Why these times matter
Many Jains take a pachchakkhan, a vow of restraint, each morning, and the most widely kept are timed from sunrise. Navkarshi is the commonest: no food or water until 48 minutes after sunrise. Others, such as Porshi and Purimaddha, extend the vow to a fixed fraction of the day. Because sunrise changes every day and differs from city to city, the exact times change too. A printed table for Mumbai is wrong for Kolkata and drifts through the year.
OIOA works the times out for your location, each day. Read Navkarshi explained for the background.
The times OIOA shows
All are counted from local sunrise. “The day” means the time from sunrise to sunset.
| Pachchakkhan | When it completes |
|---|---|
| Navkarshi | 48 minutes after sunrise |
| Porshi | one-quarter of the day after sunrise |
| Sadha Porshi | three-eighths of the day after sunrise |
| Purimaddha | half of the day after sunrise, around local noon |
| Avaddha | three-quarters of the day after sunrise |
Sunrise and sunset are shown with them, so you can also plan chovihar before sunset. Use next day to see tomorrow’s times, which is handy before a fast.
Why a fraction of the day, not a clock time
The traditional definitions use a prahar, a quarter of the daylight, not a fixed number of hours. In June the day is long, so Porshi falls later. In December it’s short, so Porshi comes sooner. Calculating from the actual sunrise and sunset keeps the times faithful to the tradition throughout the year and in every city. See why sunrise times differ across India.
Sect-aware
Navkarshi times appear once you’ve chosen a Jain sect or tradition in Settings → Set calendar. The same choice drives your Jain calendar: Jain months, Sud and Vad, Kalyanaks and observances from that sect’s published data. See Jain sects and their calendars.
If a custom in your sangh or family differs from these definitions, follow your guru’s or sangh’s guidance. OIOA’s times are a calculation aid. Please tell us if your tradition counts differently, so we can consider adding it.
On the Jain Home screen
The Jain Home screen brings these together with the day’s other timings: the Today card with sunrise and sunset, Choghadiya and Hora running now with time left, the nakshatra from the 28-nakshatra system including Abhijit, Panchak, and the Shubh Yoga finder. Everything is calculated on your phone, so it works offline, in a derasar with no signal or on a yatra.
Getting accurate times
- Choose the city you’re in, or allow location once. Times are calculated for that place.
- Keep your phone’s time zone set to automatic.
- Sunrise here means the standard astronomical sunrise for your location. Hills or tall buildings can hide the Sun for a few more minutes.
Common questions
Is Navkarshi always 48 minutes after sunrise?
Yes. That’s the definition OIOA uses. It’s one muhurta after sunrise. What changes day to day is the time of sunrise itself.
Why is today’s Porshi different from yesterday’s?
Because Porshi is a quarter of the daylight, it moves with the length of the day as well as with sunrise.
Do I need the internet?
No. Times are calculated on your phone.
Can I get a reminder for Navkarshi?
You can set a personal event with an alarm at the time you need.
What is the difference between Porshi and Sadha Porshi?
Porshi completes one prahar, a quarter of the daylight, after sunrise. Sadha Porshi (“one and a half”) completes at three-eighths of the daylight, halfway between Porshi and Purimaddha. Families choose the vow that suits the day, their health and their guru’s guidance.
Does Purimaddha always fall at 12 noon?
No. It’s half of the daylight after sunrise, which is local solar noon. In India that’s roughly between 11:30 am and 1 pm by the clock, depending on where you are and the time of year, because the whole country shares one time zone.
I’m travelling abroad. Will the times be right?
Yes, if you choose the city you’re in and your phone’s time zone is set correctly. The times follow the local sunrise wherever you are.
Key terms
- Pachchakkhan (pratyakhyan): a vow of restraint taken for a set period, often renouncing food and water until a particular time.
- Navkarshi (navkarsi): a pachchakkhan that completes 48 minutes after sunrise.
- Muhurta: a traditional unit of 48 minutes.
- Prahar: a quarter of the daylight, from sunrise to sunset.
- Porshi: completes one prahar after sunrise.
- Sadha Porshi: completes one and a half prahars after sunrise.
- Purimaddha: completes two prahars after sunrise, at local midday.
- Avaddha: completes three prahars after sunrise.
- Chovihar: giving up all four kinds of food and drink after sunset until the next sunrise.
Why OIOA calculates rather than prints a table
Printed pachchakkhan tables are made for one city and one year. Because sunrise moves by more than an hour between India’s east and west, and through the seasons, a table can easily be ten or twenty minutes out for you. Calculating each day for your own location removes that error, and it works anywhere, including at a tirth far from home.