How Marathi households use Choghadiya
Before a road trip to Konkan, a shop opening in Pune, or a simple vehicle purchase puja, many families still ask: “आता चालू करायचं का?” Choghadiya answers that with a weekday-based map of eight daytime slots. It is faster than a full lagna chart and coarser than a wedding muhurat — think of it as a daily traffic-light system for ordinary beginnings.
This page gives (1) today’s approximate slots, (2) a weekday order table, (3) meanings of Amrit/Shubh/Labh vs Rog/Kaal/Udveg, and (4) how to combine Choghadiya with Rahu Kaal and Abhijit. For marriage dates, use Marriage Muhurat 2026 instead.
Day vs night Choghadiya
Classic practice splits दिन चोघडिया (sunrise→sunset) and रात्र चोघडिया (sunset→next sunrise) into eight parts each. Slot length changes with season: in Mumbai June, daytime may be longer than 12 hours, so each “choghadiya” stretches beyond 90 minutes; in December the reverse happens. Our interactive table above uses a fixed 6:00 AM–6:00 PM teaching model so the weekday order is easy to learn. For a real departure time, scale the eight parts to that day’s sunrise/sunset from a reliable panchanga app or almanac.
Worked example (Thursday morning)
Suppose you want to leave Mumbai for Nashik on a Thursday at 8:00 AM in our simplified model. Thursday daytime order begins with Amrit (period 1: 6:00–7:30), then Kaal (7:30–9:00). An 8:00 AM start falls in Kaal — traditionally avoided for a fresh journey. Better options: leave in Amrit before 7:30, or wait for a later Shubh/Labh slot after checking that day’s Rahu Kaal (Thursday Rahu Kaal is 1:30–3:00 PM IST on this site’s table). Always prefer the stricter of the two systems when they conflict.
Choghadiya FAQ
Is Choghadiya the same as muhurat for weddings?
No. Wedding muhurat uses tithi, nakshatra, yoga, lagna, and more. Choghadiya is a lighter daily tool for ordinary starts.
What if Amrit overlaps Rahu Kaal?
Skip that overlap for important work. Rahu Kaal is treated as a hard avoid window in most household practice.
Can I use this table outside Mumbai?
The weekday order is widely shared; the clock times must be rebuilt from local sunrise/sunset.
What about Chal (Char)?
Neutral — acceptable for travel or routine movement, not ideal for brand-new ventures if a Shubh slot is available soon.
Practical tips for Maharashtra users
- Write the eight period names for today’s weekday on a sticky note once — after a week you will recognise the pattern without the table.
- For temple visits that are not “new starts” (regular aarti), Choghadiya is optional; focus on temple opening hours and crowd times.
- Monsoon days: sunrise/sunset shift; do not trust the 6–6 teaching clock for a 5 AM ST bus — rescale.
- Business inaugurations: prefer Amrit/Shubh/Labh and avoid Rahu Kaal; many owners also pick a weekday their family considers lucky.
- Never use this page alone for vivaha, upanayana, or griha pravesh lagna — those need a pandit.