Varjyam (Tyajyam)
Varjyam is a window of roughly an hour and a half within each nakshatra that South Indian panchangs mark as unfit for new beginnings. It follows the nakshatra, not the clock, so it can fall at any hour.
Also known as: Thyajyam, Tyajya kaal, Nakshatra tyajyam, Visha ghatika
Varjyam means ‘to be avoided’; it is also called tyajyam or visha ghatika. Each of the 27 nakshatras contains one such window. It begins at a fixed point into the nakshatra that differs from star to star, and lasts four of the 60 ghatis into which the nakshatra’s span is divided: roughly 90 minutes, a little more when the Moon moves slowly.
Because it follows the Moon’s nakshatra rather than the Sun, Varjyam can fall in the morning, afternoon or middle of the night, and a day that holds two nakshatras may have two. Telugu and Tamil panchangs list it daily beside Rahu Kalam and Durmuhurtam, and families avoid it for ceremonies, travel and important starts. Our Panchang lists it too, with its start and end times.
Its counterpart is Amrit Kalam, an equally short window in each nakshatra that is especially favourable. Varjyam is not a warning about the whole day, just a short stretch to step around.