How to read a panchang without a priest

Panchang means five limbs. Once you can name them, the calendar on your grandmother's wall stops being a mystery.

Tithi is the lunar day, measured by the angle between sun and moon. Vaar is the weekday. Nakshatra is the lunar mansion the moon occupies. Yoga and karana are derived quantities used mainly for muhurat.

For everyday use, tithi and nakshatra are enough. Festivals are fixed by tithi; personal observances often by nakshatra. Muhurat — choosing a moment — is where the remaining three earn their place, and where a competent panchang reader is still worth consulting.