Vandemataram.com- Hindu Almanac

The Hindu Almanac is also called PANCHANGA. Panchanga literally means the five parts or limbs.
The five parts of PANCHANGA are :

1. Tithi (Day)
2. Yoga
3. Nakshatra (Star)
4. Rahukala and
5. Yamakanda

Moon Days in Hindu Panchanga:

Prathama
Dvitiya
Tritiya
Chaturthi
Panchami
Shashti
Saptami
Astami
Navami
Dashami
Ekadasi
Dvadasi
Trayodasi
Chaturdasi
*Pancadasi
(* Suklapaksha Purnima or Krishna paksha Amavasya)

The lunar calendar is based upon the daily rising and setting of the Moon and its waxing and waning characteristic.

The lunar month is divided into two fifteen-day parts. Beginning with the new Moon, the subsequent fifteen days culminating in the full Moon (Purnima) are called waxing or bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha). The next fifteen days following the full Moon culminate in the new Moon (Amavasya) and are called waning or dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha).

Each day of the month is associated with either the bright fortnight or the dark fortnight.

Months in the Hindu Panchanga,with the corresponding likely Solar Months:

The lunar year consists of twelve months of thirty OR thirty-one days each. The calendar adds an extra month once every five years to correct the difference between the solar and the lunar year. The names of the months are :

Chaitra
Vaisakh
Jyeshtha
Ashadha
Shravana
Bhadrapada
Asvina
Kartika
Margashirsha
Pausha
Magha
Phalguna

(March-April)
(April-May)
(May-June),
(June-July)
(July-August)
(August-September)
(September-October)
(October-November)
(November-December)
(December-January)
(January-February)
(February-March).

Week Days in the Hindu Panchanga:

In the Hindu calendar, the days of the week are believed to be governed by deities.

Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday

is called
is called
is called
is called
is called
is called
is called

Ravivar
Somvar
Mangalvar
Budhvar
Guruvar
Shukravar
Shanivar

is ruled by the Sun (Ravi)
is ruled by the Moon (Soma)
is ruled by Mars (Mangal)
is ruled by Mercury (Budh)
is ruled by Jupiter (Bruhaspati or Guru)
is ruled by Venus (Shukra)
is ruled by Saturn (Shani)

The Panchanga is the guide to find out the date,place and time on which eclipse would take place . Highly complex mathematical formulas were used by the HIndu sages to derive the panchanga. Panchanga is also used as travel guide to choose the auspicious day, daily guide and a guide for farmers and traders.

Panchanga was developed by Aryabhatta and it was updated and corrected from the period of Varahamihira to Bhashkara III. The modifications and corrections were done after a deep study of celestial mathematics. The deep study of astronomy really made the panchanga end results very simple. The astronomy calculations are the key to panchanga.

Panchanga was used by our ancestors for all walks of life. In today's life also we can use the panchanga to find the auspicious time and events which are likely to take place in our life.