Pradoṣa
प्रदोष
Twilight on trayodaśī, observed as a vrata dedicated to Śiva.
Definition
Pradoṣa ('early night') is the twilight interval after sunset; the pradoṣa vrata is kept on the trayodaśī (thirteenth tithi) of each pakṣa when that tithi prevails at this time. It is dedicated to Śiva, and when it falls on a Monday or Saturday it is called Soma or Śani pradoṣa. Almanacs fix its date from the tithi at sunset rather than at sunrise.
Articles that use this term
- PanchangaExplainer
Why Diwali's date moves every year
Diwali is fixed by the Moon, not the Sun: by the new Moon that closes Ashwina, by the evening it covers, and by the Lakshmi Puja window inside that evening.
7 min read · 3 October 2026