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In Vedic timekeeping, a tithi is a "duration of two faces of moon that is observed from earth", known as milа̄lyа̄ () in Newar language, or the time it takes for the longitudinal angle between the Moon and the Sun to increase by 12°. In other words, a tithi is a time duration between the consecutive epochs that correspond to when the longitudinal angle between the Sun and the Moon is an integer multiple of 12°. Tithis begin at varying times of day and vary in duration approximately from 19 to 26 . Every day of a lunar month is called tithi.
Tithi plays an important role along with nakshatra in Hindus' daily as well as special activities in selecting the muhurta. There are auspicious tithis as well as inauspicious tithis, each considered more propitious for some purposes than for other.
In amānta lunar calenders, tithis are counted beginning at śukla pratipada, while in the pūrṇimānta lunar calenders, tithis are counted from kr̥ṣṇa pratipada. The śukla tithis are when the moon waxes, and the kr̥ṣṇa tithis are when the moon wanes. The average tithi lasts 23 hours 37.5 minutes, and can range from 19 hours 59 minutes to 26 hours 47 minutes. The calculation of tithi timings may also differ on whether one uses the traditional methods for calculating the Sun and Moon's movement as promulgated in the Surya Siddhanta or modern methods which correctly calculate the true motions of the Sun and Moon. The tithi in place at sunrise is considered the " tithi of the day", although the tithi may end before the next sunrise in which case the next tithi begins. Because the length of a tithi is also variable a case can arise where a tithi begins after sunrise and ends prior to the next sunrise, which is called a kṣaya tithi. The opposite phenomenon can occur where a tithi in place during a sunrise is still present in the following sunrise which is called an adhika or ahorātra tithi.
There are 30 tithis in each lunar month, named as:
| Pratipada |
| Dwitiya |
| Tritiya |
| Chaviti |
| Panchami |
| Ṣaṣṭhī |
| Saptami |
| Ashtami |
| Navami |
| Dashami |
| Ekadashi |
| Dwadashi |
| Thrayodashi |
| Chaturdashi |
| Pūrṇimā (full moon) |
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