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Wednesday, 30 December 2026

Paush, Krishna Paksha · Vikram Samvat 2083 · Shaka 1948

Saptami · Masik Kalashtami

30 December 2026 is Paush Krishna Paksha Saptami, a Budhvaar (बुधवार). It is Masik Kalashtami, also called Kalashtami, Kaal Bhairav Ashtami, Bhairava Ashtami and Masik Kalashtami Vrat. The tithi runs from 1:25 PM on 29 December 2026 until 12:36 PM. Sunrise at New Delhi is 7:13 AM and sunset is 5:33 PM. Rahu Kaal falls between 12:23 PM and 1:40 PM, and the Abhijit Muhurat is 12:02 PM to 12:43 PM, though Abhijit is not observed on a Wednesday.

Tithi (तिथि)
Saptami
until 12:36 PM
Sunrise (सूर्योदय)
7:13 AM
Sunset 5:33 PM
Rahu Kaal (राहु काल)
12:23 PM – 1:40 PM
Avoid new work
The lunar day

Tithi, Paksha and Vaar (तिथि)

Saptami
Krishna Paksha · tithi 7 of 15
1:25 PM, 29 Dec – 12:36 PM
Ashtami
begins today
12:36 PM – 12:32 PM, 31 Dec
Vaar (weekday) (वार)
Ruled by Mercury (Budh)
Budhvaar · बुधवार
Paksha (पक्ष)
the waning fortnight, full moon to new
Krishna Paksha · कृष्ण पक्ष

Saptami begins 1:25 PM, 29 Dec and ends 12:36 PM.

Festival today

Masik Kalashtami

Masik Kalashtamiमासिक कालाष्टमी

Paush Krishna Paksha Ashtami · Margashirsha in amanta reckoning

Also known as Kalashtami, Kaal Bhairav Ashtami, Bhairava Ashtami and Masik Kalashtami Vrat.

KalashtamiKaal Bhairav AshtamiBhairava AshtamiMasik Kalashtami Vrat

The monthly observance to Kaal Bhairav, the fierce guardian form of Shiva who governs time itself and holds the keys to Kashi. Kept for protection from fear, from enemies and from untimely misfortune. Worship is at night, which is why the date follows Nishita rather than sunrise.

What devotees do

  • Fast through the day where the vrat is kept.
  • Worship Bhairav after dark with mustard-oil lamps, black sesame and urad.
  • Feed dogs, who are Bhairav's vahana.
Auspicious windows

Shubh Muhurat (शुभ मुहूर्त)

Abhijit Muhurat (अभिजित मुहूर्त)
Not observed on a Wednesday, by the common convention
12:02 PM – 12:43 PM
Brahma Muhurat (ब्रह्म मुहूर्त)
Before dawn — for meditation, study and sadhana
5:23 AM – 6:18 AM
Vijaya Muhurat (विजय मुहूर्त)
Afternoon — traditionally for setting out and for contests
2:06 PM – 2:47 PM
Pradosh Kaal (प्रदोष काल)
The window after sunset, used for Shiva and Lakshmi puja
5:33 PM – 7:57 PM
Nishita Kaal (निशीथ काल)
True midnight — Shivratri and Diwali Mahalakshmi puja
11:55 PM – 12:50 AM, 31 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)

Inauspicious period: Rahu Kaal (राहु काल)
Begin nothing new. About 90 minutes, and the most watched of the three.
12:23 PM – 1:40 PM
Inauspicious period: Yamaganda (यमगण्ड)
Ruled by Yama. Associated with loss and obstruction.
8:30 AM – 9:48 AM
Inauspicious period: Gulika Kaal (गुलिक काल)
Ruled by Gulika. Avoided for ceremonies, though not for all work.
11:05 AM – 12:23 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 7:13 AM to sunset 5:33 PM

Labh (लाभ)
Business, new ventures, education.
7:13 AM – 8:30 AM
Amrit (अमृत)
Best of all. Any auspicious work.
8:30 AM – 9:48 AM
Inauspicious period: Kaal (काल)
Avoid. Wealth accumulation only.
9:48 AM – 11:05 AM
Shubh (शुभ)
Marriage, ceremonies, religious work.
11:05 AM – 12:23 PM
Inauspicious period: Rog (रोग)
Avoid. Confronting an enemy only.
12:23 PM – 1:40 PM
Inauspicious period: Udveg (उद्वेग)
Avoid. Government work only.
1:40 PM – 2:58 PM
Char (चर)
Travel and movement. Neutral otherwise.
2:58 PM – 4:15 PM
Labh (लाभ)
Business, new ventures, education.
4:15 PM – 5:33 PM

Night — sunset 5:33 PM to sunrise 7:13 AM

Inauspicious period: Udveg (उद्वेग)
Avoid. Government work only.
5:33 PM – 7:15 PM
Char (चर)
Travel and movement. Neutral otherwise.
7:15 PM – 8:58 PM
Labh (लाभ)
Business, new ventures, education.
8:58 PM – 10:40 PM
Amrit (अमृत)
Best of all. Any auspicious work.
10:40 PM – 12:23 AM, 31 Dec
Inauspicious period: Kaal (काल)
Avoid. Wealth accumulation only.
12:23 AM, 31 Dec – 2:05 AM, 31 Dec
Shubh (शुभ)
Marriage, ceremonies, religious work.
2:05 AM, 31 Dec – 3:48 AM, 31 Dec
Inauspicious period: Rog (रोग)
Avoid. Confronting an enemy only.
3:48 AM, 31 Dec – 5:30 AM, 31 Dec
Inauspicious period: Udveg (उद्वेग)
Avoid. Government work only.
5:30 AM, 31 Dec – 7:13 AM, 31 Dec

