The Most Awaited Eclipse Phenomena in Sagittarius/Gemini

Eclipses aren't an everyday phenomenon and neither is it a rare occurrence. A solar and lunar eclipse are likely to take place almost every 6 months. A solar eclipse is defined when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun and likewise a Lunar Eclipse happens when the Moon passes directly behind Earth and into its shadow. Viewing from a horoscopic angle, there are 4 essential components required for an eclipse to take place which are the Sun, Moon, Rahu (North Node) and Ketu (South Node). For all practical purposes, the Earth isn't considered as that's the place we all are in and considered more as a reference point. One more factor to note is that a Solar Eclipse takes place only on Amma Vasya which is when Moon comes very close to join with the Sun and a Lunar Eclipse takes place only on Poornima which is when the Moon is straight opposite the sun at 180 degrees. These motions are also coined as the waxing and waning phases of the Moon.

Now coming back to the question as to why this Eclipse happens to be far more anticipated than the regular set of eclipses which occur on an annual basis. The only reason attributed could be because of the stellium or joining journey of a bushel of planets happening in the zone of the zodiac sign Sagittarius. This is said to intensify energies and Sagittarius being a fiery sign in general, there could be some sense of discomfort and extensive aggression. There are always two zodiac signs coming into the forefront during an eclipse and apart from Sagittarius, the other zodiac happens to be the natural 3rd sign of communication Gemini which is said to possess an airy characteristic. Hence this projection happens in the territory of Gemini & Sagittarius and those having prominent placement in their natal chart in these two zodiac signs come under the firing line. Also just for the record, this upcoming solar eclipse would be the last in this decade (2010-19) and the impending lunar eclipse will be the first in the next decade (2020-29).

Solar Eclipse (26th Dec 2019):
Sun will be in Sagittarius (Dhanus) and Moon will also be in Sagittarius (Dhanus) and hence they are conjunct with each other. Ketu is also posited in Sagittarius along with the Sun & Moon with Rahu being 180 degrees apart in Gemini (7 signs away) giving rise to a perfect Solar Eclipse.

Lunar Eclipse (10th Jan 2020):
Sun will be in Sagittarius (Dhanus) and Moon would have moved to Gemini (Mithuna) which is 180 degrees apart. Ketu is posited in Sagittarius with the Sun and Rahu is right now in Gemini along with the moon giving rise to a perfect Lunar Eclipse.

Just to get the drift, concentrate only on Sun, Moon, Rahu and Ketu. The Solar eclipse takes place in the signs of Sagittarius and Gemini (Sun, Moon & Ketu in Sagittarius and Rahu in Gemini) whereas the Lunar eclipse will also take place in the signs of Sagittarius and Gemini (Sun & Ketu in Sagittarius and Moon & Rahu in Gemini)

Astronomical Perspective:
The ecliptic is the path where the earth revolves around the Sun. The Moon has it's own orbital path around the earth which is slightly tilted and not in the same plane. The intersection points of the Moon's orbital path when crossing the ecliptic gives rise to the Nodes which in essence equates to the earth's orbit around the Sun called Rahu (North Node) and Moon's orbit around the Earth called Ketu (South Node).

The moon completes one full orbit of 360° around the earth in approx 27.3 days. In this process it also transits across the zodiac which is an imaginary band that follows the ecliptic around the earth. There are 12 signs of 30° and hence Moon takes approx 2 1/4 days (27.3 days/12 signs) transiting against the backdrop of a zodiac sign.

When the Moon transits the zone of Sagittarius ♐ (Dhanus Rasi) on 26th Dec 2019, it's orbital path entails it to move towards the intersecting point of Ketu which cuts across the ecliptic. The Moon also comes in close alignment with the Sun which is already perched here. The Moon bordering on the Nodal axis and in close proximity to the Sun blocks the sun light from falling on to the earth resulting in a Solar eclipse.

After about a fortnight, when the Moon sectors across the backdrop of Gemini ♊ (Mithuna Rasi) on 10th Jan 2020, it's orbital path entails it to move towards the intersecting point of Rahu which cuts across the other side of ecliptic. The Moon has now gone very far away from the Sun being oppositely aligned and passes behind the earth. Since the earth is now between the Sun and the Moon, it wouldn't be possible for the light of the sun to reach the Moon as the Earth obstructs it and this results in a Lunar eclipse.

Hence a solar eclipse can only take place on Amma Vasya when the Sun & Moon are in close conjunction and when Moon revolves near by the intersecting nodal point Ketu (in this case) enabling the Moon to cast a shadow on earth. Likewise a Lunar eclipse can only occur on Poornima when Sun & Moon are at the furthest from each other and Moon revolves towards the side of the other intersecting nodal point Rahu (in this case). Here since the moon is behind the earth, the earth instead casts a shadow on Moon.

Highlights and Pointers:
As highlighted, it's only these 4 attributes viz Sun, Moon, Rahu and Ketu which are responsible for casting an eclipse but the interesting point to observe is that apart from these 4 planets, Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn will also be holding hands in the domain of Sagittarius. Mercury is said to be characterizing Earthy element with Jupiter denoting Ether Tattva and Saturn is naturally said to be Airy by nature. The only two missing links Mars the fiery male and Venus the watery female are placed on either side in Scorpio and Capricorn respectively when the Solar Eclipse operates. During the time of Lunar eclipse however Venus will shift over to Aquarius with Mars staying put in it's battle field of Scorpio. Coming to those impacted, the one's having the following placements in their natal charts need to tread this eclipse phase with caution.

- Sun, Moon, Rahu, Ketu falling in the signs of Sagittarius or Gemini
These 4 components in effect are the reason eclipses even get formed and hence when someone at birth has these planets at birth in the two signs of Gemini and Sagittarius, the impact can said to trigger tribulations. Also Sun is said to denote the soul and the Moon depicts the mind with Rahu/Ketu both associated with past life karmas. Thus the one's having any of these 4 planets in their natal chart  in these signs need to treat this eclipse with care. Listing below the deities and incarnations with respect to these 4 planets whose worship can be some resolute at this point of time.
Sun - Lord Agni (Ram Incarnation)
Moon - Lord Varuna (Krishna Incarnation)
Rahu - Goddess Durga (Varaha Incarnation)
Ketu - Lord Ganesha (Matsya Incarnation)

- Ascendant being in the sign of Sagittarius or Gemini
The Ascendant is the zodiac which is rising in the eastern direction at the time of birth. If the Ascendant or Lagna falls in these two signs, it can bring some knee jerk reactions. The Ascendant is the basis or reference point of a horoscope and said to denote the physical characteristics of a person. The rising sign is considered to be the first house in a horoscope and the inter-relation of all planets are tied to it and hence it assumes paramount importance.
Dhanus/Sagittarius - Lord Dattatreya (Any form of Guru worship such as Dakshinamurthy) (Jyotirlinga - Kasi Viswanath)
Mithuna/Gemini - Lord Shriman Narayana (Any form of Vishnu worship such as Venkatesa Perumal) (Jyotirlinga - Nageshwara)

- Mercury, Jupiter or Saturn in the signs of Sagittarius or Gemini
This is just an additional consideration to be taken note of. It may not have as much of a say as the placement of Sun,Moon,Rahu,Ketu but these planets when moving along in transit in addendum to the eclipse effect crossing over their natal placements can cause a bit of an upside energy exchange. Mercury denotes the intelligence side, Jupiter portrays wisdom and Saturn on the discipline and hardships encountered by an individual. Worship to Lord Vishnu (Buddha Incarnation), Brahma (Vamana Incarnation) and Bairava (Koorma Incarnation) may be useful at this juncture.

