Sources & References
In the interest of transparency, here is how every kind of content on Astha Sangrah, that is chalisa, aarti, vrat katha, and panchang, is sourced and verified.
Chalisa, Aarti & Stotra
Chalisa, aarti, and stotra texts are fixed, universally recited devotional works, meaning every devotional website is expected to reproduce them word for word identically. Each text is therefore cross-checked line by line against two or more independent, reliable sources before it is published.
Vrat Kathas
Every vrat katha is drawn from a single authoritative source, most often an old printed booklet by a traditional Hindi publisher, digitized on the Internet Archive. Nothing is changed or added to the story itself, only clear printing errors are corrected. Each katha page's own 'About This Katha' section shares more about that particular text.
Panchang
Every panchang value, that is tithi, vara, nakshatra, yoga, and karana, is derived from real astronomical calculations (the positions of the sun and moon), not fetched from a third-party service or approximated. The calculation is based on sunrise in New Delhi.
Festival Dates
Every festival and vrat's date is verified against the panchang calculations and re-checked for each year, rather than being extrapolated from the previous year's date.
If You Spot an Error
In a collection this large, an error can always slip through. If you spot one, please do let us know.
Contact usFrequently Asked Questions
Where are the panchang calculations sourced from?
Every panchang value is derived from real astronomical calculations, not fetched from a third-party service or approximated, based on sunrise in New Delhi.
Are vrat kathas rewritten in our own words?
No, every vrat katha is transcribed verbatim from a single authoritative source, most often an old printed booklet, with only clear printing errors corrected.
What is the chalisa and aarti text compared against?
Each text is cross-checked line by line against two or more independent, reliable sources before it is published.
Why is a festival's date re-checked every year?
Because dates are based on the lunisolar panchang and shift from year to year, so instead of extrapolating from the previous year, each year's date is freshly verified against the panchang.