Quick answer
Rahu Kaal explained: why it's considered inauspicious, how it's calculated from local sunrise and sunset, the weekday table, and the related Yamaganda and Gulika periods.
Rahu Kaal
Rahu Kaal (Rahu Kalam in South India) is a period of roughly 90 minutes each day ruled by Rahu, the shadow planet associated with confusion and obstacles. Many people avoid beginning anything important during it.
How Rahu Kaal is calculated
- Take the time from local sunrise to sunset.
- Divide it into eight equal parts.
- Rahu Kaal is one of those parts, and which one depends on the weekday.
| Day | Part of the day | Approx. time with 6 AM sunrise |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 2nd | 7:30 – 9:00 AM |
| Tuesday | 7th | 3:00 – 4:30 PM |
| Wednesday | 5th | 12:00 – 1:30 PM |
| Thursday | 6th | 1:30 – 3:00 PM |
| Friday | 4th | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Saturday | 3rd | 9:00 – 10:30 AM |
| Sunday | 8th | 4:30 – 6:00 PM |
A popular way to remember the order: "Mother Saw Father Wearing The Turban Suddenly", for Monday, Saturday, Friday, Wednesday, Thursday, Tuesday, Sunday.
Because real sunrise is rarely exactly 6 AM, the actual times shift every day and in every city.
Yamaganda and Gulika
Two more daily periods are calculated the same way:
- Yamaganda, ruled by Yama, avoided for travel and beginnings
- Gulika Kaal, ruled by Saturn's son Gulika. Whatever is started during it is said to repeat, so it's avoided for funerals and debts but sometimes chosen for positive repeating events.
What to avoid
- starting a business or new job
- signing contracts
- beginning a journey
- buying gold, property or a vehicle
- starting a puja or ceremony
Rahu Kaal is a cultural guideline. Work already in progress can continue; the tradition is about beginnings.
Check today's Rahu Kaal
The Panchang shows today's Rahu Kaal, Yamaganda, Gulika and Abhijit Muhurat for any city, and the Choghadiya calculator shows the auspicious periods around them.