Hair Colouring Muhurta

Colouring the hair is a small undertaking, yet one Jyotish understands well: it is work on one's appearance, a form of adornment, and at the same time work on the hair, which tradition treats as a carrier of vital strength. That is why, as with a haircut or new clothes, a day is chosen for it rather than simply the first free slot.

An honest note first: the classical treatises contain no separate rule for hair colouring. The site's calculator builds it from two existing sections. The nakshatras and weekdays come from the rule for jewellery and new clothes (vastra-abharana-dharana), since colouring is in essence adornment. The tithis come from the rule for haircuts (kshaura), since it is also an intervention on the hair. What follows from this is set out below.

Which planets answer for it

The chief planet of beauty, grooming and attractiveness is Venus (Shukra). Jewellery, cosmetics, colour and everything that makes one's look pleasing belong to it. The second planet is the Moon: it governs the body, well-being and mood, and in muhurta it is the basis of the whole calculation, since the tithi, the nakshatra and the personal factors are all counted from it. Saturn and Mars are unwelcome here: the first is linked to fading and dryness, the second to harshness and damage.

Hence the logic of the choice: the day should be Venusian by nakshatra and weekday, the Moon strong and not at an extreme phase, and the personal factors not hostile. Hair colour is seen by everyone and changes how you are perceived, so tradition treats it much like new clothes or a piece of jewellery.

Favourable nakshatras

The calculator counts twelve nakshatras as suitable: Ashwini, Rohini, Pushya, Uttara Phalguni, Hasta, Chitra, Swati, Anuradha, Uttara Ashadha, Dhanishta, Uttara Bhadrapada, Revati.

• Fixed (dhruva): Rohini, Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Ashadha, Uttara Bhadrapada. They are taken for what should last, and for a dye a lasting result is the main aim. Rohini is also the Moon's nakshatra and one of the most beautiful in the zodiac.
• Light (kshipra): Ashwini, Pushya, Hasta. They give a quick, even result; Hasta is linked to the skill of the hands.
• Soft (mridu): Chitra, Anuradha, Revati. Chitra belongs to the celestial craftsman Tvashtar and stands for brightness and beauty of form; Revati is ruled by Mercury and counts as a nakshatra of finery.
• Movable (chara): Swati and Dhanishta, suited to changes in appearance and a new look.

Tithis and weekdays

Here the haircut rule applies, and it is stricter than the general one. Unfavourable are the rikta tithis (the 4th, 9th and 14th of both halves of the month), shashthi (6th), ashtami (8th), purnima and amavasya. Shukla pratipada, the 1st tithi of the waxing Moon, counts as weak, since the Moon is still hidden in the Sun's rays. What remains are the 1st tithi of the waning Moon and the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th tithis of both halves. Full and new Moon are excluded because on those days the Moon, and with it the body, is at an extreme.

Weekdays: Monday (Moon), Wednesday (Mercury), Thursday (Jupiter) and Friday, the day of Venus and the most natural one for beauty. Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday are not forbidden, but the calculator will not rate such a day above “good”.

Yoga, karana and time within the day

All factors are taken at sunrise. Of the 27 yogas nine are avoided: Vishkambha, Atiganda, Shula, Ganda, Vyaghata, Vajra, Vyatipata, Parigha and Vaidhriti. The karana Vishti (Bhadra) closes the day entirely; the calculator never admits such a day for any undertaking.

Daylight is divided into eight parts; three of them, Rahu Kalam, Yamaganda and Gulika Kalam, are fixed by the weekday and are left out. The best stretch is Abhijit muhurta, the 8th of the 15 muhurtas of the day around noon; on Wednesday it is not used.

Why the day differs for each person

Two checks are made from the natal Moon. Tara bala: the day's nakshatra is counted from your birth nakshatra, and if it falls on Vipat (3rd tara), Pratyak (5th) or Naidhana (7th), the day is rated “avoid”. Chandra bala: the sign of the day's Moon from the natal Moon sign. The 1st, 3rd, 6th, 7th, 10th and 11th give a strong Moon; the 2nd, 5th and 9th serve only with a waxing Moon; the 4th, 8th and 12th are weak, the 8th, chandrashtama, worst of all. So one and the same day of the lunar calendar suits one person and not another.

Using the “Muhurta” tab

Calculate your chart on the home page, open the “Muhurta” tab in the report and choose “Hair colouring” from the list. You will see 30 days ahead with ratings: “excellent” when every factor agrees; “good” when nothing is bad; “acceptable” when there is one general obstacle, but not the tara, chandra bala or Vishti; “avoid” for everything else. Hours follow the time zone and sunrise of the birthplace. The calculator does not pick the exact minute (lagna shuddhi); an astrologer does that within a favourable day. If your birth time is uncertain, a rectification is worth doing first.

Practical tips

• For a change of look or a colour you want to keep, look for “excellent” or “good” in a fixed nakshatra.
• Toning or touching up roots can be done on an “acceptable” day too.
• Do not chase the perfect date: “good” already means a normal day without obstacles.
• If you are also having a cut, check “Haircut” as well: the nakshatras differ.

The general principles of timing are collected in the date selection section.