- Amma Vasya or Poornima being the birth Tithi
These Tithis are like the bed rocks based on which eclipse formation takes place. During birth it may or may not have been a case of an eclipse but a tithi return in conjunction with an explosive eclipse taking place, it is perhaps best to invoke divine blessings at this point of time.
Amma Vasya - Lord Pitris (Ruled by Rahu, good to worship deity Sadashiva)
Poornima - Lord Chandra (Ruled by Saturn, good to worship deity Varuna)

- Chatushpada, Nagava, Vishti, Bava being the birth Karana
A Karana is basically half of a tithi and hence these will be the karanas operating as part of the solar eclipse and lunar eclipse respectively. Chatushpada and Naga form the 1st and 2nd karana of Amma Vasya Tithi with Vishti and Bava being the 1st and 2nd Karana of Poornima Tithi. Devotion to the Karana deities may be a dutiful consideration.
Chatushpada - Kala Bairavar (Symbolised by Dog)
Naga - Nagarajar, Sarpam (Symbolised by Snake)
Vishti - Karthikeya, Subramania Swamy (Symbolised by Cock)
Bava - Lakshmi Narasimhar (Symbolised by Lion)

- Nakshatras being Mrigashira, Arudra, Punarvasu, Moola, Poorva Ashada, Uthara Ashada
These are the Nakshatras that form part of the signs Gemini and Sagittarius and virtually any planet being placed in these constellations comes into the ambit of eclipse. It seems to be more profound for Moola and Arudra/Punarvasu as sensitive points since Moon will be transiting these constellations during the time of the eclipse but all of these stars come into the fray for being part of the zodiac signs of Sagittarius and Gemini. It may not be a bad idea to offer prayers to the Nakshatra deities as well.
Mrigashira - Deity: Soma, Related: Chandra, God: Chandra Sudeshwarar
Arudra - Deity: Rudra, Related:Shiva, God: Nataraja Shiva Peruman
Punarvasu - Deity: Aditi, Related: Devas, God: Shri Rama
Moola - Deity: Nirriti, Related: Asura, God: Anjaneya
Poorva Ashada - Deity: Apah, Related: Varuna, God: Jambukeshwarar
Uthara Ashada - Deity: Vishwadeva, Related: Ganesh, God: Vinayaka Peruman

- Other Miscellaneous Factors
3 limbs of the Panchang have been covered namely the Nakshatras, Tithi and Karanas. The remaining are Vara (solar day transiting from sunrise to next day sunrise) and the Yoga (sum of degrees of Sun and Moon). It is good to note that the solar eclipse occurs on a Thursday which is a day ruled by Jupiter and the Lunar eclipse operates on a Friday lorded by Venus. With respect to Yoga, Vriddhi Yoga lorded by Mercury will happen during the Solar Eclipse and Vyatipata Yoga lorded by Rahu will be running during the Lunar Eclipse. Hence those born on these days and yogas can also take a mild consideration of the effects of the eclipse.

Conclusion:
These are in essence about the interplay of eclipses. Eclipses are said to trigger momentary motions of uneasiness due to the movement of planets. It is always good to know about them for general understanding as well as information purpose. Thankfully it isn't a long standing effect and the best way to tackle is by invoking the divine and regulated fasting. By the time one blinks an eyelid, the eclipses would have already disappeared with life restored back to normalcy.

Aadhirai - Shining South Indian!

Aadhirai is a new restaurant which has cropped up in a quaint location off Nungambakkam constructed out of a olden day vintage property. The first thing that strikes you is that it infuses the homely feel evidently. The handicrafts and wood work largely give it a very regional as well as authentic feel. The cuisine is largely South Indian and predominantly bordering into Chettinadu.

We were here on a weekend afternoon to soak in some of their special offerings. We started our foray with a delightful thirst quencher in the form of a Panagam Granita. The icy instincts didn't condense the taste one bit and this sweet traditional drink was as delicious as ever with the ice essence just adding an extra twist to this ever popular summer special. I had portions of the drink all through the meal and it acted as the perfect beverage.

On the soup side, the Malli Rasam soup was delightful. It had a subtle hint of flavours which worked very well. In the starter section, we were served a yam loaded nachos. To be frank I'm not a fan of Yam but this was done up in a renewed manner with salsa sauce and cream in the form of a nachos. It was bang on crispy and turned out to be a great opener. The karuvepillai panneer was simply sterling. This one was tossed and diced up in this traditional leafy powder and the essence it brought out was sensationally slithering.The Gobi ghee roast was again quite an eye turner. The pieces of cauliflower were cooked in ghee and a chilli based masala and were served on thin coin like pieces of paratha thatched with a touch of honey to slightly lower down the spice content. If you're a spice lover you'll love this and more so some of their special offerings loaded with abundance of chillies and spices. The Vazhapoo Vadai was one more starter which we tried. This was however more of the usual stuff and the paruppu flavour out did the vazha poo. Nevertheless it was crispy and bitesome.

In the main course we tried paratha with a well made up panneer peas combo gravy. Apart from this we had a crack at the trademark pulliyodhare which they served us tied in a green leaf potalam. The aroma and smear of this Puliyodhara is something I tell you. It was simply a delight to just feel the flavours hitting on you as it's slitheringly opened up from the green leaf enclosing. The Thogaiyil just enhances the taste. Seldom have I sampled a lovely version of this temple delicacy served in any restaurant.

The ending was in the form of a bucketful of desserts served in malayali style Nair wala tea glasses. 6 slurpy mousy desserts that simply butterly dutifully induces the instincts to dig in
1) Pomegranate Payasam
2) Coconut Souffle
3) Falooda
4) Kubani Ka Meetha
5) Black Forest Akkarivadasal
6) Karupatti Panacotta
Each of these not only looked appealing but had a lissom lusture to it and riveting in taste and texture. Such toothsome delights in small portions were indeed the perfect meal-ender enabling our sweet tongues to punch in pure excitement.

The service was quick with the items reaching our tables at regular intervals. The staff were very courteous explaining each dish in detail and also helping us with our orders. I must also mention the vadam which they serve with 4 different side dishes which complements so well namely a tomato thokku, mirapakaya pachadi (green chilli infused), Avakai Mayo and a garlic dip. From a holistic picture, if you're looking for exquisite south Indian cuisine done in traditional style yet throwing up innovations but not compromising on the taste, you should certainly check out Aadhirai for a rich home grown South Indian meal.

A foodie's Guide on Novelty Tea House!

This is the first and oldest Novelty Tea House outlet having a rich history associated with it. They began operations in this small by lane of Sowcarpet way back in 1958 and have well and truly served delightful food over the years for more than a golden jubilee.

I was here in Sowcarpet for some dry fruit shopping and then for lunch decided to check in this place. Instantly I ordered the Pav Bhaji which was jaw droppingly riveting. This is an evergreen item on their attic and provide a whole layer of bhaji to go with your bhaji. It was a lovely masala mix submerged by a dollop of butter and it was such a joy consuming the softish bread buns with this juicy gravy.

Other than this, I ordered one of their recommended items Pure Ghee Aloo Tikki. This was done up really well with the tikkis being very crispy and smudged over with oodles of curd. The presence of curd didn't hinder the crispiness and it proved to be very tasty.

Ended the meal by ordering a cheese molagapodi onion dosa. This was again jaw dropping. The mix of the cheese and red powder with onions for that extra zest worked wonderfully well. To be frank the chutney and sambhar were just an add on and you could very well have the dosa standalone.

The prices are pretty reasonable and the service is quick. It may not be the most cleanest place around but if you're willing to get down and dirty with great food, Novelty should certainly tickle the taste tongues. Not often do I get a chance to come by this neck of the woods and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the fare on offer.

