What is Rahu Kaal? (राहू काळ म्हणजे काय?)
Rahu Kaal (राहू काळ, also spelled Rahukalam or Rahu Kala) is a period each weekday considered inauspicious for starting new important work. It is one of the most commonly checked items on Marathi panchanga — often before Rahu Kaal, office workers in Mumbai still hear: “दुपारी १२ ते १:३० — राहू काळ, नवीन काम ठेव.”
Rahu is a shadow planet (छाया ग्रह) in Hindu astrology — the north node of the Moon. Unlike tithi or nakshatra, Rahu Kaal does not depend on the lunar calendar date. It depends only on vaar (weekday) and the division of daylight between sunrise and sunset into eight equal parts. One of those eight parts is labelled Rahu each day; which slot varies by weekday.
Rahu Kaal is separate from Choghadiya (which also splits the day into eight named periods but with different auspicious/inauspicious names). It is also separate from Abhijit muhurat, a brief midday window often treated as favourable even on otherwise busy days — see Choghadiya vs Rahu Kaal vs Abhijit.
Rahu Kaal Mumbai IST — weekday table
The table below uses the standard all-India weekday assignment with approximate clock times for Mumbai when sunrise is ~6:00 AM and sunset ~6:00 PM (12-hour daylight, each of 8 parts ≈ 1 hour 30 minutes). Exact minutes shift with season — June sunsets later than December — so treat times as reference, not stopwatch precision.
| वार / Day | Rahu Kaal (approx.) | Slot (of 8) |
|---|---|---|
| Ravivar / Sunday | 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM | 8th |
| Somvar / Monday | 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM | 2nd |
| Mangalvar / Tuesday | 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM | 7th |
| Budhvar / Wednesday | 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM | 5th |
| Guruvār / Thursday | 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM | 6th |
| Shukravar / Friday | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM | 4th |
| Shanivar / Saturday | 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM | 3rd |
Memory tip used in Maharashtra: “रवि-८, सोम-२, मंगळ-७, बुध-५, गुरु-६, शुक्र-४, शनि-३” — the number is which daylight segment is Rahu on that weekday.
On our home calendar, selecting any date shows that day’s Rahu Kaal based on its weekday. Month pages like July 2026 repeat the pattern in the footer legend.
How Rahu Kaal is calculated
Traditional method:
- Find sunrise and sunset for your city and date.
- Compute daylight duration = sunset − sunrise.
- Divide into 8 equal parts (each ≈ 1/8 of daylight).
- Assign parts 1–8 to weekdays in a fixed rotation; the part assigned to Rahu on that weekday is Rahu Kaal.
Example: Wednesday with 6:00 AM sunrise and 6:00 PM sunset → each part = 90 minutes. Part 5 starts at noon → 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM Rahu Kaal.
Because sunrise/sunset change daily, a printed panchanga recalculates clock times each date even though the slot number stays “5th part on Wednesday.” Websites (including ours) often show a simplified Mumbai average for readability; for a property registration muhurat, some families still ask a pandit for the booklet time on that exact date.
Gulika Kaal and Yamaganda — briefly
Rahu Kaal is the most popular “avoid start” window, but full panchanga also lists:
Gulika / Gulikai Kaal (गुलिक काळ)
Associated with Gulika, son of Shani in tradition. Another eighth-part division of daylight with its own weekday slot. Some muhurat traditions treat Gulika as strongly inauspicious for beginnings — comparable or stricter than Rahu in certain regions. In many Maharashtra homes, if only one check is made, it is Rahu Kaal; Gulika appears on detailed sheets.
Yamaganda Kaal (यमगंड काळ)
Linked to Yama; again a weekday-specific eighth of daylight. Used in South Indian panchanga practice; Marathi calendars sometimes print it in smaller print below Rahu Kaal.
How they relate
All three — Rahu, Gulika, Yamaganda — are parallel tabulations on the same eight-part daylight model with different weekday mappings. They do not stack into one long “bad hour”; they are three different segments (which may or may not overlap depending on weekday). For daily life: know Rahu Kaal first; consult full panchanga for Gulika/Yamaganda when fixing a major muhurat (wedding, bhoomi pujan).
What to avoid during Rahu Kaal — and what is perfectly fine
Traditionally avoided (new beginnings)
- Starting a long journey for a new purpose (first day of relocation travel, inaugural business trip).
- Signing major contracts — property sale, large loans, partnership deeds — if you have flexibility.
- Griha pravesh, shop opening, vehicle delivery puja — when muhurat is not fixed by a pandit.
- Planting auspicious trees or starting construction first strike — in strict households.
- Some avoid buying gold or starting a new job on Rahu Kaal when other muhurat is available.
Generally continued without worry
- Routine office work already in progress; meetings that were scheduled earlier.
- Daily puja, aarti, visiting a temple — devotion is not “new venture.”
- Meals, rest, school, hospital follow-ups — necessary life activities.
