Just as the panchangam identifies auspicious windows, it also marks the inauspicious periods of each day when important new work is best avoided. The most commonly observed are Rahukalam, Yamagandam, and Gulika Kalam — three daily periods derived from the division of daytime — along with Dur Muhurtam and Varjyam. Knowing them helps you time journeys, signings, purchases, and ceremonies to avoid the unfavourable windows.

Yamagandam and Gulika Kalam

The period from sunrise to sunset is divided into eight parts, and specific parts are assigned to Rahukalam, Yamagandam, and Gulika Kalam depending on the weekday. Yamagandam, associated with Yama, is avoided for beginning any auspicious activity. Gulika Kalam is ruled by Gulika (Mandi), a shadowy sub-body of Saturn; interestingly, while it is avoided for most new ventures, some traditions consider work begun in Gulika Kalam to 'repeat', making it acceptable for recurring positive acts.

Dur Muhurtam and Varjyam

Dur Muhurtam ('bad muhurta') is one or two short windows of about 48 minutes each day, varying by weekday, considered unsuitable for important beginnings. Varjyam is a period derived from the ruling Nakshatra — a portion of the star's duration that is to be discarded (varjya) for auspicious work. Both are finer-grained than the eightfold periods and are checked when fixing a precise muhurtham.

How to Use Them

These periods are guidelines for timing, not causes for anxiety — routine and unavoidable activities are unaffected, and the aim is simply to begin significant new ventures at a clean time. Because every period depends on the exact local sunrise and sunset and the weekday, Mana Panchangam calculates Rahukalam, Yamagandam, Gulika Kalam, Dur Muhurtam, and Varjyam for your city and date, so you can plan around them at a glance.