Old Review of Closed Mylapore Outlet - July 2014
Before even entering the restaurant , you are greeted with a Graffiti board in front of their gourmet store stating "Serving with Love since 1958". The brand Novelty Tea House i believe has been in existence for a good 50 + years catering to the needs of the localites in Mint Street , Sowcarpet and Purasalwalkam and the one opened in RK Salai , Mylapore is a new branch of theirs to perhaps target a bigger presence in the upmarket of Chennai.

For those not aware of their history from the name of the restaurant , you might be tricked into thinking that this place is a beverage place serving some mediterranean snacks or something along those lines. But in reality it is an authentic Indian Veg restaurant whipping up some delightful Indian food which will leave your tongues craving big time.

The restaurant is located in the same place which used to house Kabul before and the ambience is pretty decent albeit not great. Somehow you instantly get a Northie feel and flavour by looking at the waiters , crowd which predominantly seem to be comprising of Jains , Marwadi's etc and the brownish Dhabba kind of setting adorning the restaurant.

The menu was an intriguing mixture containing a wide variety of items to choose from North Indian , South Indian and Chaat. We started off our journey by ordering Papad Churri and one of their signature starters Palak Cheese Rolls. The former comprised of small broken pieces of Papad tossed up with the rightful masala ingredients to give a nice crispy feel to the mouth. It set the ball rolling and our tongues wagging. The latter was a bunch of small brownish breaded rolls stuffed inside with a creamy paste mixed of spinach and cheese and it was jaw dropping. It was something new that i had tasted and only wished they had served a special kind of cheese sauce to make the lusciousness a bit more invigorating.

We also tasted their Bhel puri which was large in quantity spruced up with all the requisite toppings to appetize the taste buds and the Cheese Masala Pav Bhaji was totally a winner where the Pav was laced with a tinge of masala coating and the Bhaji was decorated with a layer of cheese floating over signalling the enticement :). Also tried their Dosas which were thumbs up - the Cheese Molagapodi Dosa was simply put absolutely brilliant and the way the Masala , Podi and melted cheese were diced upon made it totally alluring and their Novelty special Dosa which was embellished with Green chutney and Masala Aloo on the one side and spicy red podi , onions etc on the other was a thumbs up. The Dosa's standalone were exceptional no doubt but they could do with some amelioration on the Chutney and Sambar which i found to be pretty watery and bland. Polished off dinner with Badam Kesar milk shake which was the perfect fillip to end to the meal. Loved the yellowish drink and the assortment of dry fruits inside the drink made it rivetting.

The rates seem to bit on the higher side but you feel justified since most of what you are served seem to fit the bill atleast on the mouth :). The decor is decent but it isn't a place where you can enjoy a quite meal as its very noisy. The serving of the food was pretty quick but we had to call and there seemed to be confusions as to who was taking the order. The minor quibbles apart , there are a lot of positives which far outweighs the negatives. Wish to dine here more often to taste some of their North Indian stuff and also the Lunchathon concept buffet where you get to choose what you want from about 50 items on the card. All in all , another fine Veg Restaurant to satisfy the always craving Chennaiites appetite.

The Big Jupiter Transit to Sagittarius!

Everyone is awaited with bated breath for the impending Jupiter transit which is looming large as it get sets to enter it's own sign of Sagittarius. Transits of slow moving planets such as Saturn, Rahu/Ketu and Jupiter generally garner a lot of interest among the general public and very many are curious about how it will play out for them. To be frank, just with a single planet transit nothing really can be deduced and in essence studying these transitory phenomenons just portray a glimpse of how the upcoming picture is likely to shape up. I suggest don't take transits too seriously but just use it as a generic indication in the overall scheme of things.

Jupiter along with Venus is considered as the only two pure natural benefic planets in vedic astrology. There is an extra footprint for Jupiter because it's transit is somewhat sporadic taking place only once a year on an average as opposed to it's contemporary Venus who transits a sign virtually every other month. Thus, you will see Jupiter coming to this particular sign of Dhanus Rasi or Sagittarius zodiac after almost 12 years and next time it is expected to happen again after only another dozen years. Also the fact that it will be congregating with Saturn & Ketu who are already stationed in the sign of Sagittarius adds that dose of extra prominence. And for the uninitiated, let me share a bite of a masala chilli spicy information. The last time these 3 planets joined forces in the fire sign of Sagittatius was behold way back almost 300 years ago in 1723.

While studying transits, the two key reference points are the Ascendant (body) and the Moon (mind). The Ascendant or Lagna harps on the physical angle where as the Moon rasi throws it's weight on the emotional side. These two many a time are complementary and is known to signify the physical framework and mental structure of an individual. As per all shastra's it's the moon sign which is pivotal when ascertaining transits but factoring in the Lagna also makes sense as any horoscope in general is always read with reference to the Ascendant being the first house. Apart from these two indexes, it's valid to also perhaps consider the karaka planet in question which is Jupiter as it would add an extra dimension in knowing how many signs Jupiter has moved from it's own natal placement. After all, this transit is all about Jupiter and it's known to have an expansive tendency.

I believe it would be futile to look at transits without considering the tool of Ashtakavarga which is a point based handy system and designed quite exclusively for transits. One important point to note in the placeholder is that even in this system, it's the planet Jupiter that contributes the maximum points of 56 out of a maximum of 337.

As mentioned out of the 56 points contributed, it casts 9 benefic dots or points to the Ascendant whereas the Moon is bestowed with only 5 benefic dots.
From the Lagna, Jupiter is given benefic dots in houses 1,2,4,5,6,7,9,10,11
From the Moon, Jupiter is given benefic dots in houses  2,5,7,9,11
Thus in essence out of a possible 24 points (12 for Lagna & 12 for Moon), Jupiter is conferring 14 points (9+5) which is only about 60%.

We find here that places 2,5,7,9,11 are commonly beneficial from both the point of view of the Lagna as well as that of the Moon with the Lagna additionally benefiting the 1st (temporal strength), 4th (default place of exaltation as per natural zodiac), 6th (service) and 10th (fame & recognition). Jupiter in essence is the karaka for the 2nd (wealth, resources), 5th (children & intelligence), 9th (father, luck) and 11th (gains, desires). Jupiter placed from itself is given benefic dots in houses 1,2,3,4,7,8,10,11. It is interesting to note here that Jupiter is devoid of being a benefic when it transits into the 5th and 9th from itself. Some food for thought here as I believe this could be on account of Karako Bhava Nashaya concept which indicates that the signifying planet fails to give results for the houses it connotes and we know that the fundamental natural karaka of Jupiter is 5th house and as per default rasi / Kala Purusha chart it holds ownership of the 9th house.

Thus, lets now look at the signs where Jupiter is expected to cast his auspiciousness in the upcoming one year time frame in the office of Sagittarius. One needs to look at both their Ascendant sign & Moon sign and infer the result accordingly.

