Panchang and Muhurat API: Building Indian Astrology Features for Your App

In India, millions of people check the panchang before starting their day. They check muhurat before scheduling a wedding, starting a business, or buying a home. The Hindu calendar is not a curiosity. It is a daily operating system for over a billion people.

The Indian astrology app market is growing at 49% per year, the fastest of any region in the world. Valued at $163 million in 2024, it is projected to reach $1.8 billion by 2030. Apps like AstroTalk and InstaAstro have proven massive demand. And panchang is the feature that drives daily engagement.

If you are building for the Indian market, panchang and muhurat are not optional features. They are essential. This guide explains what they are, how they work, and how to integrate them through an API.

What is Panchang?

Panchang (also spelled Panchangam) literally means "five limbs" in Sanskrit. It is the Hindu calendar and almanac, and it describes five elements for any given day:

1. Tithi (Lunar Day)

The phase of the Moon relative to the Sun. There are 30 tithis in a lunar month, 15 in the waxing phase (Shukla Paksha) and 15 in the waning phase (Krishna Paksha).

Each tithi has a ruling deity and is considered auspicious or inauspicious for specific activities. For example:

• Pratipada (1st tithi): Good for beginning new ventures
• Panchami (5th): Favorable for education and learning
• Ekadashi (11th): Sacred fasting day, auspicious for spiritual practices
• Amavasya (New Moon): Generally considered inauspicious for new beginnings
• Purnima (Full Moon): Auspicious for celebrations and spiritual activities

2. Nakshatra (Lunar Mansion)

The Moon's position in one of 27 nakshatras (lunar mansions). Each nakshatra spans 13 degrees 20 minutes of the zodiac and has specific qualities:

• Rohini: Creativity, growth, material prosperity
• Pushya: Nourishment, generosity, spiritual growth
• Ashwini: Speed, healing, new beginnings
• Bharani: Transformation, restraint, patience
• Mrigashira: Searching, curiosity, gentle pursuits

The nakshatra of the day influences which activities are favorable. Many people time important decisions based on the ruling nakshatra.

3. Yoga (Luni-Solar Combination)

Not to be confused with the physical practice. In panchang, yoga refers to one of 27 astronomical combinations of the Sun and Moon positions. Each yoga has a nature:

• Siddhi: Accomplishment, success in endeavors
• Shubha: Auspicious, favorable for positive activities
• Shukla: Bright, good for intellectual pursuits
• Vaidhriti: Inauspicious, caution advised

4. Karana (Half-Tithi)

Each tithi is divided into two karanas, giving 60 karanas per lunar month. There are 11 types of karanas, some movable and some fixed. Each karana influences the nature of activities during that half-day period.

5. Vara (Day of the Week)

The weekday, each associated with a planetary ruler:

• Ravivara (Sunday): Sun. Leadership, government, father
• Somavara (Monday): Moon. Mind, mother, emotions
• Mangalavara (Tuesday): Mars. Energy, courage, siblings
• Budhavara (Wednesday): Mercury. Communication, business, learning
• Guruvara (Thursday): Jupiter. Wisdom, spirituality, teachers
• Shukravara (Friday): Venus. Love, beauty, luxury
• Shanivara (Saturday): Saturn. Discipline, service, hardship

What is Muhurat?

Muhurat (also spelled Muhurta) is the science of auspicious timing. It uses panchang elements, planetary positions, and other astrological factors to determine the best time for specific activities.

Common Muhurat Types

Vivah Muhurat (Marriage): The most consulted muhurat in Indian culture. Considers the compatibility of the couple's charts, auspicious tithis, favorable nakshatras, and avoidance of inauspicious periods.

Griha Pravesh (Housewarming): Timing for entering a new home. Avoids specific nakshatras and considers the direction of entry, the house owner's chart, and planetary transits.

Shubh Muhurat (General Auspicious): For starting businesses, signing contracts, beginning journeys, or any important new undertaking.

Naamkaran Muhurat (Naming Ceremony): Timing for naming a newborn, based on the baby's birth nakshatra and favorable planetary positions.

Inauspicious Periods to Avoid

Rahu Kaal: A daily period of approximately 90 minutes when Rahu's influence is considered negative. Calculated based on sunrise time and day of the week. No important activities should begin during Rahu Kaal.

Yamagandam: Similar to Rahu Kaal but associated with Yama (the god of death). Avoided for starting new ventures.

Gulika Kaal: Another inauspicious daily period. Important decisions are postponed until this period passes.

Durmuhurat: Inauspicious minutes within otherwise favorable periods. Fine-grained timing that serious practitioners observe.

Why Panchang Features Drive Daily Engagement

Panchang is the astrology feature with the highest daily usage because:

It changes every day. Unlike a birth chart (calculated once), panchang data is different every single day. Users check it every morning.

It affects real decisions. People genuinely time activities around panchang. Buying gold on Dhanteras. Fasting on Ekadashi. Avoiding Rahu Kaal for interviews. This is not casual interest. It is daily practice for hundreds of millions of people.

It is hyper-local. Panchang calculations depend on sunrise and sunset times, which vary by location. A panchang for Mumbai is different from one for Delhi. This location specificity makes the feature feel personal and relevant.

It is culturally mandatory. For many Indian families, checking the panchang before important events is non-negotiable. An app that provides this reliably becomes indispensable.

