What is a tithi?

Tithi, paksha, masa, nakshatra: these four words decide every Telugu birthday and festival date. Here’s what each one means, in plain English.

Tithi: the lunar day

A tithi is one lunar day: the time it takes for the angle between the Moon and the Sun to grow by 12°. There are 30 tithis in a lunar month, and because the Moon’s speed varies, a tithi can be a little shorter or longer than a solar day. Your Telugu birthday is the tithi you were born under, which is why it doesn’t sit on a fixed Gregorian date.

Paksha: the fortnight

The lunar month splits into two pakshas (fortnights of 15 tithis each): Shukla paksha, the bright, waxing half from new moon to full moon, and Krishna paksha, the dark, waning half from full moon back to new moon. A birthday is always given as a tithi within a paksha, for example Shukla Navami or Krishna Ashtami.

Masa: the Telugu month

A masa is a lunar month, named for the nakshatra near which the full moon falls. The twelve masas, in order:

1. Chaitra
2. Vaisakha
3. Jyeshtha
4. Ashadha
5. Shravana
6. Bhadrapada
7. Ashvayuja
8. Karthika
9. Margashira
10. Pushya
11. Magha
12. Phalguna

To keep the lunar year aligned with the solar year, an extra month, the adhika masa, is inserted roughly every three years. That leap month is the main reason your Telugu birthday sometimes jumps forward on the Gregorian calendar.

Nakshatra: the lunar mansion

The Moon’s path is divided into 27 nakshatras (lunar mansions). The nakshatra the Moon occupies at your birth is your janma nakshatra. Some families celebrate the nakshatra birthday rather than the tithi birthday. Sampangi is tithi-based, the most common Telugu reckoning, and shows the nakshatra for each day as well.

Why it’s decided at sunrise

The Telugu calendar assigns each Gregorian day the tithi that is present at local sunrise. Because sunrise comes at a different clock time in every city, the same tithi can fall on a different Gregorian date in the US than in India. That is exactly why your Telugu birthday can land a day off from home.

Tithi FAQs

How many tithis are in a month?

There are 30 tithis in a lunar month, 15 in the Shukla paksha (the waxing fortnight) and 15 in the Krishna paksha (the waning fortnight).

What is the difference between a tithi and a nakshatra?

A tithi is a lunar day, set by the angle between the Moon and the Sun. A nakshatra is one of 27 divisions of the sky the Moon passes through. Both change daily, but on their own separate clocks.

What is adhika masa?

Adhika masa is an extra leap month inserted roughly every three years to keep the lunar calendar in step with the solar year. It's the main reason a Telugu birthday can jump forward on the Gregorian calendar some years.

Why is the tithi decided at sunrise?

Tradition assigns each day the tithi that is present at local sunrise. Because sunrise happens at a different clock time in every city, the same tithi can fall on a different Gregorian date depending on where you live.

Can a tithi span two sunrises, or be skipped entirely?

Yes. A tithi's length varies with the Moon's speed, so a short tithi can be skipped between one sunrise and the next, while a long one can cover two sunrises in a row.

Next: find your Telugu birthday or browse Telugu festivals in 2026.

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