Results of Zodiac Signs:
Mesha / Aries: Transiting in to the 9th sign of Sagittarius
Lagna - Positive (9th sign is favourable from Lagna)
Moon - Positive (9th sign is favourable from Moon)
Overall: Good

Rishaba / Taurus: Transiting in to the 8th sign of Sagittarius
Lagna - Negative (8th sign is not favourable from Lagna)
Moon - Negative (8th sign is not favourable from Moon)
Overall: Bad

Mithuna / Gemini: Transiting in to the 7th sign of Sagittarius
Lagna - Positive (7th sign is favourable from Lagna)
Moon - Positive (7th sign is favourable from Moon)
Overall: Good

Karka / Cancer: Transiting in to the 6th sign of Sagittarius
Lagna - Positive (6th sign is favourable from Lagna)
Moon - Negative (6th sign is not favourable from Moon)
Overall: Neutral

Simha / Leo: Transiting in to the 5th sign of Sagittarius
Lagna - Positive (5th sign is favourable from Lagna)
Moon - Positive (5th sign is favourable from Moon)
Overall: Good

Kanya / Virgo: Transiting in to the 4th sign of Sagittarius
Lagna - Positive (4th sign is favourable from Lagna)
Moon - Negative (4th sign is not favourable from Moon)
Overall: Neutral

Thula / Libra: Transiting in to the 3rd sign of Sagittarius
Lagna - Negative (3rd sign is not favourable from Lagna)
Moon - Negative (3rd sign is not favourable from Moon)
Overall: Bad

Vrischika / Scorpio: Transiting in to the 2nd sign of Sagittarius
Lagna - Positive (2nd sign is favourable from Lagna)
Moon - Positive (2nd sign is favourable from Moon)
Overall: Good

Dhanus / Sagittarius: Transiting in to the 1st sign of Sagittarius
Lagna - Positive (1st sign is favourable from Lagna)
Moon - Negative (1st sign is not favourable from Moon)
Overall: Neutral

Makara / Capricorn: Transiting in to the 12th sign of Sagittarius
Lagna - Negative (12th sign is not favourable from Lagna)
Moon - Negative (12th sign is not favourable from Moon)
Overall: Bad

Kumbha / Aquarius: Transiting in to the 11th sign of Sagittarius
Lagna - Positive (11th sign is favourable from Lagna)
Moon - Positive (11th sign is favourable from Moon)
Overall: Good

Meena / Pisces: Transiting in to the 10th sign of Sagittarius
Lagna - Benefic (10th sign is favourable from Lagna)
Moon - Malefic (10th sign is not favourable from Moon)
Overall: Good

Individual Score for all 144 Lagna & Rasi combinations:
The table below assigns scores for all 144 Lagna and Rasi combinations. The tool used for this is Ashtakavarga benefic dots given for Jupiter's placement with respect to both Lagna and Moon. A beneficial placement from Lagna is given 40 points whereas a beneficial placement from Moon is given 60 points. The reason Moon is allocated slightly higher weight-age is because study of transits in general are reckoned with respect to the level of the mind which in essence is the rasi in which Moon is positioned in the Natal horoscope.

Statistical Analysis:
- Houses 3,8,12 are bad for Jupiter both from the angle of Lagna as well as Moon. Hence the 3 major zodiac signs facing the brunt this time happen to be Rishaba (Taurus), Thula (Libra) and Makara (Capricorn).
- Houses 1,4,6,10 are good for Jupiter from the view point of Lagna but not from the Moon. Thus the neutral signs for this Jupiter transit are Karka (Cancer), Kanya (Virgo), Dhanus (Sagittarius) and Meena (Pisces).
- Houses 2,5,7,9,11 are great for Jupiter from the lens of both the Lagna as well as that of Moon. The propitious zodiac signs with regard to this particular Jupiter transit are Mesha (Aries), Mithuna (Gemini), Simha (Leo), Vrischika (Scorpio) and Kumbha (Aquarius).
- Out of the above 5 zodiac signs, the best of the lot can be said to be Mesha followed by Simha as Jupiter is not only a friend to both Mars (ruler of Mesha) and Sun (ruler of Simha) but it's presence as ruler of Sagittarius means it holds ownership to their trikona lords viz 9th and 5th lord respectively. For Scorpio also it's highly favourable but just slightly lesser as we are more inclined to the place of Dhanus which happens to be 2nd lord for Scorpio and hence not as felicitous as owning 5th and 9th lordship. This would be followed by Kumbha (ruled by Saturn) and Mithuna (ruled by Mercury) as Jupiter holds kind of a neutral relationship with these 2 planets.
- Combining Lagna and Moon, we have a sum total of 144 positions (12 Lagnas & 12 Moon signs) out of which 60 places (42%) are providential and 36 places (25%) are not conducive from both stand points. 48 places making up roughly 33% is favourable from Lagna perspective alone.

Conclusion:
This is just a high level cockpit analysis of Jupiter's transit to Sagittarius. A horoscope has a plethora of factors to be viewed and transits happen to be just one solitary area. Again even from the transit angle, we have looked only at a particle of Jupiter and things could take twists & turns with the other big fellow Saturn also expected to move signs very soon. However, despite the inherent limitations, transits act as a gleam of light and tends to be a trigger point source especially when one is looking forward to an event taking place. You never know, the torch of transit can add that extra impetus with Jupiter's light of reflection being the harbinger that you're really looking forward to.

Yearly Transit Horoscope Charts in Vedic Astrology

Everyone is seemingly interested to know what the upcoming year holds for them and in the astrological parlance there are methods to deduce how things are likely to pan out through the yearly charts. There are different variations of reading yearly charts and I am listing below snippets of the methodologies adopted and how to utilize them. In my humble opinion, Vedic Astrology is a very vast tool and just with one factor you cannot really come to a conclusion. Results should be witnessed from a unified wholesome picture and the more factors supporting with basis points, the higher are the chances of events fructifying.

I shall now list down 7 types of Yearly Transit charts and give a low down on what they are all about and how to use them.
- General Transit Chart
- Tajika Solar Return Chart
- Tithi Pravesh Lunar Return Chart
- Lal Kitab Varshapal Chart
- Bhrigu Chakra Paddathi Chart
- Sudharshan Chakra Dasha Chart
- Progression Chart

General Transit Chart
This is the general way of reading transit charts taking the fixed position of Moon as per your Natal horoscope and reading the other planets with reference to the natal Moon position. It's a good ploy to do the same with the Ascendant as well as most of the time Lagna & Moon go in sync with one another with the Ascendant representing the physical aura and the Moon projecting the mental mindset. The chart can be drawn up at the time of date of birth of every year concerned and the transit placements of planets need to be considered with respect to both Lagna and Moon. In case an impending planet transit is to take place few days from your birthday date, it is good to keep that in mind as well. Additionally it would also be good to check the position of the planet in transit with respect to the same planet as placed in the natal chart. For instance if Jupiter was in Aquarius at birth but at the time of charting yearly horoscope if it is in Sagittarius, it means it's placed 11 places from it's own natal position which could indicate conferring some sort of gains.

Illustration:
Let's say someone's birth Ascendant is Cancer and natal moon is in Virgo. For instance if it's the 24th year of an individual and we find that at time of drawing up of chart, Jupiter is placed in Scorpio. We know that Jupiter in transit is said to give best results in 2,5,7,9,11. Thus, we can infer that from a physical point of view Jupiter shows positive results but however from a mental framework Jupiter in 3rd is not said to be favorable and hence we can say that overall this transit of Jupiter will be of a middling level ie successful from view point of physical self but negative from an emotional point of view. Like this we can assess the scope of other transit planets also with respect to both Ascendant and Moon.

Summary:
Methodology: Reading of yearly horoscope by fixing the Natal Ascendant and Moon as the base and reading the transits of planets based on this reference
Transit of Planets: Considered into account and effects needs to be read from both Natal Ascendant and Natal Moon
Chart Erection: The date of birth in every year
Focus: Read the horoscope inferring the transiting planets with reference to both Natal Ascendant and Natal Moon

Tajika Solar Return Chart
This methodology as the name suggests adopts the Solar Return Chart but here we do not fix a Lagna or Moon and all the 9 planets in addition to the Ascendant are read as per what is projected in the map of heavens at the time when chart is cast. The chart is drawn up at the time of the solar return which effectively means the degree stamp in which Sun returns to its natal position which would most likely be on the date you were born or a day apart either side. Tajika has a few other specific factors to be kept in mind such as Lord of the Year which is key and generally considered to be the strongest among 5 factors mentioned below:

A) Lord of the sign occupied by the Sun or Moon:
If the Solar return chart commences at day time, then lord of the sign where sun is placed in Annual Horoscope is considered whereas if the solar return chart originates during night time, then lord of the sign where moon is placed in Annual Horoscope needs to be considered. For this purpose, Day time is reckoned from sunrise to sunset and Night time is accounted from sunset to next sunrise
Illustration:
Let's say Sunrise is at 6:05 AM and Sunset is at 6:09 PM. Sun's Natal degree is 12.20'. Let's say we are casting the chart for the 33rd solar year and the time when Sun touches it's Natal degree is at 4:45 PM, then lord of sign where Sun sits needs to be taken, if however it was 8:40 PM in the night when sun reaches it's natal position, then Lord of sign where Moon is sitting has to be considered.

