- When is annaprashan held?
- When the first solid food is given — traditionally in an even month for boys (the sixth or eighth) and an odd month for girls (the fifth or seventh).
- Is there a season when annaprashan is barred?
- No. Unlike marriage or mundan, no Kharmas or Chaturmas blackout applies, so suitable dates appear in every month — the ceremony follows the child's age, and the calendar always has a nearby day.
- Why must annaprashan fall in Shukla paksha?
- The waxing Moon stands for growth and nourishment — fitting for the first feeding — so dates are listed only in the brightening fortnight, between Amavasya and Purnima.
- When during the day should the first feeding happen?
- In a dosha-free daytime window on the listed date, outside Rahu Kaal, Yamaganda and Gulika Kaal — the windows shown on each card already exclude these.
- How are these muhurat dates calculated?
- Each day is scored against the five limbs of its Drik panchang — tithi, vara (weekday), nakshatra, yoga and karana — following the classical muhurta tradition — the Muhurta Chintamani, the Kalaprakasika and B.V. Raman's Muhurtha. Days carrying a dosha (Amavasya, the Rikta tithis, Bhadra or Panchak) are then removed, leaving only the auspicious dates for New Delhi.
- Are the timings valid for my city?
- The dates are anchored to New Delhi (IST). The auspicious day is usually the same across India, but the sunrise-based windows — and intervals like Rahu Kaal and Abhijit — shift a little by location, so check the full panchang for your own city before fixing a time.
- Why do some months have no dates?
- The strict rules drop the inauspicious tithis and nakshatras, and the seasonal pauses — Kharmas (Malmaas), Chaturmas and Adhik Maas — halt major beginnings entirely. A month sitting inside one of those windows can legitimately show few or no dates.
- What is the Abhijit Muhurta?
- Abhijit is the roughly 48-minute window around local solar noon, ruled by Lord Vishnu and considered auspicious for almost any task. The Muhurta texts treat it as a 'victory' window, and we highlight it as the prime slot within the griha pravesh and bhoomi pujan windows.
- What are Bhadra, Panchak and the Rikta tithis?
- These are the classical doshas we exclude. Bhadra (the Vishti karana) and Panchak (the Moon in the last five nakshatras, Dhanishta to Revati) are inauspicious periods; the Rikta tithis — the 4th, 9th and 14th of each fortnight — are the 'empty' tithis avoided for new beginnings.
- Should I still consult an astrologer?
- Yes. These dates are a strong, rule-based shortlist, but they are computed for a generic chart. For a wedding or any major event, confirming the muhurta against your own birth chart with an astrologer is recommended.