Rahu Kaal today in Phoenix

What Rahu Kaal is

Rahu Kaal (Rahu Kalam) is a period of about one and a half hours each day that is traditionally avoided for starting anything new: a journey, a purchase, an agreement or a puja for a new beginning. The daytime, from your sunrise to your sunset, is divided into eight equal parts, and Rahu Kaal is one of them, fixed by the weekday: the 2nd part on Monday, 7th on Tuesday, 5th on Wednesday, 6th on Thursday, 4th on Friday, 3rd on Saturday and the 8th part on Sunday.

Yamaganda and Gulika Kaal are two other daily eighth-parts that many South Indian families also avoid. Work already under way does not need to stop in Rahu Kaal; the custom is about beginnings. Some temples hold special worship of Durga or Rahu during Rahu Kaal, especially on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Why it must be worked out for your own city

Rahu Kaal is not a fixed clock time. Because it is one eighth of your own day, it moves with your sunrise and sunset, so it lasts longer in summer and shorter in winter, and it is different in New York, London and Sydney on the same date. A Rahu Kaal printed for India is wrong for you. The times on this page are calculated in your browser for the city's coordinates and time zone, including daylight saving; they agree with the major panchangs to within a minute or two.

How to use it

If you can, schedule the start of important things outside Rahu Kaal; if you cannot, many families say a short prayer to Ganesha before starting. Abhijit muhurat, the period around local noon shown in the table, is considered good for most work on most days (traditionally not on Wednesdays).