Choghadiya
Choghadiya divides the day and the night into eight periods each, about 90 minutes long. Each is named Amrit, Shubh, Labh, Char, Udveg, Kaal or Rog, and marked good, neutral or best avoided.
Also known as: Chogadiya, Chaughadiya, Choghadia, Chowghadiya
The full guide: Choghadiya: Meaning, 7 Types and the Day and Night Tables
The name joins ‘chau’ (four) and ‘ghadi’ (ghatika), as each period is roughly four ghatis long. Daytime from sunrise to sunset is split into eight equal choghadiyas, and the night until the next sunrise into eight more. Each takes one of seven names linked to a planet: Udveg (Sun), Char (Venus), Labh (Mercury), Amrit (Moon), Kaal (Saturn), Shubh (Jupiter) and Rog (Mars).
Amrit, Shubh and Labh are favourable; Char is neutral and good for travel; Udveg, Kaal and Rog are best avoided for new work. The first daytime choghadiya belongs to the weekday’s own planet, and the rest follow the order of the planetary hours. Choghadiya is especially popular in Gujarat and Rajasthan and among traders, who use it for opening accounts and the Diwali Chopda puja.
It is a quick, practical guide for travel and everyday starts. For major events such as a wedding, families still look for a full muhurat, because choghadiya does not consider the tithi, the nakshatra or the people involved.