Panchang: Your Guide to the Hindu Calendar and What it Foretells
The Saturday Book Review
Title: Panchang: Your Guide to the Hindu Calendar and What it Foretells
Author: Arjit Roy Chowdhury
Publisher: Harper Collins (2020)
ISBN:978-93-5357-797-1
TNA Rating:*****
The First ever English Panchang, based on the famed 150-year old Gupta Press Bengali 'Panjika' will facilitate the larger dissemination of information that was restricted to a privileged few.
'Transcending all geographical boundaries , the ancient , pristine wisdom of Raghunandan, who propagated the Surya Siddhant on which our calculations are based, will find its way into all households'
What is Panchang?
The author mentions that it is a codified book of rituals and ceremonies , a book of lists and ephemeris all rolled into one A structural guide to the Hindu Religion A directory of 'tithis' , auspicious dates, good and bad timings, dates for major festivals A Ready Reckoner for Hindu households.
Auspicious timings to perform Pujas. Events like Annaprasan, grihapravesh, Haldi ceremony,i nauguration of a factory, opening of a temple, starting a construction project ,buying or selling any commercial item, e-commerce ventures, favourable dates of marriage have all been discussed.
The daily information presented in the Panchang are
# Weekdays and dates as per the Gregorian , Bengali , Bharatiya, Assamese, Muslim, Fasli, Vikram Samvat annual calendars
# sunrise and sunset timings
# tithi, yog and karan with timings
# Rashi, gyan and Varna at birth
# Mahadasha timings
# Chandra Shuddhi and ghat Chandra
# Nakshatra timings with changes
# Rahukaal and Shubhkaal, the good and bad periods of every day
# Yatra directions with timings
In addition it has Yearly forecasts based on Rashi's, personal forecasts based on Lagna and a chapter on the Annual forecasts of major countries based on their Rashi's.
The book has very simply explained the various terms and can be understood and accessed easily by any beginner or by any household
It's a great Almanac to possess and help in understanding the various astrological permutations that many many of us fall back on in our life's Journey Business, Profession,Birth, Marriage etc etc
While there are Panchang's in Hindi, Bengali and other languages , the Panchang in English is a first . Congratulations to the author.
(The author of this book review is a Lucknow-based businessman and Co-Chairman PHD Chambers of Commerce and the Founder Chair of Confederation of Indian Industry-Young Indians.)
This Book Is Available @ Universal Booksellers
universallko@gmail.com