Griha pravesh muhurat: the rules that matter before you move into a new home

Griha pravesh is the ritual of entering a new home for the first time. Families usually fix the date with a pandit, but the rules behind the choice are simple and worth knowing. Here is what astrologers check, in the order they usually check it.

Months and periods to avoid

• Chaturmas, the four months from Devshayani Ekadashi to Devuthani Ekadashi.
• Pitru Paksha, the fortnight set aside for ancestors.
• Adhik Maas, the extra month added to the lunar calendar.
• Kharmas, when the Sun is in Dhanu or Meen.
• Days when Jupiter or Venus is too close to the Sun to be seen.

Months commonly preferred are Magha, Phalguna, Vaishakha and Jyeshtha. Some traditions add Kartik and Margashirsha.

Day, tithi and nakshatra

• Weekdays: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are usual choices.
• Tithis: the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 11th and 13th. Avoid the 4th, 9th and 14th, and Amavasya.
• Nakshatras: Rohini, Mrigashira, Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Ashadha, Uttara Bhadrapada, Chitra, Anuradha, Dhanishta, Shatabhisha and Revati.

The time of day

Choose a time that does not fall in Rahu Kaal and, if possible, one when the Sun is up. Many families enter in the morning with the kalash, lamp and a short puja. Sunrise and Rahu Kaal change by city, so use a panchang that is made for your location.

If the family dates, the builder’s handover and the muhurat do not line up, a pandit can often pick a smaller muhurat within the same week. A date that the family agrees on matters more than a perfect one nobody can attend.