Rahu KaalChoghadiya: the sixteen periods of the day
What the sixteen Choghadiya of day and night are, which ones are good (Amrit, Shubh, Labh), which to avoid, and how the order changes with the weekday.
Choghadiya (also Chogadiya or Chaughadiya) is a way of dividing time that is popular in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and North India, and widely used by traders to pick a time for starting work. The name is said to come from chau (four) and ghadi (a traditional unit of about 24 minutes): four ghadis is nearly an hour and a half. The daytime, from sunrise to sunset, is cut into eight equal periods, and the night, from sunset to the next sunrise, into eight more. Each period has one of seven names.
The seven names
| Name | Traditional view | Usual advice |
|---|---|---|
| Amrit | Very good | Suitable for almost any work |
| Shubh | Good | Ceremonies, new beginnings, agreements |
| Labh | Good (gain) | Business, shops, accounts, purchases |
| Chal | Neutral (moving) | Travel and things that need movement |
| Udveg | Unfavourable (worry) | Government work is sometimes said to suit it; avoid for others |
| Kaal | Unfavourable (loss) | Avoid new beginnings |
| Rog | Unfavourable (illness) | Avoid new beginnings |
The order changes with the weekday
The first period of the day is named after the weekday: on Monday it is Amrit, on Tuesday Rog, on Wednesday Labh, on Thursday Shubh, on Friday Chal, on Saturday Kaal and on Sunday Udveg. After that the names follow a fixed cycle: Udveg, Chal, Labh, Amrit, Kaal, Shubh, Rog, and then again Udveg. The night has its own cycle: Shubh, Amrit, Chal, Rog, Kaal, Labh, Udveg, and the night begins with Chal on Monday, Kaal on Tuesday, Udveg on Wednesday, Amrit on Thursday, Rog on Friday, Labh on Saturday and Shubh on Sunday.
How to use it
Someone who follows Choghadiya looks for a good period (Amrit, Shubh or Labh) that is not at the same time as Rahu Kaal, and starts the work then. If two sources disagree, the stricter rule is usually followed: avoid anything inauspicious in either system. This is a tradition and not a prediction. The finder shows all sixteen periods for your city and date, marks the one running now, and labels each as good, neutral or to avoid, in words as well as colour.
Questions people ask
Which Choghadiya is best?
Amrit is considered the best, followed by Shubh and Labh.
Is the night Choghadiya the same as the day?
No. The night has its own cycle of names and its own starting period for each weekday.