B) Lord of the Ascendant in the Birth Horoscope:
This is plain and simple, you take your original Ascendant as seen in birth horoscope and consider the ruler of the sign for the lord of the year.
Illustration:
If one is born in Mithuna Lagna, then Mercury is to be considered and likewise if one were born when Aquarius was rising, then Saturn has to be taken into account since it rules Aquarius.

C) Lord of the Ascendant in the Progressed Horoscope:
This happens to be the lord of the sign where the Ascendant is stationed at the time the chart is drawn which is when the Sun reaches its exact natal degree position.
Illustration:
Lets say when Sun reaches it's Natal Degree in the Solar Return chart, the Ascendant at that point of time is Capricorn. Thus, Saturn being ruler of Capricorn is to be considered for Lord of the year

D) Lord of Muntha:
It is believed that for every completed year, the Ascendant moves a sign. Muntha is said to travel one sign in each year beginning from the natal position. We need to consider the Lord of the progressed Ascendant for the year in reckoning to determine the Lord of the year.
Illustration:
Lets say natal Lagna is Gemini and we are now drawing up chart for the 26th year. In this case the 1st year begins with Gemini and it completes a cycle in the 12th year with Lagna being in Taurus. The same channel operates for years 13-24. Lagna returns to Gemini for the 25th year and in the 26th year it will be in Cancer. Thus, the Muntha sign will be Cancer and the lord of Muntha will be Moon.

E) Lord of Thrirasis:
This depends on whether the solar return chart is erected during day time or night time. Based on that a fixed lordship is assigned to all signs and wherever the Ascendant of the Solar chart falls depending on whether it was during the day or night we need to look up to the Day time and Night time planetary rulers of the signs and select them accordingly.
Aries - Sun (Day), Jupiter (Night)
Taurus - Venus (Day), Moon (Night)
Gemini - Saturn (Day), Mercury (Night)
Cancer - Venus (Day), Mars (Night)
Leo - Jupiter (Day), Sun (Night)
Virgo - Moon (Day), Venus (Night)
Libra - Mercury (Day), Saturn (Night)
Scorpio - Mars (Day), Venus (Night)
Sagittarius - Saturn (Day), Saturn (Night)
Capricorn - Mars (Day), Mars (Night)
Aquarius - Jupiter (Day), Jupiter (Night)
Pisces - Moon (Day), Moon (Night)
Illustration:
let's say Sunrise is at 6:05 AM and Sunset is at 6:09 PM and the solar return chart is determined at 4:20 PM which falls in Day time in the Ascendant of Scorpio, then we need to consider Mars being the Day lord of Scorpio. Likewise let's say the solar return chart is cast at 9:15 PM which falls in Night time in the Ascendant of Leo, then we need to take Sun since it is the night lord of Leo.

Summary:
Methodology: Reading of yearly horoscope based on solar return chart by giving importance to the Lord of the Year comprising of 5 key factors
Transit of Planets: Fully taken into consideration
Chart Erection: Yearly Solar Chart (When Sun returns to it's exact degree point in the zodiac sign)
Focus: Read the horoscope inferring the transiting planets based mainly with respect to the Tajika  Lagna arising for the year and also subjecting a magnified zooming to the assessed Lord of the Year.

Tithi Pravesh Lunar Return Chart
The Tithi's are the one's that make up a lunar month and each of the months consists of 15 Tithis constituting the brighter half and another 15 Tithis representing the darker half. The Tithi one is born assumes paramount importance as it is formed based on the inter-relationship of the Sun (Father) and Moon (Mother) and hence can be an important reckoning to indicate the start of a new birth. Thus, the return of the Tithi in the respective luni-solar month is considered as the orientation of a new year. It can end up being a few days away or after your actual Birthday date as a lunar year tends to be shorter than a solar year. The Tithi Pravesh Chart is constructed at the exact time containing the remaining tithi percentage of your birth in the respective luni solar month. As it's like a new arising, reading a chart based on the remaining tithi percentage can give a basis of how the year is likely to pan out.

Illustration:
Let's say if someone was born in Shukla Paksha Tritiya Tithi with 40% remaining in the lunar month of Pushya when Sun was stationed in the sign of Capricorn. Now lets say for 32nd year if we are computing Tithi Pravesh chart, we need to cast the chart when Sun returns to the sign of Capricorn and the respective Shukla Paksha Trithiya Tithi is operating and having 40% remaining percentage. The Lunar month could continue to be Pushya or even move to Magha on account of ensuring Sun ends up being in the same rasi as that of birth.

Summary:
Methodology: Reading of yearly horoscope based on Lunar return chart considering the remaining birth tithi percentage
Transit of Planets: Fully taken into consideration
Chart Erection: Luni-Solar Chart (When Sun and Moon re-unite to form the exact Tithi percentage remaining as witnessed at birth in the respective solar month in which Sun is transiting)
Focus: Read the horoscope inferring the transiting planets based mainly with respect to the Tithi Pravesh Lagna occuring for the year.

Lal Kitab Varshapal Chart
This is employed based on the principles of Lal Kitab Astrology. In this chart we do not consider the positions of any planets witnessed presently as per the transits but instead deploy alterations to the positions of the planets as per the natal chart making planets change houses. Lal Kitab does not give importance to signs and the first house is always reckoned from Aries. For instance if at birth you are having Sun, Mercury, Venus in the 8th house, in year 30 all these planets will move to 12th house, in the 10th house in 31st year, 6th house in 32nd year and so on and so forth. There is a 120 year table noting down the houses where the planets placed in your natal chart will move for that particular year in operation.

Illustration:
Let's say someone were born in Cancer Lagna with Jupiter in the first house, Moon & Mars in 3rd house, Sun/Mercury/Venus in 4th house, Rahu in 5th house, Saturn in 8th house and Ketu in 11th house. Now if we were to draw up Lal Kitab Varshapal chart for say 25th year, one needs to look at the placement of planets in the 25th year as seen below:

House No. of planets as per horoscope               1 2  3  4 5 6 7 8  9 10 11 12
House position of planets in 25th year                 1 6 10 3 2 8 7 4 11  5 12  9

Thus as per Lal Kitab Varshapal chart for 25th year, Jupiter will be in 1st house, Moon&Mars will be in 10th house, Sun/Mercury/Venus will be in 3rd house, Rahu in 2nd house, Saturn in 4th house and Ketu in 12th house. Please note chart ascendant will always be Aries and Rahu/Ketu need not be in 1/7 axis when drawing up the Varshapal chart.

Summary:
Methodology: Reading of yearly horoscope based on shifted planetary position of houses as per 120 year Varshapal Table reckoned from each running year
Transit of Planets: Not taken into consideration
Chart Erection: The date of birth in every year
Focus: Read the horoscope inferring the shifted house positions of planets from natal chart

Bhrigu Chakra Paddathi Chart
This method does not employ transit positions and the key to this measure is rotating the Ascendant each year in a house in cycles of 12. The 1st house rules the first year of one's life, 2nd house rules the second year, 3rd house rules the third year and so on and so forth with the 12th house ruling one's twelfth year. Now, this cycle is continued with the 1st house ruling the 13th year, 2nd year lording the 14th year etc. Please note the positions of the planets are static and don't change at all. It's just that with each year passing by, that particular house gets activated and we can expect results with respect to the particular year and house in question.

