Home › Tithi
Tithi – what it is and how Haryana uses it
A tithi is the time the Moon takes to move 12° ahead of the Sun. A lunar month has 30 — fifteen in the bright half (Shukla, sudi) and fifteen in the dark half (Krishna, badi).
In Haryanvi speech dates are still given as "Saawan sudi teej" or "Kaatak badi chauth". Because the Moon's speed changes, a tithi lasts between about 19 and 26 hours. A tithi that never touches a sunrise is kshaya; one that covers two sunrises is vriddhi. Nearly every "is it today or tomorrow?" argument about a festival comes from these two cases.
Tithis and Haryana festivals
| No. | Tithi | Hindi | Festivals in Haryana |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 / 16 | Pratipada | प्रतिपदा | Sanjhi begins, Agrasen Jayanti, Govardhan / Vishwakarma Day |
| 2 / 17 | Dwitiya | द्वितीया | Bhai Dooj |
| 3 / 18 | Tritiya | तृतीया | Hariyali Teej, Akshaya Tritiya, Maharana Pratap Jayanti |
| 4 / 19 | Chaturthi | चतुर्थी | Karva Chauth (Krishna) |
| 5 / 20 | Panchami | पंचमी | Basant Panchami / Sir Chhotu Ram Jayanti |
| 6 / 21 | Shashthi | षष्ठी | Chhath (for Purvanchali families) |
| 7 / 22 | Saptami | सप्तमी | Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti, Sheetla Saptami (Krishna) |
| 8 / 23 | Ashtami | अष्टमी | Janmashtami, Ahoi Ashtami (Krishna) |
| 9 / 24 | Navami | नवमी | Ram Navami, Gugga Navami (Krishna) |
| 10 / 25 | Dashami | दशमी | Dussehra |
| 11 / 26 | Ekadashi | एकादशी | Ekadashi, Gita Jayanti |
| 12 / 27 | Dwadashi | द्वादशी | Dwadashi — breaking the Ekadashi fast |
| 13 / 28 | Trayodashi | त्रयोदशी | Mahavir Jayanti, Dhanteras (Krishna) |
| 14 / 29 | Chaturdashi | चतुर्दशी | Maha Shivratri, Pehowa Chaitra Chaudas (Krishna) |
| 15 / 30 | Purnima | पूर्णिमा | Purnima / Amavasya — Holi, Rakhi, Kartik Purnima / Diwali |
Which moment counts?
Most vrats use the tithi at sunrise (udaya tithi). Diwali and Holika Dahan look at the evening, Janmashtami at midnight, and Karva Chauth and Ahoi Ashtami at moonrise or starrise — which is why the women of the house watch the sky on those nights.