Sunrise & Sunset — Kolkāta
West Bengal, India · IST (UTC+5:30) · 22.6°N latitude
Kolkāta sits at 22.6°N latitude in West Bengal, which means its daylight hours shift noticeably across the year — from roughly 10 hours 45 minutes in December to -11 hours in June. All times here are calculated for Kolkāta's exact coordinates (22.6°N, 88.4°E) using solar position algorithms and displayed in Indian Standard Time (IST, UTC+5:30). This page is useful for photographers planning shoots, fishermen timing boat departures, farmers managing irrigation schedules, and anyone observing Brahma Muhurta (11:33 AM IST today), Namaz times, or other sunrise-dependent practices.
✨ Golden Hour
Golden hour occurs when the sun is between 0° and 6° above the horizon. At this angle sunlight travels through significantly more atmosphere, stripping out blue wavelengths and leaving warm amber and red tones. Shadows are long and directional — for portrait photographers this means skin tones glow naturally; for landscape photographers it reveals surface texture that disappears under overhead midday light. In Kolkāta today, morning golden hour lasts 30 minutes starting at 1:09 PM IST. Evening golden hour runs from 12:46 AM to 1:15 AM IST — plan to be at your location at least 10 minutes before these windows open.
Blue hour occurs when the sun is between 0° and 6° below the horizon. The sun is not visible, but its scattered light fills the sky with cool, even blue — no harsh shadows, no blown-out highlights. For cityscape and architectural photographers this is the ideal window: building lights are on, the sky is not yet black, and the balance between artificial and natural light creates depth that neither pure night nor pure day can produce. In Kolkāta, this morning's blue hour runs 22 minutes from 12:47 PM to 1:09 PM IST. The evening blue hour from 1:15 AM to 1:38 AM IST is particularly valuable for photographing Kolkāta's coastal and waterfront areas with city lights reflected in the water.
Solar noon at 7:12 PM IST today is the moment the sun reaches its highest point directly above Kolkāta's meridian. This is 432 minutes after noon because IST is a single timezone spanning all of India — Kolkāta's true solar midday drifts from the clock accordingly. At solar noon shadows are at their shortest and point almost directly south. For Vastu Shastra practitioners, solar noon marks the transition between morning and afternoon energy cycles. For photographers, the window between 1:39 PM and 12:46 AM IST is the harsh overhead-light period to avoid for portraits.
Daylight Arc
The arc shows the full 24-hour solar cycle for Kolkāta today, with the left edge representing midnight and the centre representing noon. Bands from darkest to lightest: true night, astronomical twilight (sky brightens, no practical light), nautical twilight (horizon visible at sea), civil twilight / blue hour, golden hour, and full daylight. Kolkāta receives 12 hours 6 minutes of daylight today. At 22.6°N latitude, daylight varies from approximately 10h 45m at the December solstice to -11h -29m at the June solstice — a swing of 1274 minutes with significant implications for agricultural planning, religious fasting windows, and daily schedules.
All Solar Transitions
| Event | IST Time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Astronomical Dawn | 11:55 AM | Sun passes 18° below horizon — sky begins to lighten |
| Nautical Dawn | 12:21 PM | Sun at 12° below horizon — horizon becomes distinct |
| Civil Dawn (Blue Hour) | 12:47 PM | Sun at 6° below horizon — outdoor activities possible |
| 🌅 Sunrise | 1:09 PM | Upper limb of the sun crosses horizon |
| 🌟 Golden Hour Ends | 1:39 PM | Sun reaches 6° above horizon — golden light fades |
| Solar Noon | 7:12 PM | Sun at highest point — shortest shadows of the day |
| 🌟 Golden Hour Starts | 12:46 AM | Sun descends to 6° — warm directional light returns |
| 🌆 Sunset | 1:15 AM | Sun's upper limb disappears below horizon |
| Civil Dusk (Blue Hour) | 1:38 AM | Sun at 6° below horizon — cool blue tones |
| Nautical Dusk | 2:04 AM | Sun at 12° below horizon — horizon becomes difficult to see |
| Astronomical Dusk | 2:30 AM | Sun at 18° below horizon — true night begins |
Each row corresponds to a specific sun angle below or above the horizon. Nautical dawn at 12:21 PM IST is when fishermen traditionally consider it safe to navigate by horizon without instruments. Civil dawn at 12:47 PM IST marks the outer boundary of the Brahma Muhurta window — the auspicious pre-sunrise period for meditation and prayer in Hindu tradition begins approximately 1 hour 36 minutes before sunrise, placing it at 11:33 AM IST today. Astronomical dusk at 2:30 AM IST marks when the sky is dark enough for amateur astronomical observation.
Why These Times Matter for Kolkāta
Kolkāta is located at 22.6°N in West Bengal, India. Its West Bengal coastal position means fishing communities depend on accurate sunrise and sunset times to plan safe daily boat departures and returns. The city's Hindu population observes Brahma Muhurta — beginning 11:33 AM IST today — as the most auspicious period for prayer, yoga, and study. Farmers across West Bengal use sunrise and sunset windows to plan irrigation schedules, market departures, and field work hours. Morning walkers, school commuters, and construction supervisors all plan around first light. The 12 hours 6 minutes of working daylight available today (1:09 PM to 1:15 AM IST) is a key parameter for outdoor planning across all these groups. This page recalculates for Kolkāta's exact coordinates every time the site builds.
Plan Your Week — Kolkāta
Sunrise, golden hour, and daylight duration for the next 7 days in IST.
| Day | Sunrise | Morn GH ends | Eve GH starts | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri Mar 20 | 5:42 AM | 6:11 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:47 PM | 12h 5m |
| Sat Mar 21 | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:47 PM | 12h 6m |
| Sun Mar 22 | 5:40 AM | 6:09 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:48 PM | 12h 8m |
| Mon Mar 23 | 5:39 AM | 6:08 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:48 PM | 12h 9m |
| Tue Mar 24 | 5:38 AM | 6:07 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:48 PM | 12h 10m |
| Wed Mar 25 | 5:37 AM | 6:06 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:49 PM | 12h 12m |
| Thu Mar 26 | 5:36 AM | 6:05 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 12h 13m |