Illustration:
Let's say someone has just turned 28 and is entering into his 29th year. Now since we are taking cycles of 12, we see that quotient is 2 (12 times 2 is 24) and reminder is 5 (29-24). Hence we can say that the 5th house is getting activated and we must see results based on which planets are sitting in that house, the aspects it receives and the position of the owner of the 5th house. In case we are looking into the horoscope of a Simha Lagna native, then Dhanus being the 5th house gains prominence and we need to look at the planets placed in Sagittarius as well as the aspects received and also importantly analyse the role of Jupiter being the house lord of Sagittarius.

Summary:
Methodology: Reading of yearly horoscope based on planets placement in natal chart by shifting the Ascendant one house for each year
Transit of Planets: Not taken into consideration
Chart Erection: The date of birth in every year
Focus: Read the horoscope inferring the activated house by considering the placement of planets, aspects received and the role played by the lord of the activated house

Sudarshana Chakra Dasa Chart
It is a technique where a yearly chart is studied from 3 different base points namely the position of  Ascendant, Moon and Sun which is said to denote the body at physical level, mind at mental level and soul at spiritual level respectively. In this system each of the 12 houses beginning from the 1st house is allotted a period of one year and chart for a forthcoming year is read by shifting all of the Ascendant, Moon & Sun individually to the year in question and reading the effect of the transiting planets based on the horoscope erected which adopts the solar return chart.

Illustration:
Let's say someone's birth horoscope has the Ascendant in the sign of Aries, Moon in Virgo and Sun in Pisces. If we want to read about the upcoming events in the 16th year, we need to consider the number 4 since we are dealing with a cycle of 12 and 16 divided by 12 will give quotient of 1 and reminder 4. Now we need to shift each of Ascendant, Moon and Sun 4 signs from their respective zodiac positions and read the solar return chart based on all these 3 reference points indicating the body, mind and soul. Thus in this case the 3 reference points will be Physical/Body Level Ascendant Cancer (4th from Aries), Mental/Mind Level Moon Sagittarius (4th from Virgo) and Spiritual/Soul Level Sun Gemini (4th from Pisces)

Summary:
Methodology: Reading of yearly horoscope based on solar return chart considering 3 reference points - Ascendant, Moon & Sun by progressing them at the rate of one sign per year
Transit of Planets: Considered into picture and effects needs to be read from all 3 basis points
Chart Erection: Solar Return Chart in each year
Focus: Read the horoscope inferring the transiting planets with respect to the progressed Ascendant (body), Moon (mind) & Sun (soul).

Progression Chart
This is a hypo illusionary chart utilizing the planets taking a year or more to transit such as Jupiter, Rahu/Ketu and Saturn. These are the planets whose transits we anticipate with an extra dose of excitement as there is plenty of expectations on the kind of results which they are going to bestow for those born in each Lagna or Rasi. Based on the year in question, we extrapolate how many signs these forces would have traversed based on their average transit motion which is considered as 1 year for Jupiter, 1 and half years for Rahu/Ketu and 2 and half years for Saturn. Most likely, these planets may match up with the same positions as seen in the running transit chart.

Illustration:
Let's say someone's natal Jupiter is in Cancer, Rahu in Libra, Ketu in Aries and Saturn in Capricorn. Now assuming we are drawing up chart for 22nd year, Jupiter will be Aries (Since one round of 12 gets completed in Gemini with the 13th year beginning in Cancer onwards and by counting one year for each sign the 22nd will be in Aries). Rahu will be in Leo (Rahu travels in reverse and hence one round of 18 years which is 1.5*12 gets completed in Scorpio. 18-19.5 years will be in Libra again, 19.5 to 21 years will be in Virgo and 21 to 22.5 will be in Leo). Since Rahu is in Leo, Ketu will automatically be in Aquarius being exact opposite. With respect to Saturn, it'll be in Virgo (Saturn travels 2.5 years in a sign and hence would have crossed 8 signs from natal placement at age of 20 which is 2.5*8 and will be in the 9th sign which is Virgo from 20-22.5 years of age).

Summary:
Methodology: Reading of yearly horoscope based upon utilizing those planets taking a year or more to transit across a sign
Transit of Planets: Not considered in reality but more as an extrapolation
Chart Erection: The date of birth in every year
Focus: Read the horoscope inferring the progressed position of yearly transit planets such as Jupiter, Rahu/Ketu & Saturn with respect to both Natal Ascendant and Natal Moon.

Kurtos - Chimney Cakes transported from Hungary!

The chimney cakes concept has caught on big time in a short stint of time. These have originated originally from Hungary and it's nice to see a specialty snack from Europe being transported to our very own Singara Chennai.

Kurtos is located by the side of Besant Nagar Beach and makes for a great evening snack. It is a little higher in rates than your usual short eats but comes across as being pretty stuffed and very filling. This outlet here is a little one and they have varied options on both the savory and sweetened side along with a bit of salads and shakes for company.

I was more aligned to try the savoury ones and hence went for an indian version of a butter panneer kurtos along with a traditional savoury Hungarian cake. I unfortunately didn't have the content to try the sweetened stuff and it's certainly reserved for another day as I'm greatly looking forward to try those ravishing looking cinnamon rolls.

The butter panneer chimney cone was nicely wrapped and what I liked about it was that the stuffing was right upto the brim and you did feel the masala in every bite of that soft dough roll. It was nicely herbed and the cheese garlic essence gave it the crackling taste it needed. I enjoyed relishing this hand held delight as I usually do adore these dunky delights and this one both had the taste and punch to give the perfect complementary effect.

The Hungarian classic chimney cake came with stuffings such as cheese, onion and paprika in a rolled over bread. This was more like a meal based option and the combination worked really well. It was a tad spicy largely due to the element of paprika but aligned very well on the taste factor. All in all, this too was quite enjoyable.

These chimney based items are a good addition to the ever growing Chennai food market and is perhaps another repertoire when it comes to one's snack craving appetite. The more the options always better and being the ever loving food denizen eagerly awaiting to to try varied spreads, these chimney based creations certainly gives an extra fillip to enjoy these fancy joyful wholesome cakes.

Madras Kitchen Company (MKC) - Touch of fusion yet artisanal!

MKC or Madras Kitchen Company is a newly opened restaurant as part of the sprawling Westin property in Velachery. The first impression gives you an instant thumbs up with the decor being striking and the ambiance aesthetic and appealing.

It gives a very laidback as well as an insouciant atmosphere with it's signature wood work and artisanal surroundings. The menu has been created in a very crafty manner coming in the form of a large newspaper with lots of snippets thrown in not only about the food but also the city of Chennai in general. The cuisine is largely regional with a twist as there is a lot of fusion element interspersed to it. A little bit of Asian too has been added to the fray.

We were here for lunch on a lazy weekday afternoon and looking forward to what the place has to offer. The first item itself blew us away which was an amalgamation of Amul cheese and a guntur chilli spread on a bed of bread. The fill over not only looked magnificent but also tasted superlative. Next up we tried the Asian Bao's. This was an open bao stuffed to the brim consisting of juicy pieces of tofu, capsules of edamame green gram and laced with drooly layers of mayo. This was messy, junky, dunky and damn tasty. After this we tried their innovative ghee tossed podi Idly which came with a delightful kurma and a chilli coconut relish. This was served in the school tiffin style and had an old world charm about it. From the starter section, we also tried the curd rice which came with interesting concoctions which we had towards the end of our meal.

