Tuesday, 15 December 2026

Margashirsha, Shukla Paksha · Vikram Samvat 2083 · Shaka 1948

Shashthi

15 December 2026 is Margashirsha Shukla Paksha Shashthi, a Mangalvaar (मंगलवार). The tithi runs from 7:16 PM on 14 December 2026 until 9:19 PM. Sunrise at New Delhi is 7:06 AM and sunset is 5:26 PM. Rahu Kaal falls between 2:51 PM and 4:08 PM, and the Abhijit Muhurat is 11:55 AM to 12:36 PM.

Tithi (तिथि)

Shashthi

until 9:19 PM

Sunrise (सूर्योदय)

7:06 AM

Sunset 5:26 PM

Rahu Kaal (राहु काल)

2:51 PM – 4:08 PM

Avoid new work

The lunar day

Tithi, Paksha and Vaar (तिथि)

Shashthi

Shukla Paksha · tithi 6 of 15

7:16 PM, 14 Dec – 9:19 PM

Saptami

begins today

9:19 PM – 10:46 PM, 16 Dec

Vaar (weekday) (वार)

Ruled by Mars (Mangal)

Mangalvaar · मंगलवार

Paksha (पक्ष)

the waxing fortnight, new moon to full

Shukla Paksha · शुक्ल पक्ष

Shashthi begins 7:16 PM, 14 Dec and ends 9:19 PM.

Auspicious windows

Shubh Muhurat (शुभ मुहूर्त)

Abhijit Muhurat (अभिजित मुहूर्त)

The one window good for almost any undertaking

11:55 AM – 12:36 PM

Brahma Muhurat (ब्रह्म मुहूर्त)

Before dawn — for meditation, study and sadhana

5:16 AM – 6:11 AM

Vijaya Muhurat (विजय मुहूर्त)

Afternoon — traditionally for setting out and for contests

1:59 PM – 2:40 PM

Pradosh Kaal (प्रदोष काल)

The window after sunset, used for Shiva and Lakshmi puja

5:26 PM – 7:50 PM

Nishita Kaal (निशीथ काल)

True midnight — Shivratri and Diwali Mahalakshmi puja

11:48 PM – 12:43 AM, 16 Dec

Abhijit is the eighth of the fifteen muhurtas between sunrise and sunset, so it is 41 minutes long today rather than a fixed 48 — it stretches and shrinks with the length of the day.

Periods to avoid

Ashubh Kaal (अशुभ काल)

Rahu Kaal (राहु काल)

Begin nothing new. About 90 minutes, and the most watched of the three.

2:51 PM – 4:08 PM

Yamaganda (यमगण्ड)

Ruled by Yama. Associated with loss and obstruction.

9:41 AM – 10:58 AM

Gulika Kaal (गुलिक काल)

Ruled by Gulika. Avoided for ceremonies, though not for all work.

12:16 PM – 1:33 PM

We do not publish Varjyam, Dur Muhurat or Godhuli Muhurat. The rules behind them are known, but the underlying tables differ between sources by enough to move a window by the better part of an hour — and these are windows whose whole purpose is telling you not to begin something. We would rather leave them out than print a number we cannot stand behind.

Hour by hour

Choghadiya (चौघड़िया)

The day and the night are each divided into eight parts. Amrit, Shubh and Labh are auspicious; Char is neutral; Udveg, Kaal and Rog are best avoided. It is the quickest check there is for whether the next hour and a half is a good time to begin something.

Day — sunrise 7:06 AM to sunset 5:26 PM

Rog (रोग)

Avoid. Confronting an enemy only.

7:06 AM – 8:23 AM

Udveg (उद्वेग)

Avoid. Government work only.

8:23 AM – 9:41 AM

Char (चर)

Travel and movement. Neutral otherwise.

9:41 AM – 10:58 AM

Labh (लाभ)

Business, new ventures, education.

10:58 AM – 12:16 PM

Amrit (अमृत)

Best of all. Any auspicious work.

12:16 PM – 1:33 PM

Kaal (काल)

Avoid. Wealth accumulation only.

1:33 PM – 2:51 PM

Shubh (शुभ)

Marriage, ceremonies, religious work.

2:51 PM – 4:08 PM

Rog (रोग)

Avoid. Confronting an enemy only.

4:08 PM – 5:26 PM

Night — sunset 5:26 PM to sunrise 7:06 AM

Kaal (काल)

Avoid. Wealth accumulation only.

5:26 PM – 7:08 PM

Shubh (शुभ)

Marriage, ceremonies, religious work.

7:08 PM – 8:51 PM

Rog (रोग)

Avoid. Confronting an enemy only.

8:51 PM – 10:33 PM

Udveg (उद्वेग)

Avoid. Government work only.

10:33 PM – 12:16 AM, 16 Dec

Char (चर)

Travel and movement. Neutral otherwise.

12:16 AM, 16 Dec – 1:58 AM, 16 Dec

Labh (लाभ)

Business, new ventures, education.

1:58 AM, 16 Dec – 3:41 AM, 16 Dec

Amrit (अमृत)

Best of all. Any auspicious work.

3:41 AM, 16 Dec – 5:23 AM, 16 Dec

Kaal (काल)

Avoid. Wealth accumulation only.

5:23 AM, 16 Dec – 7:06 AM, 16 Dec

The night choghadiya belongs to Mangalvaar, not to the next day: in the panchang the weekday changes at sunrise, not at midnight.

