What a choghadiya is
The word means "four ghadis". A ghadi (ghatika) is 24 minutes, so a choghadiya is nominally 96 minutes. In practice the time from sunrise to sunset is divided into eight equal parts, and so is the time from sunset to the next sunrise. Because day length changes through the year and from city to city, a choghadiya is about 1 hour 40 minutes on a long summer day and about 1 hour 20 minutes in winter — which is why choghadiya timings must always be calculated for your own city's sunrise and sunset.
It is especially popular in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, among trading communities who needed a quick way to choose a good hour for opening shop, sending goods or setting out on a journey.
The seven kinds
- Amrit (nectar, ruled by the Moon) — excellent for everything.
- Shubh (auspicious, Jupiter) — excellent, especially for ceremonies, weddings and worship.
- Labh (profit, Mercury) — excellent for business, education and new work.
- Char (moving, Venus) — good, particularly for travel and vehicles.
- Udveg (anxiety, Sun) — inauspicious for new beginnings; traditionally acceptable for government work.
- Rog (disease, Mars) — inauspicious; avoid starting anything important.
- Kaal (time/death, Saturn) — inauspicious for beginnings.
The three bold names in the tables below — Amrit, Shubh, Labh — are the ones people look for; Char is the fourth "good" choghadiya.
Day choghadiya (sunrise to sunset)
The day always begins with the choghadiya of the weekday's own planet: Sunday with Udveg (Sun), Monday with Amrit (Moon), and so on. The eighth period repeats the first.
| Period | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Udveg | Amrit | Rog | Labh | Shubh | Char | Kaal |
| 2 | Char | Kaal | Udveg | Amrit | Rog | Labh | Shubh |
| 3 | Labh | Shubh | Char | Kaal | Udveg | Amrit | Rog |
| 4 | Amrit | Rog | Labh | Shubh | Char | Kaal | Udveg |
| 5 | Kaal | Udveg | Amrit | Rog | Labh | Shubh | Char |
| 6 | Shubh | Char | Kaal | Udveg | Amrit | Rog | Labh |
| 7 | Rog | Labh | Shubh | Char | Kaal | Udveg | Amrit |
| 8 | Udveg | Amrit | Rog | Labh | Shubh | Char | Kaal |
Night choghadiya (sunset to sunrise)
The night uses a different order and starting point, so it cannot be read off the day table. Sunday night, for instance, begins with Shubh.
| Period | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shubh | Char | Kaal | Udveg | Amrit | Rog | Labh |
| 2 | Amrit | Rog | Labh | Shubh | Char | Kaal | Udveg |
| 3 | Char | Kaal | Udveg | Amrit | Rog | Labh | Shubh |
| 4 | Rog | Labh | Shubh | Char | Kaal | Udveg | Amrit |
| 5 | Kaal | Udveg | Amrit | Rog | Labh | Shubh | Char |
| 6 | Labh | Shubh | Char | Kaal | Udveg | Amrit | Rog |
| 7 | Udveg | Amrit | Rog | Labh | Shubh | Char | Kaal |
| 8 | Shubh | Char | Kaal | Udveg | Amrit | Rog | Labh |
How to work it out yourself
- Find your city's sunrise and sunset for the date — say 6:10 am and 5:50 pm.
- Day length is 11 h 40 min = 700 minutes; one choghadiya = 700 ÷ 8 = 87.5 minutes.
- On a Wednesday, the first period (6:10–7:37 am) is Labh, the second (7:37–9:05 am) is Amrit, the third is Kaal, and so on down the Wednesday column.
How it fits with other muhurats
Choghadiya is a quick tool, not a full muhurat. For a wedding or griha pravesh, the date comes from the panchang and the time from the lagna. Many people also skip a "good" choghadiya if it overlaps with Rahu Kaal, and some calendars mark extra inauspicious slots called Kaal Vela and Vaar Vela within the day. For quick daily decisions — when to leave for a journey, sign a document or make a purchase — a good choghadiya is what most families use.