was at 6:40 AM on Tuesday, Vara day will be Monday ruled by Moon and not Tuesday ruled by Mars.

Illustration: Native born at 4.20 PM on a Thursday. The Day Thursday is ruled by Jupiter and hence your Vara Lord happens to be Jupiter.

2) Nakshatra:
This reflects the transit of moon during your birth which is basically the constellation of stars that were rising when you were born.
Total Nakshatras : 27
Total Duration : 13 degrees 20 minutes (360 degree zodiac divided by 27 Nakshatras)
Total Planets : 9 (Rahu and Ketu included)
Connection : Moon
Information : There are 27 stars divided into trines of 9 each which are represented by a particular planet. Eg Star No. 1, 10 and 19 are Ketu stars whereas 2,11 and 20 are Venus stars. Each star basically comprises of 13 degrees 20 minutes which is 360 degrees divided by 27 Nakshatras.

Illustration: Native is born on Hastha star, hence Nakshatra lord is Moon. Likewise if a native was born during the constellation of Revathi, then the Nakshatra Lord happens to be Mercury.

3) Tithi:
The zodiac is divided into 360 degrees and every 12 degrees of angular distance at which the moon moves away from the sun is considered as a Tithi.
Total Tithis : 30
Total Duration : 12 degrees (360 degree zodiac divided by 30 Tithis)
Total Planets : 8 (Rahu included but Ketu excluded)
Connection : Sun & Moon
Information : There are a total of 30 tithis (360 degrees divided by 12). The Tithis are split up into 2 parts of 15 each based on the brighter half (Sukla - Waxing) and darker half (Krishna - Waning) of the moon. The planet ruling the brighter half Sukla or darker half Krishna will remain the same for all except for Purnima which is ruled by Saturn and Amma Vasya lorded by Rahu.

Illustration: Native's Sun is in Leo at 20 degrees and Moon is in Capricorn at 12 degrees. Total degrees of Sun as per 360 degrees zodiac is 140 (30*4 signs from Aries to Cancer + 20 degrees in Leo) and degrees of Moon is 282 (30*9 signs from Aries to Sagittarius + 12 degrees in Capricorn). The degrees of which Moon has passed Sun = 142 (282 less 140) which becomes Sukla Dwadashi Tithi ruled by Moon. In case there is a role reversal and Sun is at 282 degrees and Moon is at 140 degrees, then distance is 218 degrees (360 less 282 of Sun=78 plus 140 degrees of Moon) which happens to be Krishna Chaturthi Tithi also ruled by Moon. Always remember base point is Sun (slower planet) and we need to check how many degrees Moon (faster planet) has gone beyond Sun

4) Karana:
The zodiac is divided into 360 degrees and every 6 degrees of angular distance at which the moon moves away from the sun is referred to as a Karana. In essence, half of a Tithi constitutes a Karana.
Total Karanas : 60 comprising of 11 sub divisions
Total Duration : 6 degrees (360 degree zodiac divided by 60 Karanas)
Total Planets : 9 (Rahu and Ketu included)
Connection : Sun & Moon
Information : There are a total of 60 karanas (360 divided by 6) but classified under 11 categories with 7 of the Karanas being movable and repeating itself 8 times (56 = 7*8) and the other 4 karanas being fixed (4).

Illustration: Native's Sun is in Virgo at 24 degrees and Moon in Scorpio at 21 degrees. Total degrees of Sun as per 360 degrees zodiac is 174 (30*5 signs from Aries to Leo + 24 degrees in Virgo) and degrees of Moon is 231 (30*7 signs from Aries to Libra + 21 degrees in Scorpio). The degrees of Moon passing the Sun = 57 (231 less 174) which happens to be Balava Karana ruled by Rahu. In case let's say Sun is at 209 degrees and Moon at 194 degrees, then distance is 345 degrees (360 less 209 of Sun=151 plus 194 degrees of Moon) which happens to be Shakuni Karana ruled by Saturn. The computation is similar to Tithi and we need to know how many degrees moon has gone past the Sun.

5) Yoga:
This takes the combined sum of degrees of Sun + Moon and each total amounting to 13 degrees 20 minutes comprises a Yoga.
Total Yogas : 27
Total Duration : 13 degrees 20 minutes (360 degree zodiac divided by 27 Yogas)
Total Planets : 9 (Rahu and Ketu included)
Connection : Sun & Moon
Information : There are a total of 27 yogas split into 3 parts of 9 each which are ruled by a particular planet. It is computed based on the total longitude of the Sun and Moon with reference point as 360. If the addition of Sun's degree and Moon's degree go beyond 360, then the extra portion above 360 needs to be considered. For eg. Sun + Moon combined degrees lets say comes to 418 degrees, then in this case the extra portion of 58 (418 less 360) will be the degree of Yoga.

Illustration: Native's Sun is in Taurus at 27 degrees and Moon in Gemini at 12 degrees. Total degrees of Sun as per 360 degree zodiac is 57 (30*1 sign Aries + 27 degrees in Taurus) and degrees of Moon is 72 (30*2 signs from Aries to Taurus plus 12 degrees in Gemini). The total sum comes up to 129 (57+72). This will give rise to Ganda Yoga ruled by Saturn. Another eg, lets say Sun is 324 degrees and Moon is 358 degrees. Here adding the two yields 682 (324+358) which is more than 360. Hence the extra portion needs to be taken which is 322 (682 less 360) and that happens to be Brahma Yoga whose planetary lord is Mars.

Stitch - Good ol downtown yore!

The Stitch has an olden day flavor of yore associated with it. It seems to be more in the lines of how resto pubs used to be perhaps in the hey days.

There's lots of antique stuff in and around with specific focus on the vintage singer stitching machine. The model has it's presence throughout and no wonder the name also seems to be derived from the same in being called "The Stitch".

The place is all vintage and plays some dashing old school numbers and it has quite a kick ass retro based atmosphere to it. The staircase seems pretty daunting and you get to witness the action as you take your steps downward. It is engulfed with rustic woodwork based interiors and the inherent gloomy dark feel about it gives it quite the shiz.

On our way to the Winyard station, we wanted to finish our day with a final flourish and hence dropped in at 'The Stitch'. Just ordered for a couple of stuff viz:
- Cricketers Arms: This was a larger local Australian beer and turned out to be quite a good drink. It was a little thicker than normal with a tinge of sweetness touched upon.
- Mac n Cheese Balls: This usually comes with a bacon dip but we asked for a veg substitute and they gave us a ravioli dip. The balls as such were big in size, nicely breaded along and stuffed with cheese and you could literally feel the presence of thin macaroni pieces interspersed inside. The whole thing went along pretty well with the dip.

Overall, quite a reasonable fare. The service was well attended and we got the stuff fairly soon. The pricing seemed kinda par at $21 for both the items together.

The Stitch has a lovely buzz going for it and seems a pretty happening spot in this neck of the woods. If you're anywhere nearby, contemplate giving this place a shot.