The other three limbs

Nakshatra, Yoga and Karana (नक्षत्र)

Nakshatra: Dhanishta (नक्षत्र)

Pada 4 at sunrise

9:11 AM, 14 Dec – 11:52 AM

Nakshatra: Shatabhisha

begins today

11:52 AM – 2:01 PM, 16 Dec

Yoga: Harshana (योग)

1:03 PM, 14 Dec – 1:36 PM

Yoga: Vajra

begins today

1:36 PM – 1:44 PM, 16 Dec

Karana: Kaulava (करण)

7:16 PM, 14 Dec – 8:22 AM

Karana: Taitila

begins today

8:22 AM – 9:19 PM

Karana: Garaja

begins today

9:19 PM – 10:08 AM, 16 Dec

The Moon is in Dhanishta at sunrise, in its 4th pada. A karana is half a tithi, which is why there are more of them in a day than anything else here.

Suryoday and Chandroday

Sun and Moon (सूर्य और चंद्र)

Sunrise (सूर्योदय)

7:06 AM

Sunset (सूर्यास्त)

5:26 PM

Moonrise (चंद्रोदय)

11:18 AM

Moonset (चंद्रास्त)

10:56 PM

Day length is 10 hours 20 minutes, night 13 hours 40 minutes.

Planetary hours

Hora (होरा)

Twenty-four planetary hours from sunrise, in the Chaldean order. The first is always ruled by the lord of the weekday — Mars (Mangal) today, which is what makes it Mangalvaar. Day horas and night horas are not sixty minutes each; they are a twelfth of the actual day and a twelfth of the actual night.

1. Mars (Mangal)

7:06 AM – 7:57 AM

2. Sun (Surya)

7:57 AM – 8:49 AM

3. Venus (Shukra)

8:49 AM – 9:41 AM

4. Mercury (Budh)

9:41 AM – 10:32 AM

5. Moon (Chandra)

10:32 AM – 11:24 AM

6. Saturn (Shani)

11:24 AM – 12:16 PM

7. Jupiter (Guru)

12:16 PM – 1:07 PM

8. Mars (Mangal)

1:07 PM – 1:59 PM

9. Sun (Surya)

1:59 PM – 2:51 PM

10. Venus (Shukra)

2:51 PM – 3:42 PM

11. Mercury (Budh)

3:42 PM – 4:34 PM

12. Moon (Chandra)

4:34 PM – 5:26 PM

13. Saturn (Shani)

5:26 PM – 6:34 PM

14. Jupiter (Guru)

6:34 PM – 7:42 PM

15. Mars (Mangal)

7:42 PM – 8:51 PM

16. Sun (Surya)

8:51 PM – 9:59 PM

17. Venus (Shukra)

9:59 PM – 11:07 PM

18. Mercury (Budh)

11:07 PM – 12:16 AM, 16 Dec

19. Moon (Chandra)

12:16 AM, 16 Dec – 1:24 AM, 16 Dec

20. Saturn (Shani)

1:24 AM, 16 Dec – 2:32 AM, 16 Dec

21. Jupiter (Guru)

2:32 AM, 16 Dec – 3:41 AM, 16 Dec

22. Mars (Mangal)

3:41 AM, 16 Dec – 4:49 AM, 16 Dec

23. Sun (Surya)

4:49 AM, 16 Dec – 5:57 AM, 16 Dec

24. Venus (Shukra)

5:57 AM, 16 Dec – 7:06 AM, 16 Dec

Where the lights stand

Rashi, Masa and Samvat (मास)

Chandra Rashi (Moon sign) (चंद्र राशि)

All day

Kumbha (Aquarius)

Surya Rashi (Sun sign) (सूर्य राशि)

Sidereal, Lahiri ayanamsha

Vrischika (Scorpio)

Masa — Purnimanta (मास)

North Indian reckoning: the month ends at the full moon

Margashirsha Shukla Paksha

Masa — Amanta

Southern and western reckoning: the month ends at the new moon

Margashirsha Shukla Paksha

Ritu (season) (ऋतु)

Hemanta

Ayana (अयन)

The Sun's half-year direction

Dakshinayana

Vikram Samvat

2083

Shaka Samvat

1948

The two masa reckonings differ through every waning fortnight, which is why a calendar from Delhi and one from Chennai can name the same day differently. Today it is Margashirsha in the north and Margashirsha in the south — the same, as they always are in a waxing fortnight.

Frequently asked

Questions about 15 December 2026

What tithi is 15 December 2026?

15 December 2026 is Margashirsha Shukla Paksha Shashthi. The tithi runs from 7:16 PM on 14 December 2026 until 9:19 PM, calculated for New Delhi.

What is the Rahu Kaal on 15 December 2026?

Rahu Kaal on 15 December 2026 is from 2:51 PM to 4:08 PM at New Delhi. Yamaganda is 9:41 AM to 10:58 AM and Gulika Kaal is 12:16 PM to 1:33 PM. These are the periods in which new work is traditionally not begun.

What is the shubh muhurat on 15 December 2026?

Abhijit Muhurat, the window good for almost any undertaking, is 11:55 AM to 12:36 PM. Brahma Muhurat is 5:16 AM to 6:11 AM before dawn, and Vijaya Muhurat is 1:59 PM to 2:40 PM.

What time is sunrise and sunset on 15 December 2026?

At New Delhi, sunrise on 15 December 2026 is 7:06 AM and sunset is 5:26 PM. Moonrise is 11:18 AM and moonset is 10:56 PM.

All timings are calculated for New Delhi, India (28.61°N, 77.21°E) in Indian Standard Time, using the Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsha. Sunrise and every muhurat derived from it shift by up to an hour across India, so times will differ for your city.