Various civilizations across the world developed their own ways of recording time since the beginning of civilization. Having a unit of time and a way to measure it was absolutely critical to measure change of time, development, and decay.

In Bhārata, which may have been the most ancient and evidently the most advanced civilization of yore, the Pañcāṅgam was developed by our sages for measuring time.  But our sages did not stop there. They were interested not just in measuring time to understand the passing of time, but they envisioned the measurement to also give an idea of quality of time - so that the efforts of men and women for all areas of life could be best optimized. 

A Pañcāṅgam is a Hindu astrological almanac or calendar, deeply rooted in the highly refined astronomy of evident bodies in the sky, as well as in mathematical points needed for calculating important events like eclipses. 

The word "Pañcāṅgam" comes from Saṃskṛta, where "pañca" means five and "aṅgam" means limb or part. As the name suggests, it consists of five main elements:

Tithi: The lunar day
Vāra: The day of the week
Nakṣatra: One of the 27 constellations
Yoga: An element derived from a specific alignment of the sun and moon in the way they move together
Karaṇa: Loosely equivalent to half of a tithi

The Pañcāṅgam is used to determine auspicious times for various activities, festivals, and religious observances. 

It is consulted for important life events like weddings, beginning new ventures, or performance of rituals. Determination of right time for a particular event falls under the ambit of Muhūrta Śāstra.

Before the advent of modern tools, the Pañcāṅgam was used to calculate and educate the masses of all astronomical phenomena including the eclipses, in addition to dates important for mundane and religious affairs.

Pañcāṅgam is typically prepared for specific locations, as the calculations depend on geographical coordinates. They're widely used in India and by Hindu communities around the world for both religious and cultural purposes.

While traditionally complex to understand, Pañcāṅgam was germane to the lifestyle of Hindus of the yore and was well understood.

Modern versions of the Pañcāṅgam are available as apps or websites, making this ancient system more accessible to people today. However, the knowledge of utilizing the data available in the pañcāṅgam is largely lost in today’s times, with traditional mediums of instruction going out of fashion.

Through a series of video lectures spread over 7 weeks and 14 lectures, reading materials, exercises and discussions, this course will make the learner conversant with the Hindu methods of time keeping and understanding the quality of time.

Time Commitment:
- 7 weeks (2 modules per week)
- 3 lecture hours per week
- 2-3 hours per week additionally for readings and assignments

Required Materials:
- Course notes: (provided in digital format)
- Access to a computer with internet connection
- Drik Panchang: Browser Version or Mobile App 
- Traditional, physical Pañcāṅgam of your region