Caughaḍiyā
चौघड़िया
Eight daytime and eight night-time divisions used in popular almanacs.
Definition
Caughaḍiyā divides daytime (sunrise to sunset) and night-time each into eight equal parts of roughly ninety minutes, about four ghaṭīs, hence the name. Each part is labelled amṛta, śubha, lābha, cara, udvega, kāla or roga in a sequence that depends on the weekday. It is a popular almanac device, especially in western India, rather than a feature of the classical muhūrta texts.
Articles that use this term
- PanchangaExplainer
How to read a panchang
The five limbs of the Indian almanac, what each one measures, and how to make sense of a printed page.
7 min read · 15 October 2026
- Panchanga
Muhurta: choosing a time, the Kalpa way
From the ritual sutras to the Muhurta Chintamani: how the tradition thinks about doing an act at a fitting moment.
7 min read · 5 October 2026
- PanchangaExplainer
Rahu Kaal, Gulika and Yamaganda: where the day-divisions come from
Three daily periods printed in almanacs, each an eighth of the daylight chosen by weekday: how they are computed, and why we treat them as later conventions.
6 min read · 28 September 2026
- PanchangaExplainer
Choghadiya: the day in eight parts
How the choghadiya divides daylight and night into eight periods each, why the sequence starts where it does, and where the system is used for muhurta.
7 min read · 27 September 2026