How is a wedding muhūrta chosen, and which periods are avoided?

many avoid Kharmās, Cāturmāsa, Pitṛ Pakṣa and the setting of Jupiter or Venus — but practice varies by region.

A wedding muhūrta is picked by looking at the tithi, nakṣatra, weekday, lagna (rising sign) and the couple's own charts. Certain nakṣatras such as Rohiṇī, Mṛgaśirā, Maghā, Uttara Phalgunī, Hasta, Svātī, Anurādhā, Mūla, the Uttarās and Revatī are traditionally favoured.

In much of North India, weddings are avoided during Kharmās (when the Sun is in Sagittarius or Pisces), during Cāturmāsa (from Devśayanī to Devuthanī Ekādaśī), in Pitṛ Pakṣa, in Holāṣṭaka before Holī, and when Jupiter or Venus is combust (asta). In South India some of these are not observed in the same way, and regional calendars bring their own rules, so dates that are “closed” in one place may be open in another.

Ask your family priest to finalise the muhūrta using both your kundalis. Our muhūrta page can show you the favourable windows to start the conversation.

Source: Muhūrta Cintāmaṇi; regional pañcāṅgas · Practice varies by region

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