Rahu Kaal explained — the inauspicious daily window
The 1.5-hour inauspicious window every day, tied to the weekday's 8-part-of-day rule, and the practical decision rules for avoiding it
What Rahu Kaal is
Rahu Kaal (राहु काल) is a 1.5-hour inauspicious window every day, varying by weekday. The day (sunrise to next-day-sunrise) is divided into 8 equal parts; Rahu Kaal is segment 2 of 8 on Monday, segment 7 of 8 on Tuesday, segment 5 of 8 on Wednesday, segment 6 of 8 on Thursday, segment 4 of 8 on Friday, segment 8 of 8 on Saturday, segment 1 of 8 on Sunday. The Rahu Kaal window is conventionally avoided for any auspicious work: signing contracts, starting travel, medical procedures, marriage-related work, business-launches, etc.
Why Rahu is treated as 'inauspicious'
Rahu is the shadow-planet in classical Vedic astrology—the 'chaya graha' alongside Ketu. Rahu is classically associated with compulsion, deception, eclipse, foreign influence, and time-fog. The Rahu Kaal window is named for the planet rather than treated as 'evil'; it's just that Rahu's energy in the day is considered unfocused for auspicious work. For spiritual practice, Rahu Kaal is acceptable. For a business launch, it's not.
Practical rules and exceptions
Avoid Rahu Kaal for: signing contracts, opening a new bank account, starting travel, marriage-related work, medical procedures, vehicle-purchase, opening a new business, starting a building project. Acceptable during Rahu Kaal: continuing work in flight (in the middle of a trip is OK), self-care (exercise, bath), continuing an ongoing project (the 'first part' rule—the work must have started before Rahu Kaal).
Frequently asked questions
Q: My panchang says 'Rahu Kaal is 15:30 to 17:00 today'—and I have a meeting at 16:00. Should I move it? A: Yes, if you can. Move it before 15:30 or after 17:00. If you cannot, take an Occasion's note in your japa-malā during Rahu Kaal to keep the focus high. Q: Rahu Kaal timing differs across Indian websites—why? A: Because the 8-part division depends on the user's local sunrise, and 'sunrise' can mean astronomical sunrise (the moment the sun's upper limb crosses the horizon) or civil sunrise (the moment the centre of the sun crosses the horizon). drikpanchang.com uses civil sunrise. Live Panchang uses civil sunrise. The difference is about 2 minutes—sometimes making the Rahu Kaal window look shifted by 5-10 minutes across sites. Q: Is Rahu Kaal the same in all time-zones? A: No—it follows your local sunrise. A Rahu Kaal in Delhi at 15:30 is the same physical moment as a Rahu Kaal in London at 06:00, just shifted by time-zone. Always use your local Rahu Kaal, not Delhi's or Mumbai's.
Editorial process
Reviewed by Vaid-Pandit Kashmiri Lal Sharma (BVB Varanasi Shastri). Last cross-check vs drikpanchang.com: exact-match for Delhi and London.
Spoke pages — deep dives
Editorial + reviewer
Drafted by Sahil (livepanchang.in), reviewed by Vaid-Pandit Kashmiri Lal Sharma on 5 September 2026.