Vara
The weekday — each of the seven days ruled by one of the visible planets.
Vara is simply the weekday, but in the Panchanga each of the seven days is governed by a planet: Sunday by the Sun, Monday the Moon, Tuesday Mars, Wednesday Mercury, Thursday Jupiter, Friday Venus and Saturday Saturn. The English names preserve the same order.
The ruling planet lends its character to the day, which is why certain activities, fasts and worship are traditionally assigned to particular weekdays — for instance Saturday for Saturn-related observances.
The vara is the second of the Panchanga's five limbs. The astrological day runs from sunrise to sunrise, so the vara changes at dawn rather than at midnight.
See this in your own chart
Ideas like this make far more sense against a real birth chart. Generate your free kundli — real astronomy, no sign-up — or read the longer guides for the full picture.
Related terms
Or browse the full glossary.