The 30 Tithis Explained
A tithi is a lunar day: the time it takes the Moon to move 12° ahead of the Sun. Since the full cycle from new moon to new moon is 360°, a lunar month holds 30 tithis. The first fifteen, as the Moon waxes, form Shukla Paksha; the next fifteen, as it wanes, form Krishna Paksha.
Every vrat, festival and muhurat in the Hindu calendar is tied to a tithi, which is why knowing today's tithi and its exact timing matters.
Tithi at a glance
| No. | Shukla Paksha | Krishna Paksha | Deity | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pratipada प्रतिपदा | Pratipada प्रतिपदा | Agni | Nanda |
| 2 | Dwitiya द्वितीया | Dwitiya द्वितीया | Brahma | Bhadra |
| 3 | Tritiya तृतीया | Tritiya तृतीया | Gauri | Jaya |
| 4 | Chaturthi चतुर्थी | Chaturthi चतुर्थी | Ganesha | Rikta |
| 5 | Panchami पंचमी | Panchami पंचमी | Naga (Serpent deities) | Purna |
| 6 | Shashthi षष्ठी | Shashthi षष्ठी | Kartikeya | Nanda |
| 7 | Saptami सप्तमी | Saptami सप्तमी | Surya | Bhadra |
| 8 | Ashtami अष्टमी | Ashtami अष्टमी | Shiva (Rudra) | Jaya |
| 9 | Navami नवमी | Navami नवमी | Durga | Rikta |
| 10 | Dashami दशमी | Dashami दशमी | Yama | Purna |
| 11 | Ekadashi एकादशी | Ekadashi एकादशी | Vishnu (Vishvedevas) | Nanda |
| 12 | Dwadashi द्वादशी | Dwadashi द्वादशी | Vishnu (Hari) | Bhadra |
| 13 | Trayodashi त्रयोदशी | Trayodashi त्रयोदशी | Kamadeva | Jaya |
| 14 | Chaturdashi चतुर्दशी | Chaturdashi चतुर्दशी | Shiva | Rikta |
| 15 | Purnima पूर्णिमा | Amavasya अमावस्या | Chandra (Moon) / Pitrs | Purna |
Read about each tithi
Pratipada प्रतिपदा
Pratipada is the first lunar day of each fortnight. In Shukla Paksha it marks the visible return of the crescent moon; in Krishna Paksha it begins the waning half.
Dwitiya द्वितीया
Dwitiya is the second lunar day. Ruled by Brahma, it is a Bhadra (auspicious, 'good') tithi and is considered favourable for building and laying foundations.
Tritiya तृतीया
Tritiya, ruled by Gauri (Parvati), is a Jaya ('victorious') tithi. It is one of the most auspicious tithis for women's vrats and for purchases meant to last.
Chaturthi चतुर्थी
Chaturthi is Lord Ganesha's tithi. Shukla Chaturthi is Vinayaka Chaturthi and Krishna Chaturthi is Sankashti Chaturthi, the monthly fast to remove obstacles.
Panchami पंचमी
Panchami is a Purna ('complete') tithi associated with the Nagas and with knowledge. It is considered very good for learning, medicine and healing.
Shashthi षष्ठी
Shashthi belongs to Kartikeya (Skanda, Murugan) and to Shashthi Devi, the protector of children. It is a Nanda tithi favoured for celebration.
Saptami सप्तमी
Saptami is ruled by Surya, the Sun. It is a Bhadra tithi and is favoured for travel, marriage and anything connected with health and vitality.
Ashtami अष्टमी
Ashtami is a Jaya tithi linked with Shiva and the fierce forms of the Goddess. It carries great spiritual force and is a day of fasting rather than worldly beginnings.
Navami नवमी
Navami is a Rikta tithi ruled by Durga. It is powerful for worship and for overcoming enemies, but is avoided for celebrations and new ventures.
Dashami दशमी
Dashami is a Purna tithi ruled by Yama, the lord of dharma. It is strongly auspicious for victory, travel and righteous action.
Ekadashi एकादशी
Ekadashi is the most widely observed fasting day in the Hindu calendar, dedicated to Lord Vishnu. There are 24 Ekadashis in a normal year, each with its own name and story.
Dwadashi द्वादशी
Dwadashi, ruled by Vishnu as Hari, is the day of Parana, when the Ekadashi fast is broken. It is a Bhadra tithi suited to auspicious and religious work.
Trayodashi त्रयोदशी
Trayodashi is a Jaya tithi ruled by Kamadeva and is the day of Pradosh Vrat, the twice-monthly fast for Lord Shiva performed around sunset.
Chaturdashi चतुर्दशी
Chaturdashi is a Rikta tithi sacred to Shiva. Krishna Chaturdashi each month is Masik Shivaratri, and the one in Magha (Phalguna in the north) is Maha Shivaratri.
Purnima पूर्णिमा
Purnima is the full moon tithi that completes Shukla Paksha. The Moon is at its strongest, and the day is devoted to Vishnu (Satyanarayan), holy bathing and charity.
Amavasya अमावस्या
Amavasya is the new moon tithi, when the Sun and Moon share the same longitude. It is the foremost day for honouring ancestors (Pitrs) with tarpan and shraddha.
Common questions
How many tithis are there in a month?
There are 30 tithis in a lunar month: 15 in Shukla Paksha (waxing, from Pratipada to Purnima) and 15 in Krishna Paksha (waning, from Pratipada to Amavasya).
How is a tithi calculated?
Subtract the Sun's longitude from the Moon's longitude. Each 12° of separation is one tithi: 0–12° is Shukla Pratipada, 168–180° is Purnima, and 348–360° is Amavasya.
What are Nanda, Bhadra, Jaya, Rikta and Purna tithis?
Tithis are grouped in a repeating cycle of five. Nanda (1, 6, 11) brings joy, Bhadra (2, 7, 12) is good for work, Jaya (3, 8, 13) gives victory, Rikta (4, 9, 14) is 'empty' and avoided for beginnings, and Purna (5, 10, 15/30) is complete.
Is the tithi the same everywhere in the world?
The instant a tithi begins and ends is the same everywhere, but local clocks and sunrise differ. So the tithi assigned to a calendar day, and its local start and end times, depend on your location.