ചൗഘഡിയ: ദിവസേനയുള്ള എട്ട് മുഹൂർത്തങ്ങൾ — ഈ പ്രാചീന സമയനിർണയരീതി ഉപയോഗിക്കുന്നതെങ്ങനെ

Classical Origins of Choghadiya in Muhurta Shastra — Planetary Hour System

Choghadiya — from the Gujarati Choghadiya or Hindi Chaughadiya, meaning 'four-ghati unit' — is a daily time-division system rooted in the Vedic Hora (planetary hour) framework. The day from sunrise to sunset and the night from sunset to sunrise are each divided into eight equal segments, each ruled by one of seven planets cycling in a fixed Hora sequence: Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars. The result is eight daytime Choghadiyas and eight nocturnal Choghadiyas, each approximately 90 minutes in length during equinox, varying seasonally with the length of daylight. The system is referenced in Muhurta Chintamani and finds detailed elaboration in regional Panchanga manuals used by Rajasthani, Gujarati, and Marathi Jyotishis. Unlike full Muhurta calculation, which synthesises all five Panchanga limbs, Choghadiya offers a rapid daily filter — particularly valued by merchants, travellers, and business people who need quick auspicious window identification without the time required for complete Muhurta computation. Each Choghadiya period is classified as Shubha (auspicious — Amrit, Shubh, Labh, Char), Rog (harmful, related to illness), Kaal (inauspicious, related to difficult timing), or Udveg (disturbing, related to agitation). These four categories directly name the dominant quality of experience associated with each segment.