Building Panchang Features with an API

Basic Daily Panchang

The minimum viable panchang feature shows today's five elements:

API call:

GET https://roxyapi.com/api/v2/vedic-astrology/panchang?date=2026-02-24&latitude=19.076&longitude=72.877
Headers: X-API-Key: your-key

Display: A clean card showing:

• Today's tithi (with phase)
• Today's nakshatra (with ruling deity)
• Today's yoga
• Today's karana
• Sunrise and sunset times
• Rahu Kaal timing

Muhurat Calculator

Let users find auspicious times for specific activities:

1. User selects activity type (marriage, housewarming, business start)
2. User selects their preferred date range
3. API returns favorable windows within that range
4. Display the windows ranked by auspiciousness

Monthly Panchang Calendar

Show a full month view with:

• Tithi for each day
• Ekadashi dates highlighted
• Purnima and Amavasya marked
• Festival dates (derived from panchang data)
• Rahu Kaal times for each day

This is the highest-engagement panchang feature. Users reference it repeatedly throughout the month for planning.

Festival Date Calculator

Hindu festivals are determined by the panchang, not the Gregorian calendar. Diwali falls on Amavasya in the month of Kartik. Holi is on Purnima in Phalguna. An API that calculates panchang can derive festival dates for any year.

High-value festivals to include:

• Diwali, Holi, Navratri, Ganesh Chaturthi
• Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Onam
• Ram Navami, Janmashtami, Maha Shivaratri
• Ekadashi dates (twice monthly, observed by millions)

Integration Architecture

Location-Based Panchang

Panchang depends on the observer's location because sunrise/sunset times vary. Your app needs to:

1. Get the user's location (GPS or city selection)
2. Convert to latitude/longitude
3. Pass coordinates to the API with the date
4. Display location-specific panchang data

Caching Strategy

• Daily panchang by location: Cache for 24 hours per location grid cell (0.5 degree resolution is sufficient)
• Monthly calendar data: Cache for the entire month (tithi dates do not change retroactively)
• Muhurat calculations: Cache for the specific date range requested
• Rahu Kaal: Recalculate daily per location (depends on sunrise time)

Push Notifications

• Morning panchang: "Today is Ekadashi. Tithi: [name]. Nakshatra: [name]. Rahu Kaal: [time]-[time]."
• Muhurat alerts: "Shubh Muhurat for [activity] today between [time]-[time]."
• Festival reminders: "Maha Shivaratri is tomorrow. Puja muhurat: [time]."

These notifications drive daily app opens and are directly useful (not just engagement bait).

Monetization for Panchang Apps

Free Tier

• Today's basic panchang (tithi, nakshatra, vara)
• Rahu Kaal timing
• Monthly calendar view

Premium Tier ($3.99-9.99/month)

• Detailed panchang with all five elements
• Muhurat calculator for specific activities
• Personalized recommendations based on birth chart
• Festival calendar with puja timings
• Muhurat notifications
• Multiple location support (for users with family in different cities)

Astrologer Marketplace Add-On

• Connect users with human astrologers for muhurat consultations
• Commission-based revenue on consultations
• Kundli matching for matrimonial muhurat

For Developers: Getting Started

RoxyAPI's Vedic Astrology API provides panchang calculations including all five elements, Rahu Kaal, and nakshatra data. The same API key gives you kundli generation, dasha predictions, matchmaking, and all non-astrology domains (tarot, numerology, I-Ching, dreams).

Integration steps:

1. Get a RoxyAPI key
2. Call the panchang endpoint with date and location
3. Display the five elements in your UI
4. Add Rahu Kaal and muhurat calculations
5. Build the monthly calendar view
6. Set up daily push notifications

Check the Vedic Astrology API documentation for endpoint details and response schemas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How accurate are API-calculated panchang values? A: Panchang accuracy depends on the underlying ephemeris precision and the sunrise/sunset algorithm. APIs using Swiss Ephemeris (like RoxyAPI) provide calculations consistent with traditional panchang almanacs. Always verify against established regional panchangs for your specific location.

Q: Do panchang calculations vary by region in India? A: Yes. Panchang values (especially sunrise time and therefore Rahu Kaal) vary by geographic location. A panchang for Chennai will differ from one for Jaipur. Always pass the user's specific location coordinates to the API for accurate local results.

Q: Is there a difference between North Indian and South Indian panchang? A: The underlying astronomical calculations are the same. Differences arise in regional observances (which tithis are emphasized for festivals), calendar conventions (Vikram Samvat in the North, Shalivahana Shaka in the South), and local traditions for muhurat selection.

Q: Can I build a panchang app for the global Indian diaspora? A: Absolutely. The API accepts any latitude/longitude, so it works for Indians living in New York, London, Singapore, or Sydney. The panchang will be calculated for their local sunrise/sunset times. This is a significant market, the Indian diaspora is over 30 million people globally.

Q: What is the difference between a panchang and a daily horoscope? A: A daily horoscope is based on zodiac sun signs and planetary transits. Panchang describes the astronomical and astrological qualities of the day itself (tithi, nakshatra, yoga, karana, vara) independent of any individual's birth chart. Panchang applies to everyone in a location. Horoscopes are sign-specific.

Q: Can I combine panchang with kundli features? A: Yes, and you should. The most engaging Indian astrology apps combine daily panchang (for daily engagement) with kundli generation (for deep personalization). With RoxyAPI, both are available through the same API key and documentation. View pricing to get started.

Build your panchang app for the fastest-growing astrology market on earth. Explore RoxyAPI, check pricing, or read the API documentation.