The logic behind a vehicle muhurat
Muhurat texts sort the 27 nakshatras by nature, and match the nature to the task. A house wants fixed nakshatras; a vehicle, which exists to move, is matched with the chara (movable) nakshatras — Punarvasu, Swati, Shravana, Dhanishtha and Shatabhisha — and the kshipra (swift) ones — Ashwini, Pushya and Hasta. The soft nakshatras Mrigashira, Chitra, Anuradha and Revati are also widely accepted.
Choosing the day
- Days: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are preferred. Many families avoid buying a vehicle on Tuesday or Saturday — a strong popular custom even though not all texts insist on it.
- Tithi: avoid rikta tithis (Chaturthi, Navami, Chaturdashi), Ashtami and Amavasya.
- Avoid: Bhadra, Rahu Kaal, an eclipse, and Pitru Paksha (most families defer new purchases during the fortnight of the ancestors).
- Hour: take delivery during a Labh, Amrit, Shubh or Char choghadiya. Char — "moving" — is considered especially apt for vehicles and travel.
Popular days for buying vehicles
- Pushya nakshatra, especially Guru Pushya (Pushya on a Thursday) and Ravi Pushya (on a Sunday) — the most sought-after days for any purchase.
- Dhanteras, the first day of the Diwali festival, when buying metal and new possessions is itself a ritual.
- Akshaya Tritiya, Navratri and Dussehra — abujh or near-abujh days when no separate muhurat is needed. Showrooms see their busiest days of the year on these festivals for exactly this reason.
Vahan puja: the first worship
- Before the first drive, or at a nearby temple, the vehicle is washed and a swastika is drawn on the bonnet or front with kumkum or turmeric paste, with "Shubh" and "Labh" on either side if you like.
- A Ganesh prayer is said — he is Vighnaharta, the remover of obstacles, which on the road means accidents.
- A garland or kalava (sacred thread) is tied on the steering or handlebar, and a coconut is broken in front of the vehicle.
- Many drivers place a small Ganesh or Hanuman image on the dashboard. The lemon-and-green-chilli string hung at the front is a folk custom against nazar (the evil eye).
- The first drive is often to a temple.
The most important "muhurat"
No auspicious day protects a driver who is careless. Puja and muhurat are a beginning made with gratitude and prayer; the seatbelt, the helmet and a sober driver are what actually bring the vehicle and its passengers home.