- Continuing travel that started before Rahu Kaal.
- Emergency medical care — always priority over muhurat.
Contrast with Choghadiya: a “Shubh” Choghadiya slot on the same day can still overlap non-Rahu periods — planners sometimes choose Shubh/Labh periods that avoid Rahu Kaal entirely. Our comparison guide explains overlap rules.
Common myths vs Maharashtra practice
Myth: “Everything done in Rahu Kaal fails”
Practice: Rahu Kaal is a planning preference, not a curse on completed work. Millions of tasks finish successfully during Rahu Kaal because deadlines exist. The tradition targets voluntary new starts, not outcomes of ongoing duty.
Myth: “Rahu Kaal is the same every day at noon”
Only Wednesday’s reference slot centres near midday in the 6 AM–6 PM model. Monday’s Rahu Kaal is morning; Sunday’s is late afternoon. Always check weekday.
Myth: “Rahu Kaal at night is the same table”
Standard Rahukalam tables are for daylight. Night activities use other systems (Choghadiya after sunset, hora). Do not apply the daytime table at 9 PM.
Myth: “Never marry during Rahu Kaal”
Wedding lagna is chosen by full muhurat (tithi, nakshatra, lagna chart) — not by Rahu Kaal alone. A pandit-fixed wedding may occur while Rahu Kaal exists elsewhere in the day. See Marriage Muhurat Guide.
Myth: “Online tables are wrong; only my booklet is right”
Differences usually come from sunrise/sunset source (6:00 fixed vs astronomical). Slot order should match; clock edges may differ by 5–15 minutes. Report persistent errors via Contact.
Real-life Maharashtra examples
Example 1 — Wednesday office: A Thane bank branch manager avoids scheduling a new home-loan disbursement ceremony between 12:00 and 1:30 PM but processes routine EMI collections throughout the day. The ceremony moves to Thursday morning Shubh Choghadiya after checking Choghadiya.
Example 2 — Saturday travel: A Pune family leaves for Goa at 7 AM — before Saturday Rahu Kaal (9:00–10:30 AM) — even though the highway trip continues through Rahu Kaal once started. Continuing travel is not the same as starting a new yatra sankalp at 9:15 AM.
Example 3 — Sunday evening: Rahu Kaal 4:30–6 PM on Sunday; many avoid inaugurating a new shop ribbon-cutting at 5 PM but will attend an already-scheduled wedding reception — social obligation vs muhurat are different categories in practice.
Example 4 — Monday morning: Monday Rahu Kaal 7:30–9 AM catches early commuters; strict households delay sending a child’s first school admission form mailing until after 9 AM; others treat education as duty regardless.
These examples show voluntary new starts get postponed; ongoing life continues. That nuance is what we mean by myths vs practice in Maharashtra today.
When pandits override Rahu Kaal
Fixed muhurat weddings, eclipses-driven rites, and temple festivals run on schedule regardless of Rahu Kaal. A pandit-chosen lagna at 12:15 PM Wednesday for vivaha is intentional — do not apply generic Rahu avoidance to override professional muhurat. Daily Rahu Kaal is a folk-planning tool, not the top of the astrological hierarchy.
Rahu Kaal on marathipanchanga.in
We display Rahu Kaal on the home page calendar detail and reference the standard weekday table across month pages. We use Mumbai IST and commonly printed slot assignments aligned with Kalnirnay-style references.
Related tools:
- Choghadiya — pick auspicious daytime periods.
- Choghadiya vs Rahu Kaal vs Abhijit — when to use which.
- What is Marathi Panchanga? — where vaar fits in the five limbs.
- Festivals 2026 — plan leave around tithi dates.
Frequently asked questions
What is Rahu Kaal in one sentence?
A weekday-specific portion of daylight when starting important new work is traditionally avoided.
What is Sunday Rahu Kaal in Mumbai?
Approximately 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM IST in the standard 6 AM–6 PM reference model.
Can I go to the doctor during Rahu Kaal?
Yes — health needs override astrological avoidance.
Is Gulika the same as Rahu?
No — different weekday slot assignments on the same eight-part daylight model.
Does Abhijit cancel Rahu Kaal?
Abhijit is a separate midday muhurat (~12:05–12:55 PM site reference); on some Wednesdays it may overlap Rahu Kaal partially. Traditions differ; see our comparison guide.
Where is the full panchanga context?
What is Marathi Panchanga? and About.
Should I cancel a job interview during Rahu Kaal?
If scheduled by employer, attend — livelihood is not optional vanity. Rahu Kaal avoids voluntary new beginnings you control; compulsory appointments proceed. Some candidates prefer requesting slots outside Rahu when they have choice — polite, not mandatory.
Does Rahu Kaal apply on festival holidays?
Yes, weekday rule still runs — Gudi Padwa 2026 is Thursday with Rahu 1:30–3 PM. Festival sanctity does not erase Rahu table; families erect Gudi in morning Shubh time instead.