The night choghadiya belongs to Budhvaar, 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: Uttara Phalguni (नक्षत्र)
Pada 3 at sunrise
3:42 PM, 29 Dec – 3:36 PM
Nakshatra: Hasta
begins today
3:36 PM – 4:12 PM, 31 Dec
Yoga: Saubhagya (योग)
3:29 PM, 29 Dec – 1:40 PM
Yoga: Shobhana
begins today
1:40 PM – 12:25 PM, 31 Dec
Karana: Bava (करण)
12:55 AM – 12:36 PM
Karana: Balava
begins today
12:36 PM – 12:29 AM, 31 Dec
Karana: Kaulava
begins today
12:29 AM, 31 Dec – 12:32 PM, 31 Dec

The Moon is in Uttara Phalguni at sunrise, in its 3rd 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)
7:13 AM
Sunset (सूर्यास्त)
5:33 PM
Moonrise (चंद्रोदय)
None today
The Moon does not rise on this calendar date
Moonset (चंद्रास्त)
11:39 AM

Day length is 10 hours 20 minutes, night 13 hours 40 minutes. A missing moonrise or moonset is not missing data: the Moon rises about fifty minutes later each day, so roughly once a lunar month a calendar date contains neither one nor the other.

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 — Mercury (Budh) today, which is what makes it Budhvaar. 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. Mercury (Budh)
7:13 AM – 8:04 AM
2. Moon (Chandra)
8:04 AM – 8:56 AM
3. Saturn (Shani)
8:56 AM – 9:48 AM
4. Jupiter (Guru)
9:48 AM – 10:39 AM
5. Mars (Mangal)
10:39 AM – 11:31 AM
6. Sun (Surya)
11:31 AM – 12:23 PM
7. Venus (Shukra)
12:23 PM – 1:14 PM
8. Mercury (Budh)
1:14 PM – 2:06 PM
9. Moon (Chandra)
2:06 PM – 2:58 PM
10. Saturn (Shani)
2:58 PM – 3:49 PM
11. Jupiter (Guru)
3:49 PM – 4:41 PM
12. Mars (Mangal)
4:41 PM – 5:33 PM
13. Sun (Surya)
5:33 PM – 6:41 PM
14. Venus (Shukra)
6:41 PM – 7:49 PM
15. Mercury (Budh)
7:49 PM – 8:58 PM
16. Moon (Chandra)
8:58 PM – 10:06 PM
17. Saturn (Shani)
10:06 PM – 11:14 PM
18. Jupiter (Guru)
11:14 PM – 12:23 AM, 31 Dec
19. Mars (Mangal)
12:23 AM, 31 Dec – 1:31 AM, 31 Dec
20. Sun (Surya)
1:31 AM, 31 Dec – 2:39 AM, 31 Dec
21. Venus (Shukra)
2:39 AM, 31 Dec – 3:48 AM, 31 Dec
22. Mercury (Budh)
3:48 AM, 31 Dec – 4:56 AM, 31 Dec
23. Moon (Chandra)
4:56 AM, 31 Dec – 6:04 AM, 31 Dec
24. Saturn (Shani)
6:04 AM, 31 Dec – 7:13 AM, 31 Dec
Where the lights stand

Rashi, Masa and Samvat (मास)

Chandra Rashi (Moon sign) (चंद्र राशि)
All day
Kanya (Virgo)
Surya Rashi (Sun sign) (सूर्य राशि)
Sidereal, Lahiri ayanamsha
Dhanu (Sagittarius)
Masa — Purnimanta (मास)
North Indian reckoning: the month ends at the full moon
Paush Krishna Paksha
Masa — Amanta
Southern and western reckoning: the month ends at the new moon
Margashirsha Krishna 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 Paush in the north and Margashirsha in the south.

Frequently asked

Questions about 30 December 2026

What tithi is 30 December 2026?

30 December 2026 is Paush Krishna Paksha Saptami. The tithi runs from 1:25 PM on 29 December 2026 until 12:36 PM, calculated for New Delhi.

Is 30 December 2026 Masik Kalashtami?

Yes. 30 December 2026 is Masik Kalashtami, also known as Kalashtami, Kaal Bhairav Ashtami, Bhairava Ashtami and Masik Kalashtami Vrat. The monthly observance to Kaal Bhairav, the fierce guardian form of Shiva who governs time itself and holds the keys to Kashi. Kept for protection from fear, from enemies and from untimely misfortune. Worship is at night, which is why the date follows Nishita rather than sunrise.

What is the Rahu Kaal on 30 December 2026?

Rahu Kaal on 30 December 2026 is from 12:23 PM to 1:40 PM at New Delhi. Yamaganda is 8:30 AM to 9:48 AM and Gulika Kaal is 11:05 AM to 12:23 PM. These are the periods in which new work is traditionally not begun.

What is the shubh muhurat on 30 December 2026?

Abhijit Muhurat falls between 12:02 PM and 12:43 PM, but it is not observed on a Wednesday by the common convention. Brahma Muhurat is 5:23 AM to 6:18 AM before dawn, and Vijaya Muhurat is 2:06 PM to 2:47 PM.

What time is sunrise and sunset on 30 December 2026?

At New Delhi, sunrise on 30 December 2026 is 7:13 AM and sunset is 5:33 PM. The Moon does not rise on this calendar date — it rises after midnight, so the rise falls on the following day. and moonset is 11:39 AM.

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.