The starter section was totally top notch and no two ways about it. In the main course, we had the bombay sampler of ragda, misal and bhaji with butter pao. Though bhaji is a popular dish down south, we very rarely get to taste ragda or misal and this was a well done up 3 in 1 combo. Apart from this we also had a crack at the aloo chole with kulche. This was decent but however the chole felt a little less boiled and the taste did not come out very apparently.

We polished our meal with two gorgeous desserts. The 54℅ chocolate textures with berries had a really rich and smooth taste to it. The Madras Kitchen Sundae with a cheese cake slitted in was really yummy and mellow.

The service was friendly and the staff were very welcoming in not only answering our queries but also suggesting us on how to go about with our choices. If you're looking for regional cuisine with a sleek fusion element interlaced to it, you should certainly check out Madras Kitchen Company.

Vedic components of Time!

The breakdown of time as a component is very fascinating in the vedic sphere. The division of time from a higher level to the minutest level is indeed hair raising and you'll get alarmed at how atomically intricate the sages went with the lowest metric of time recorded to a depth underneath of up to a staggering 1/60750th of a second.

Let's say for instance that someone were born on the 4th of June 1986 at 10:05 PM in Chennai, India. Just by classifying on a broad scale of time we can perhaps say that the person was born in:
Akshaya Varsha  (60th of 60 years)
Uttara Ayana (1st of 2 Ayanas)
Vasantha Rutu (1st of 6 seasons)
Vaisakha Masa (2nd of 12 months)
Krishna Paksha (2nd of 2 fortnights)
Buddha Vara (4th of 7 days)
Ratri Samay (2nd of 2 times of a day)
Roga Gowri Panchang (3rd of 8 parts during night time of a day)
Shani Hora (17th of 24 hours of a day)

If someone were to ask you the time in which you were born you can always flummox anyone by stating in detail the time period in which you took birth on this earth. You can even add the details of the Nakshatra, Tithi, Karana, Yoga and various other measures as an extra fillip.

These are just various layers and from Paksha onwards it could even take another off shoot route by going in another direction such as the Ahoratra, Muhurtha, Ghati et al. But on a broad classification, at least to within an hours time the classification listed draws down to a pretty finite level. I shall now explain some important components of time by first listing down a summary on a high level followed by explanation on the components.

• Varsha (Samvatsara - 60 year cycle)
• Ayana (Sun's Northern and Southern movement)
• Ruthu (6 types of seasons) 
• Masa (12 months of Lunar calendar/Solar Calendar)
• Paksha (Bright half/Darker half of moon)
• Vara (7 days from Sunday to Saturday)
• Samay (Day divided into day time sunrise and night time sunset)
• Gowri Panchanga (Portion of sunrise and sunset divided into 8 equal parts each)
• Hora (Day classified into 24 hours beginning from lord of the day in decreasing distance)

Varsha (Samvatsara) / Year:
A time cycle consists of 60 years and can also translate to 5 cycles of Jupiter. It is based on a rough estimate of the time taken by the 2 biggies Jupiter and Saturn to come together which happens approximately once in 60 years. Jupiter takes roughly 1 year or 12 months in a sign and hence takes 12 years to complete the zodiac. Saturn on the other hand takes 2.5 years or 30 months and hence it takes 30 years to go around the zodiac. The lowest common multiple of 12 and 30 happens to be 60 and hence once every 60 years you would see Jupiter and Saturn crossing each other's path.

The first year of the cycle is called 'Prabhava' and the last year of the cycle is termed 'Akshaya'. The current 60 year cycle runs from 1987-88 to 2046-47. Now these 60 years by themselves are divided into 3 parts ruled by the trinity with the first 20 years ruled by Brahma, the next 20 years by Vishnu and the last 20 years by Shiva.

A Samvatsara is said to begin immediately after Ammavasya in the Tithi of Shukla Paksha Pratipada in the lunar month of Chaitra. This is followed mostly in the Northern part of India but however sections of South India believe that a year starts when Sun enters Mesha in the month of Chithirai. This difference of opinion could lead to a minor difference in the start of a new year based on whether lunar or solar calendars have been adopted.

Year	Samvatsara	Deity
1	Prabhava	Brahma
2	Vibhava	Brahma
3	Sukla	Brahma
4	Pramoduta	Brahma
5	Prajapati	Brahma
6	Angirasa	Brahma
7	Srimukha	Brahma
8	Bhava	Brahma
9	Yuva	Brahma
10	Dhattu	Brahma
11	Isvara	Brahma
12	Bahudhanya	Brahma
13	Pramathi	Brahma
14	Vikrama	Brahma
15	Vrushapraja	Brahma
16	Chitrabhanu	Brahma
17	Svabhanu	Brahma
18	Tarana	Brahma
19	Parthiva	Brahma
20	Vyaya	Brahma
21	Sarvajit	Vishnu
22	Sarvadhari	Vishnu
23	Virodhi	Vishnu
24	Vikrti	Vishnu
25	Khara	Vishnu
26	Nandana	Vishnu
27	Vijaya	Vishnu
28	Jaya	Vishnu
29	Manmatha	Vishnu
30	Durmukhi	Vishnu
31	Hevilambi	Vishnu
32	Vilambi	Vishnu
33	Vikari	Vishnu
34	Sarvari	Vishnu
35	Plava	Vishnu
36	Subhakruth	Vishnu
37	Shobhakruth	Vishnu
38	Krodhi	Vishnu
39	Visvavasu	Vishnu
40	Parabhava	Vishnu
41	Plavanga	Shiva
42	Kilaka	Shiva
43	Saumya	Shiva
44	Sadharana	Shiva
45	Virodhikrta	Shiva
46	Paridhavi	Shiva
47	Pramadicha	Shiva
48	Ananda	Shiva
49	Raksasa	Shiva
50	Nala	Shiva
51	Pingala	Shiva
52	Kalayukti	Shiva
53	Siddharthi	Shiva
54	Raudri	Shiva
55	Durmati	Shiva
56	Dundubhi	Shiva
57	Rudhirodgari	Shiva
58	Raktakshi	Shiva
59	Krodhana	Shiva
60	Akshaya	Shiva

Ayana (Northern/Southern movement of Sun):
An Ayana is basically 2 half years within a year known as the solar half and lunar half. It depends on the Sun's course of movement. The 2 Ayana's are termed Uttara Ayana (solar half) ruled by Sun and Dakshina Ayana (lunar half) ruled by Moon.

Uttara Ayana - This is the solar half of the year which takes place with Sun's Northward course from winter solstice to summer solstice where the days are said to be lengthier. In simple parlance, it is the time of the year when Sun enters Capricorn zodiac as per the sidereal year which would roughly be around the mid of January.

Dakshina Ayana - This is the lunar half of the year which takes place with Sun's Southward course from summer solstice to winter solstice where the nights are said to be lengthier. In simple parlance, it is the time of the year when Sun enters into Cancer zodiac as per the sidereal year which would roughly be around the mid of July.

Rutu (Seasons):
There are 6 types of seasons in the calendar denoting different meanings as mentioned below:
Vasantha - Spring (Ruled by Venus)
Grishma - Summer (Ruled by Sun, Mars)
Varsha - Monsoon/Rainy Season (Ruled by Moon)
Sharad - Autumn (Ruled by Mercury)
Hemanta - Winter (Ruled by Jupiter)
Sisira - Prevernal/Cold Season (Ruled by Saturn)

Vasantha Ruthu is said to correlate with the beginning of the year whereas Sisira Ruthu takes place during the end of the year. Each Rutu is said to last for 2 lunar months. In down south however due to change in climatic conditions, there tends to be a small shift with regard to the hot and cold portion of the year. Since Grishma is said to be the summer season and tends to begin in and around April, the solar months Chithirai and Vaikasi (Mid April to mid June) are associated with it and likewise Varsha is tagged along with the solar months of Aani and Aadi (Mid June to mid August).

