What Is Choghadiya? Meaning of Amrit, Shubh, Labh, Chal, Udveg, Rog and Kaal
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What is choghadiya and how do you read it? The eight day and night divisions, the seven choghadiya names, ruling planets, auspicious and inauspicious slots and the first choghadiya of each weekday.
Choghadiya is a method of judging auspicious and inauspicious time by dividing the day and the night into eight equal parts each. Each part is about an hour and a half (roughly 90 minutes in a 12-hour day). It is especially popular in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra for fixing the time of work and travel.
**Key Takeaways** - There are seven choghadiyas: Udveg, Chal, Labh, Amrit, Kaal, Shubh and Rog - **Amrit, Shubh and Labh** are considered good, **Chal** is mixed (fine for travel), and **Udveg, Rog and Kaal** are traditionally avoided - The first choghadiya of each weekday belongs to that weekday's ruling planet - For big auspicious events like weddings, the full muhurat is checked, not choghadiya alone
How Choghadiya Is Worked Out
The time from sunrise to sunset is divided into 8 equal parts, and the night from sunset to the next sunrise into 8 parts too. Each part is one choghadiya. Because sunrise and sunset change daily and by city, choghadiya timings also differ each day and in every city. Check today's choghadiya for your city on the panchang page.
The Seven Choghadiyas and Their Nature
| Choghadiya | Ruling planet | Nature |
|---|---|---|
| Amrit | Moon | Auspicious, for all good tasks |
| Shubh | Jupiter | Auspicious, for auspicious events |
| Labh | Mercury | Auspicious, for business and transactions |
| Chal (Char) | Venus | Mixed, fine for travel |
| Udveg | Sun | Inauspicious, avoid new tasks |
| Rog | Mars | Inauspicious, avoid new tasks |
| Kaal | Saturn | Inauspicious, avoid new tasks |
The First Choghadiya of Each Weekday
The day's first choghadiya belongs to the weekday's ruling planet. The rest then follow in a fixed order.
| Weekday | First choghadiya of the day |
|---|---|
| Sunday | Udveg |
| Monday | Amrit |
| Tuesday | Rog |
| Wednesday | Labh |
| Thursday | Shubh |
| Friday | Chal |
| Saturday | Kaal |
On Sunday the order is: Udveg, Chal, Labh, Amrit, Kaal, Shubh, Rog, then Udveg. On other weekdays the same cycle starts from that day's first choghadiya.
How to Use Choghadiya
- For a small task, such as shopping, a payment or the start of a journey, an Amrit, Shubh or Labh choghadiya is chosen.
- Starting new work during Udveg, Rog and Kaal is traditionally avoided.
- Choghadiya is only one limb of the panchang. For bigger tasks Rahukaal and tithi are also checked. Read about Rahukaal here and about tithi here.
The Other Limbs of the Panchang
With choghadiya, tithi, nakshatra, yoga and karana make up the full panchang. Read more in What Is Panchang.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is choghadiya?
Choghadiya is a method of judging auspicious and inauspicious time by dividing the day and the night into eight equal parts each. Each part is about an hour and a half.
Which choghadiya is considered auspicious?
Amrit, Shubh and Labh are considered good. Chal is mixed and fine for travel. Udveg, Rog and Kaal are traditionally avoided for starting new work.
What is the first choghadiya of each weekday?
Udveg on Sunday, Amrit on Monday, Rog on Tuesday, Labh on Wednesday, Shubh on Thursday, Chal on Friday and Kaal on Saturday.
Is choghadiya the same in every city?
No. It is worked out from sunrise and sunset, which change daily and by city, so the timings differ in every city.