Panchang Guide
What is Choghadiya?
A finer-grained system of auspicious and inauspicious windows across the day and night.
Choghadiya (also spelled Chogadia) is a traditional Vedic system that divides both daytime and nighttime into 8 equal parts each — 16 in total for a full day — with every part assigned one of 7 recurring types, each carrying a different nature: auspicious, inauspicious, or neutral. It's a more detailed alternative to a single daily marker like Rahu Kalam, commonly used to time journeys, shop openings, and the start of routine work.
The 7 Choghadiya types
Amrit
The best of the eight — favourable for any important activity, especially journeys.
Shubh
Good for auspicious ceremonies, celebrations and new beginnings.
Labh
Favourable for financial dealings and activities meant to bring gains.
Chal
Workable for routine or repetitive tasks; traditionally fine for travel.
Kaal
Best avoided for starting anything new.
Rog
Associated with illness and obstacles — avoided for health-related starts.
Udveg
Associated with anxiety and disturbance — avoided for important decisions.
How the daily sequence works
Like Rahu Kalam, Choghadiya is calculated by dividing the daylight period (sunrise to sunset) into 8 equal parts, and the night period (sunset to sunrise) into another 8. Which of the 7 types occupies the first part of the day depends on the weekday's ruling planet; from there, the types repeat in a fixed rotating order through the day's 8 slots, and a different order through the night's 8 slots.
Because both the sequence's starting point and the length of each part depend on your local sunrise and sunset times — which shift daily and by city — an accurate today's-Choghadiya reading needs a live Panchang for your exact location rather than a fixed table. Our Rahu Kalam guide explains the same 8-part calculation in more detail.
Choghadiya vs. Muhurat
Choghadiya gives a rough auspicious/inauspicious read for ordinary daily activities. For major life events — weddings, Griha Pravesh, a new business — a proper Shubh Muhurat goes further, factoring in Tithi, Nakshatra and personal birth chart details as well.