Panchatara are the last five of the 27 nakshatras in Hindu astrology. The Panchatara nakshatras are Dhanishta or Avittam, Satabhisha or Chathayam, Purvabhadrapada or Pooruruttathi, Uttarabhadrapada or Uthrittathi and Revati. According to astrological belief, any activity or action performed under these nakshatras has its five invariable repetitions. So, with the appearance of Dhanishta, the process of panchaka (malefic times) comes to play. That is the reason why certain activities such as a southward journey, demolishing a house or any building, etc., are avoided during this phase.
However, there are means to escape from or nullify the five-time repetitions. When death occurs during this time in a family, before the cremation, five dolls of flour are made and burnt with the dead body to avoid four more deaths in the family. In colloquial parlance, it is held that this camouflaging act prevents the recurrence of the inauspicious happening.
As a matter of fact, according to this age-old belief, each of the nakshatras has its separate influence on life. Dhanishta is called grama panchaka – its influence affects the whole village. Any death in a village under this nakshatra must be followed by four more deaths.
On the other hand, Shatabhisha is a kula pancaka tara – its influence remains confined to the particular family and does not afflict the whole village. In other words, a death in the family may cause four more deaths in the same family.
Purvabhadrapada is held to be the nakshatra afflicting the whole locality. If any house is demolished in a locality, it must suffer four more demolitions.
Uttarabhadrapada’s adverse influence remains confined to a particular house only.
Revati’s influence makes the panchaka show its adverse effect outside the village, family, locality or house.
The remedy to avoid the adverse effect of the panchaka is the same as indicated above. In case of any death, five flour dolls are burnt in the pyre. When a house or any construction is demolished, four more phony houses should be demolished. In case of a journey has to be undertaken towards the south under these five stars, four artificial replicas of the person (dolls made of flour or pictures of the person) must accompany the person going out.