Rahu Kaal Timings
Rahu Kaal is one of the eight equal parts the day is divided into between sunrise and sunset. Which part it falls on depends only on the weekday; what time that part starts depends on where you are and the time of year.
Today — Tuesday, 22 September 2026
Computed from each city's own sunrise and sunset.
| City | Rahu Kaal | Sunrise |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 3:15 PM – 4:46 PM | 6:10 AM |
| Mumbai | 3:32 PM – 5:03 PM | 6:28 AM |
| Bengaluru | 3:13 PM – 4:44 PM | 6:09 AM |
| Chennai | 3:02 PM – 4:33 PM | 5:58 AM |
| Kolkata | 2:30 PM – 4:01 PM | 5:26 AM |
| Hyderabad | 3:09 PM – 4:40 PM | 6:05 AM |
| Pune | 3:28 PM – 4:59 PM | 6:24 AM |
| Ahmedabad | 3:33 PM – 5:04 PM | 6:29 AM |
Which part of the day, by weekday
The times below assume a day running exactly 6:00 to 18:00. That is the version printed in almanacs, and it is only exact near the equinoxes. Open a weekday below for the windows your city is actually on.
| Day | Part | Nominal window | Lord |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday · Somavara | second | 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM | Moon |
| Tuesday · Mangalavara | seventh | 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM | Mars |
| Wednesday · Budhavara | fifth | 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM | Mercury |
| Thursday · Guruvara | sixth | 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM | Jupiter |
| Friday · Shukravara | fourth | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Venus |
| Saturday · Shanivara | third | 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM | Saturn |
| Sunday · Ravivara | eighth | 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM | Sun |
How it is calculated
Take the minutes between sunrise and sunset and divide by eight. Each block is one part. Rahu Kaal is the second part on Monday, the seventh on Tuesday, the fifth on Wednesday, the sixth on Thursday, the fourth on Friday, the third on Saturday and the eighth on Sunday, and that ordering does not change.
Everything else follows from sunrise. A fourteen-hour summer day makes each part 105 minutes rather than 90, and pushes every boundary later. Cities in the east of India reach each part earlier in clock time than cities in the west, because the whole country keeps one time zone.
Common questions
What is Rahu Kaal?
Rahu Kaal is a stretch of roughly ninety minutes each day that tradition treats as unsuitable for beginning something new. It is one of the eight equal parts the day is divided into between sunrise and sunset, and which part depends only on the weekday.
How is Rahu Kaal calculated?
Take the minutes between sunrise and sunset and divide by eight. Rahu Kaal is the second part on Monday, the seventh on Tuesday, the fifth on Wednesday, the sixth on Thursday, the fourth on Friday, the third on Saturday and the eighth on Sunday. That ordering never changes, so only the clock time moves.
Why is Rahu Kaal different in each city?
Because it is measured from local sunrise rather than from the clock, and India keeps a single time zone across nearly thirty degrees of longitude. On Tuesday, 22 September 2026 it began at 2:30 PM in Kolkata and 3:33 PM in Ahmedabad.
Is Rahu Kaal the same as Yamaganda and Gulika Kaal?
They work the same way but are different parts of the day. Yamaganda and Gulika Kaal are each another of the eight divisions, also inauspicious, and are usually read alongside Rahu Kaal. Abhijit Muhurat around midday is the favourable counterpart to all three.
Does Rahu Kaal change through the year?
Yes. A summer day is longer, so each of its eight parts is longer and every boundary shifts. In Delhi the Monday window moves by more than an hour between the June and December solstices, which is why a fixed timing from an almanac is only an approximation.
The related periods
Yamaganda and Gulika Kaal are two more of the eight parts, read the same way, and Abhijit Muhurat around midday is the favourable counterpart. The panchang page gives all of them for today along with tithi, nakshatra, choghadiya and the planetary hours, for any city you pick.