Rahu Kaal, Yamaganda and Gulika Kaal are three short periods each day that traditional Vedic almanacs (panchang) treat as unfavourable for starting new work. This page calculates them for your city and date, and lists the next seven days. Everything runs in your browser; no location is sent anywhere.
Updated November 2026. Traditional information only: this is a belief-based custom, not a scientific forecast.
What are Rahu Kaal, Yamaganda and Gulika Kaal?
In Vedic astrology Rahu and Ketu are the two lunar nodes, shadow points rather than physical planets. Tradition says the part of the day ruled by Rahu is an unsettled time, so people avoid beginning major undertakings in it: signing an agreement, starting a journey, opening a business, or beginning a ceremony. Work already under way is normally allowed to continue.
Yamaganda is linked to Yama, the god of death and time, and is associated with delays. Gulika, the son of Saturn in the tradition, is associated with repeating results, which is why Gulika Kaal is sometimes considered acceptable for things you would like to recur, and avoided for things you would prefer not to repeat. Opinions differ between regions, so use this as a general guide and follow your own family custom.
How the calculation works
- Find sunrise and sunset for the chosen place and date. The calculator uses the standard solar position equations, with sunrise taken when the centre of the sun is 0.833° below the horizon to allow for refraction and the sun's size.
- Divide daylight into eight equal parts. On a day with 12 hours of daylight each part is 90 minutes; in winter or at higher latitudes the parts are shorter or longer.
- Pick the part by weekday. The weekday is the local calendar day that begins at sunrise, which is how the traditional panchang counts it.
Which part of the day for each weekday
| Day | Rahu Kaal | Yamaganda | Gulika Kaal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 8th part | 4th part | 7th part |
| Monday | 2nd part | 3rd part | 6th part |
| Tuesday | 7th part | 2nd part | 5th part |
| Wednesday | 5th part | 1st part | 4th part |
| Thursday | 6th part | 7th part | 3rd part |
| Friday | 4th part | 6th part | 2nd part |
| Saturday | 3rd part | 5th part | 1st part |
Reading the Rahu Kaal column from Monday to Sunday gives the sequence 2, 7, 5, 6, 4, 3, 8, which is the easiest way to remember it.
Worked example: Delhi, Saturday 14 November 2026
Sunrise is about 06:43 and sunset about 17:28, so daylight lasts 10 hours 45 minutes. Divided by eight, each part is about 1 hour 20 minutes. Saturday's Rahu Kaal is the 3rd part, which begins after two parts (2 h 41 min) and runs to the end of the third: roughly 09:24 to 10:44. Yamaganda is the 5th part (about 12:05 to 13:26) and Gulika Kaal is the 1st part (about 06:43 to 08:03). The calculator above gives the same values.
Why the time differs from city to city
Because every part is tied to sunrise and sunset, the same weekday has different clock times in Cuttack, Delhi and London. In India, with a single time zone across the country, sunrise in the east (Guwahati) can be more than an hour earlier than in the west (Ahmedabad) on the same day, and the periods move with it. Using a generic table for all of India is therefore only a rough guide.
Choghadiya and other time systems
Choghadiya is a related system that also divides day and night into eight parts, naming each one (Amrit, Shubh, Labh, Char, Rog, Kaal, Udveg) by weekday. It is popular in western India. Rahu Kaal, Yamaganda and Gulika are used more widely in the south and east. Neither system is better than the other, and you can use whichever your community follows.
Using the information sensibly
- Treat it as a custom. There is no scientific evidence that starting something in these periods changes how it turns out.
- Do not postpone urgent medical care, travel for safety, legal deadlines or work obligations because of a Rahu Kaal.
- If your family follows a printed panchang, use that for religious ceremonies; this page is a convenience for everyday reference.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rahu Kaal the same time every day?
No. It is one of eight equal parts of the daylight period, so it moves with sunrise and sunset. It also falls in a different part of the day on each weekday.
Why does the calculator need my city?
Sunrise and sunset depend on latitude, longitude and date. A city a few hundred kilometres away can differ by several minutes, and that shifts every period.
Does Rahu Kaal change with daylight saving time?
The periods are tied to sunrise and sunset, so they are shown in the local clock time of the zone you pick, including daylight saving time where it applies.
Do the dates and times match a printed panchang?
They should agree within a few minutes. Printed panchangs may use a slightly different sunrise definition (for example the upper limb of the sun or a local standard), so check the almanac your family or temple follows.
Is Rahu Kaal scientifically proven to be unlucky?
No. It is a traditional belief from Vedic electional astrology (muhurta). There is no scientific evidence that activities started in this period turn out worse. Many people simply follow it as custom.
What is the difference between Rahu Kaal, Yamaganda and Gulika Kaal?
They are three separate traditional time segments, each one eighth of the daylight period. Each is assigned to a different segment on each weekday; which one they are is described in the table above.
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