A tithi is a lunar day in Vedic timekeeping, or the time it takes for the longitudinal angle between the moon and the sun to grow by 12 degrees. In Hindu tradition, a tithi (or date) has unique importance. Any auspicious mahurats in Hindu culture are determined on the basis of a tithi.

In Vedic astrology, a month is divided into 30 tithis, which begin on the first day of the dark half of the month and terminate on the full moon day, each of which has 15 days or vaar. Tithis vary in length, ranging from 19 to 26 hours, depending on the moon’s movement. Each tithis has its own name and ruling planet, which is employed in muhurta (i.e., picking a proper time).

The first fourteen tithis have the same name during both the dark and light heats of each month; the dark tithi finishes with the new moon day (i.e., Amavasya Tithi), while the bright tithi concludes with the new full moon day (i.e., Purnima). The 15^th Tithi is called Purnima, while Amavasya is the 30^th Tithi.

The 14 tithis are: –

• Pratipada
• Dwitiya
• Tritiya
• Chaturthi
• Panchmi
• Shasthi
• Saptami
• Ashtami
• Navami
• Dashmi
• Ekadashi
• Dwadashi
• Trayashi
• Chaturdashi

Pratipada, Shasthi, and Ekadashi Tithis can be called Nanda which signify of causing happiness & joy. Dwitiya, Saptami, and Dwadashi can be called Jaya which signify causing victory. Chatuthi, Navami, and Chaturdashi can be called Ritika causing emptiness or loss. Panchami, Dashmi, and Purnima as well as Amavasya can be called Poorna that means causing completion.

Each tithi has its own essence, lordship, and propensity of being good or harmful. The majority of tithis are beneficial naturally for various reasons, whereas just a handful are fundamentally harmful.

Some tithis are referred to be ‘Parv Tithis,’ such as the eighth day of every dark half of the month, which represents great and violent natural force. The eighth day of the bright half of the month is known as ‘Maas Durgashtmi,’ and it is considered auspicious for praying to Goddess Durga to remove all obstacles from one’s life. Every fortnight, Lord Shiva is honoured on the fourteenth day, which is known as Maha Shivratri in the dark half.

When the Moon begins to lose its brightness and intensity during the waxing moon phase, it gets quite low in energy by the middle of the dark half of the month. This pattern continues into the first half of the month, so from Ekadashi (the 11th day of the dark half) to Chaturthi (the fourth day of the bright half), the month is marked by low energy, so offering prayers with sincerity and devotion, following all rituals, and sticking to a satwick routine will help you stay strong during this time.