Rahu Kaal is a daily window of roughly 90 minutes that the Hindu panchang treats as inauspicious for starting anything new or important. It is found by dividing the time between sunrise and sunset into 8 equal parts, and one of those parts, fixed by the weekday, is Rahu Kaal. Because sunrise and sunset differ by city and season, today's Rahu Kaal in Lucknow will not match the one in Mumbai or Bengaluru.
What is Rahu Kaal?
Rahu is one of the navgraha, the nine grahas of Jyotish. It is a shadow planet linked with confusion, obstacles and unexpected turns. The traditional belief is that work begun during the part of the day ruled by Rahu tends to meet delays or not turn out as planned.
Rahu Kaal, also called Rahu Kalam, is followed very closely in South India. More and more families in North India now check it too before an important start, usually alongside the Choghadiya and the day's muhurat.
How is Rahu Kaal calculated?
The method is simple:
- Note today's sunrise and sunset time for your city.
- Work out the total daytime between them, called dinmaan.
- Divide it by 8 to get the length of one part.
- Take the part assigned to the weekday. That part is Rahu Kaal.
The weekday order is:
- Monday: 2nd part
- Saturday: 3rd part
- Friday: 4th part
- Wednesday: 5th part
- Thursday: 6th part
- Tuesday: 7th part
- Sunday: 8th part
The first part of the day is never Rahu Kaal on any weekday, so the time right after sunrise is always free of it. A common memory aid for the order from the 2nd to the 8th part is "Mother Saw Father Wearing The Turban Suitably", which stands for Monday, Saturday, Friday, Wednesday, Thursday, Tuesday and Sunday.
Here is a worked example. Say that on a winter day in Lucknow, sunrise is at 6:40 am and sunset at 5:20 pm. The daytime is 10 hours 40 minutes, or 640 minutes, so each of the 8 parts is 80 minutes long. If it is a Monday, the 2nd part runs from 8:00 to 9:20 am, and that is Rahu Kaal for the day.
What is the usual Rahu Kaal time for each weekday?
If you assume sunrise at 6:00 am and sunset at 6:00 pm, each part is exactly 90 minutes, and Rahu Kaal falls roughly here:
- Monday: 7:30 to 9:00 am
- Tuesday: 3:00 to 4:30 pm
- Wednesday: 12:00 to 1:30 pm
- Thursday: 1:30 to 3:00 pm
- Friday: 10:30 am to 12:00 pm
- Saturday: 9:00 to 10:30 am
- Sunday: 4:30 to 6:00 pm
What should you avoid during Rahu Kaal?
By tradition, people avoid starting the following during Rahu Kaal:
- A new business, shop or job.
- Griha pravesh (housewarming), an engagement or any other auspicious ceremony.
- Buying a new vehicle, house, gold or anything major.
- Setting out on an important journey.
- Signing a big agreement or important papers.
There is no need to pause routine work, office work, anything already in progress, or a visit to the doctor. The rule is only about new and auspicious beginnings. Many people use this time for prayer or jaap, and in parts of South India there is even a tradition of Durga puja during Rahu Kaal.
Why does Rahu Kaal change from city to city?
Rahu Kaal is tied to the sun, not to a fixed clock time. India stretches a long way from east to west, so the sun rises in Guwahati much earlier than in Mumbai, while the whole country runs on one clock (IST). Seasons matter too. In summer the day is longer, so each part is longer than 90 minutes, and in winter it is shorter.
That is why Delhi's Rahu Kaal is not accurate for Lucknow, Patna or Bhopal. Always check the time for your own city.
See your city's panchangTithi, nakshatra, sunrise and sunset and today's good and bad timings — daily.Open in app →The daily panchang in the Achman app shows the tithi, nakshatra, sunrise and sunset and the good and bad timings for the day in one place. It makes planning the day easy, first thing in the morning.
What are Yamaganda and Gulika Kaal?
Like Rahu Kaal, Yamaganda and Gulika Kaal are also worked out from the 8 parts of the day, with a different part assigned to each weekday. Yamaganda is avoided for auspicious work, just like Rahu Kaal.
Gulika Kaal carries the belief that whatever is done in it tends to repeat. So some people avoid it for anything they would not want to happen again, such as funeral rites or taking a loan. Both of these timings are followed mostly in South India.
Frequently asked questions
What time is Rahu Kaal today?
Rahu Kaal changes every day and in every city, because it is based on that day's local sunrise and sunset. Divide the daytime into 8 parts and take the part fixed for the weekday, such as the 2nd on Monday and the 8th on Sunday. Checking the daily panchang for your city is the easiest way.
Is there a Rahu Kaal at night?
Most people follow only the daytime Rahu Kaal, between sunrise and sunset. Some panchangs also work out a night Rahu Kaal by splitting the time from sunset to the next sunrise into 8 parts. In practice, most families give the night version little weight.
Can I do puja during Rahu Kaal?
Daily puja, aarti, jaap and prayer can all be done during Rahu Kaal. What tradition avoids is starting a new auspicious ceremony with a sankalp, such as a griha pravesh or an engagement. In South India there is even a special tradition of Durga puja during Rahu Kaal.
What if I have to start a journey during Rahu Kaal?
If the journey cannot be moved, there is no need to worry. Some families follow the custom of prasthan, placing a bag or item outside the house during a good time before the actual departure, while others simply leave after a short prayer. Travel for work, an urgent matter or medical care does not need to be delayed because of Rahu Kaal.
What is the difference between Rahu Kaal and Choghadiya?
Rahu Kaal marks only one inauspicious part of the day. Choghadiya splits both day and night into 8 parts each and names every part Amrit, Shubh, Labh, Char, Kaal, Rog or Udveg. Both are based on sunrise and sunset, and Choghadiya is more common in North and West India while Rahu Kaal is more common in the South.
By Achman Team · Updated