What is Choghadiya? How to read the good and bad times of the day
Choghadiya is a quick way to pick a good time for a task. Here is what the seven names mean and how the day is divided.
What is Choghadiya?
Choghadiya is a part of the Hindu panchang. It divides the daytime, from sunrise to sunset, into eight equal parts, and the night, from sunset to the next sunrise, into eight more. Each part is called a choghadiya and is ruled by a planet. Because the length depends on sunrise and sunset, a daytime choghadiya is about 90 minutes near the equinox and longer or shorter in other seasons and cities.
The seven choghadiyas
| Name | Ruling planet and usual reading |
|---|---|
| Amrit | Moon. Best of all, good for almost any task. |
| Shubh | Jupiter. Good for ceremonies and auspicious beginnings. |
| Labh | Mercury. Good for business, trade and study. |
| Char | Venus. Neutral to good, suits travel and tasks that involve movement. |
| Udveg | Sun. Usually avoided for new beginnings; traditionally linked to government work. |
| Rog | Mars. Usually avoided for new beginnings. |
| Kaal | Saturn. Usually avoided for new beginnings. |
How the day is divided
The first choghadiya of the daytime belongs to the planet of the weekday: Udveg on Sunday, Amrit on Monday, Rog on Tuesday, Labh on Wednesday, Shubh on Thursday, Char on Friday and Kaal on Saturday. The rest follow in a fixed cycle: Udveg, Char, Labh, Amrit, Kaal, Shubh, Rog, and then back to Udveg. The night uses the same cycle starting from a different point, so it is easiest to read it from a panchang for your city.
Example: on a Monday the daytime runs Amrit, Kaal, Shubh, Rog, Udveg, Char, Labh, Amrit.
Using it in daily life
Choghadiya is a simple everyday guide, not a full muhurat. For a wedding, a housewarming or a major purchase, a muhurat that checks the nakshatra, tithi and Rahu Kaal gives a better answer. If a task cannot wait, choose the best part of the day that is available and do not worry about it further.
Times differ by city. See today's choghadiya for your city, or the Rahu Kaal for the day.
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