Thursday, 21 May 2026 · Shukla Panchami · Times in IST
| Karana | Starts | Ends | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balava Shukla Panchami |
09:42 PM, 20 May | 08:27 AM | Movable |
| Kaulava Shukla Shashthi |
08:27 AM | 07:21 PM | Movable |
| Taitila Shukla Shashthi |
07:21 PM | 06:25 AM, 22 May | Movable |
Sunrise in Thiruvananthapuram: 06:06 AM. Karana changes at the same moment across India.
Also check Rahu Kalam, Hora and the Malayalam Panchangam.
| Date | Tithi at Sunrise | Karanas |
|---|---|---|
| 21 May, Thu | Shukla Panchami | Balava till 08:27 AM Kaulava till 07:21 PM Taitila till 06:25 AM, 22 May |
| 22 May, Fri | Shukla Shashthi | Taitila till 06:25 AM Garaja till 05:39 PM Vanija till 05:04 AM, 23 May Vishti till 04:40 PM, 23 May |
| 23 May, Sat | Shukla Ashtami | Vishti till 04:40 PM Bava till 04:27 AM, 24 May Balava till 04:24 PM, 24 May |
| 24 May, Sun | Shukla Navami | Balava till 04:24 PM Kaulava till 04:31 AM, 25 May Taitila till 04:47 PM, 25 May |
| 25 May, Mon | Shukla Dashami | Taitila till 04:47 PM Garaja till 05:11 AM, 26 May Vanija till 05:43 PM, 26 May |
| 26 May, Tue | Shukla Ekadashi | Vanija till 05:43 PM Vishti till 06:22 AM, 27 May |
| 27 May, Wed | Shukla Ekadashi | Vishti till 06:22 AM Bava till 07:07 PM Balava till 07:57 AM, 28 May |
| Karana | Type | Nature | Best used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bava | Movable | Auspicious | Starting new work, anything meant to last, auspicious beginnings. |
| Balava | Movable | Auspicious | Religious rites, studies, charity and family functions. |
| Kaulava | Movable | Auspicious | Friendships, partnerships, marriage talks and social meetings. |
| Taitila | Movable | Auspicious | Buying land or a house, government work, decorating the home. |
| Garaja | Movable | Auspicious | Farming, sowing, construction work and housewarming. |
| Vanija | Movable | Auspicious | Trade, business deals, buying and selling, opening a shop. |
| Vishti | Movable | Inauspicious | Also called Bhadra. Avoided for all auspicious beginnings. |
| Shakuni | Fixed | Mixed | Medicines, mantra practice, settling disputes. |
| Chatushpada | Fixed | Mixed | Work with animals and cattle, rites for ancestors. |
| Naga | Fixed | Inauspicious | Considered harsh. Avoided for auspicious work. |
| Kimstughna | Fixed | Auspicious | Auspicious and religious work. |
A tithi is the time the Moon takes to pull 12 degrees ahead of the Sun. Karana is half of that, just 6 degrees.
So each tithi has two karanas. A lunar month has 30 tithis and 60 karanas. On most days you'll see two or three of them.
Karana is one of the five limbs of the Panchangam: tithi, vara, nakshatra, yoga and karana.
The seven movable karanas run in a loop, Bava to Vishti, eight full rounds a month. That covers 56 of the 60 slots.
The four fixed karanas fill the rest, once a month each. Shakuni comes in the second half of Krishna Chaturdashi, Chatushpada and Naga on Amavasya, and Kimstughna in the first half of Shukla Pratipada.
Planning something big? Keep Vishti out of your window. It's the one karana every tradition agrees on avoiding.
Karana is half of a tithi. Every time the Moon moves 6 degrees ahead of the Sun, one karana ends and the next begins, so there are 60 karanas in a lunar month and usually two or three in a day.
On Thursday, 21 May 2026, the karana at sunrise is Balava, running until 08:27 AM. The full list with timings is at the top of this page.
No. A karana changes at the same moment everywhere, so the IST timings on this page work across India. Only the sunrise changes from place to place, which can decide which karana is "the karana of the day".
Vishti, also called Bhadra, is the one everyone avoids for auspicious work. Naga is also treated as harsh. Most people also skip the fixed karanas for weddings and housewarmings.
Seven movable ones (Bava, Balava, Kaulava, Taitila, Garaja, Vanija, Vishti) that repeat eight times a month, and four fixed ones (Shakuni, Chatushpada, Naga, Kimstughna) that come only once, around the new moon.
Karana is one of the five limbs of the Panchangam, along with tithi, vara, nakshatra and yoga. Astrologers check it while fixing a muhurtham, especially to keep Vishti out of the chosen window.