Masa (Months):
There are 12 months in a year and the lunar calendar is the one which is followed in vogue. There are 2 types of traditions followed with regard to the following of the Lunar months viz

Amanta - Month starts on Shukla Pratipada and ends on Ammavasya (Most popular)

Pournimanta - Month starts on Krishna Paksha Pratipada and ends on Pournima

A lunar month is roughly about 29 and half days and hence a lunar year completes it's revolution in about 354 odd days whereas a solar year comprises about 365 and a quarter days. This difference accumulates over time and hence an extra month titled Adhik Maasa is inserted to keep the lunar and solar calendars aligned. The Adhik Maasa takes place once in about 2 years and 8 1/2 months with the extra month taking place in the month where the sun remains in the same zodiac sign throughout an entire lunar month cycle.

The 12 Lunar months are as follows and tend to occur during the months mentioned:

Chaithra - Mar-Apr

Vaishaka - Apr-May

Jyeshta - May-Jun

Ashada - Jun-Jul

Shravana - Jul-Aug

Bhadrapada - Aug-Sep

Ashwija - Sep-Oct

Karthik - Oct-Nov

Margashira - Nov-Dec

Pushya - Dec-Jan

Magha - Jan-Feb

Phalguna - Feb-Mar

However in some parts of South India, the solar calendar reigns supreme which by and large depends on the ingress of the Sun in different rasis beginning from Aries onwards. Listed below are the solar months which tend to occur roughly around the mid of every month beginning from mid April onwards with the year starting from Chithirai and ending with Panguni.

Chithirai - Apr-May

Vaikasi - May-Jun

Aani - Jun-Jul

Aadi - Jul-Aug

Avani - Aug-Sep

Purattasi - Sep-Oct

Aipasi - Oct-Nov

Karthikai - Nov-Dec

Margazhi - Dec-Jan

Thai - Jan-Feb

Maasi - Feb-Mar

Panguni - Mar-Apr

Paksha (Brigher/Darker Half of Moon):

A Paksha is basically a split of a lunar month into two halves viz brighter half or Shukla Paksha (waxing period of moon) and darker half or Krishna Paksha (waning period of Moon). Every 12 degrees of angular distance is termed a tithi and as and when the Moon moves away from the Sun to a point of 180 degrees (15 tithis - 180/12) it constitutes the brighter half and from there on in the Moon returns back towards the sun from 181st to 360 degrees which is said to be the darker half. There are 30 tithis in a lunar month with the first 15 waxing and the next 15 waning. The list of Tithi classification into Shukla Paksha and Krishna Paksha are listed below:

Pratipada - 1st (Shukla Paksha), 16th (Krishna Paksha)

Dwitiya - 2nd (Shukla Paksha), 17th (Krishna Paksha)

Tritiya - 3rd (Shukla Paksha), 18th (Krishna Paksha)

Chaturthi - 4th (Shukla Paksha), 19th (Krishna Paksha)

Panchami - 5th (Shukla Paksha), 20th (Krishna Paksha)

Sashti - 6th (Shukla Paksha), 21st (Krishna Paksha)

Sapthami - 7th (Shukla Paksha), 22th (Krishna Paksha)

Ashtami - 8th (Shukla Paksha), 23th (Krishna Paksha)

Navami - 9th (Shukla Paksha), 24th (Krishna Paksha)

Dasami - 10th (Shukla Paksha), 25th (Krishna Paksha)

Ekadashi - 11th (Shukla Paksha), 26th (Krishna Paksha)

Dwadashi - 12th (Shukla Paksha), 27th (Krishna Paksha)

Triyodashi - 13th (Shukla Paksha), 28th (Krishna Paksha)

Chaturdashi - 14th (Shukla Paksha), 29th (Krishna Paksha)

Pournami/Amma Vasya - 15th (Shukla Paksha), 30th (Krishna Paksha)

Vara (Days of the week):

These are basically the 7 days in a week from Sunday to Saturday. A day consists of both sun rise and sunset and said to last for a period of 24 hours beginning from sunrise of one day till the beginning of the sun rise of the next day. Each of the days are lorded by a ruling planet as seen below:

Ravi Vaar (Sunday) - Sun

Som Vaar (Monday) - Moon

Mangal Vaar (Tuesday) - Mars

Buddha Vaar (Wednesday) - Mercury

Guru Vaar (Thursday) - Jupiter

Shukra Vaar (Friday) - Venus

Shani Vaar (Saturday) - Saturn

Samay (Time of the day):

A day is again broken into 2 parts comprising of sunrise ruling the day portion and sunset ruling the night portion. Both these segments work out to roughly about 12 hours in a day.

Din Samay (Sunrise) - Day time portion

Ratri Samay (Sunset) - Night time portion

Gowri Panchanga (8 portions each of day time sun rise and night time sun set)

Gowri Panchang is a portion of approximately one and half hours time period used to check auspicious time to start a new activity and to avoid inauspicious time. From a religious perspective it is mainly used to decipher the right time for the purpose of a Muhurat.

The sunrise time as well as sunset times are further split into 8 equal parts each and assigned to 8 planets - Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and Rahu. The order of the sunrise period always begins from the order of the weekday and the sunset period begins from the 5th day of the weekday and follows the sequential order. The presence of Rahu alone yields breaks to this order which needs to be factored accordingly.

The different Gowri Panchangas in a day comprise of  the following North Indian or South Indian names and is said to be ruled by a particular planet

Udyoga/Uthi -  Sun

Amrit/Amrita - Moon

Roga/Rogam - Mars

Laabha/Laabam - Mercury

Shubha/Dhanam - Jupiter

Chala/Sugam - Venus

Kaala/Soram - Saturn

Vish/Visham - Rahu

Hora (24 hours in a day based on decreasing distance of planets):

Hora happens to be a unit of time comprising usually one hour time frame which is suitable for performing specific actions. Hora is computed based on the distance of planets or in essence the order of decreasing speed of planets with respect to the earth. The first Hora in a day however is always the ruling planet of the day, for instance Sunday's first Hora will always be Sun whereas Monday's first Hora will always be Moon and so on and so forth. The Hora order from slowest planet (also farthest) to the fastest planet (also closest) is as below;

Shani (Saturn)

Guru (Jupiter)

Kuja (Mars)

Suriya (Sun)

Shukra (Venus)

Buddha (Mercury)

Chandra (Moon)

Thus, we see that time can be pretty synchronous going about in a uniform manner and can also be extremely extensive. Providing below an easy tabular format to look at what extreme awe inspiring depths time really goes into:

Time                                                     Division

1 Time Cycle (60 years)	60 Samvatsara (year)
1 Samvatsara (year)	2 Ayana (half a year)
1 Ayana (half a year)	3 Rutus (Season)
1 Rutu (season)	2 Masa (Months)
1 Masa (Month)	2 Paksha (Shukla and Krishna)
1 Paksha (Shukla and Krishna)	15 Ahoratram (24 Hours)
1 Ahoratram (24 Hours)	30 Muhurtha (48 Minutes)
1 Muhurtha (48 Minutes)	2 Ghati (24 Minutes)
1 Ghati (24 Minutes)	30 Kalas (48 seconds)
1 Kalas (48 seconds)	2 Vighati (24 seconds)
1 Vighati (24 seconds)	6 Pranas (4 seconds)
1 Pranas (4 seconds)	6 Nimeshas (88.889 milisecond)
1 Nimeshas (88.889 milisecond)	30 Tatpara (2.96296 milisecond)
1 Tatpara (2.96296 milisecond)	100 Truti (29.6296 microsecond)
1 Truti (29.6296 microsecond)	1.8 Paramanu (60750th part of a second)
1 Paramanu	60750th part of a second