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The ancient Indian time system — Ghati, Pala, Muhurta, Prahar. The Vedic day begins at sunrise and is divided into 60 Ghatis, 30 Muhurtas, and 8 Prahars.
The Vedic time system is an ancient Indian method of time measurement described in the Surya Siddhanta and other astronomical texts. Unlike the modern 24-hour clock which starts at midnight, the Vedic day begins at sunrise. This means Ghati-Pala timings shift every day and by location, because sunrise varies with season and latitude.
The fundamental unit is the "Ghati" (or "Nadika"), equal to 24 modern minutes. Each Ghati contains 60 Palas (each 24 seconds). Sixty Ghatis make one Ahoratra (full day-night cycle). These units were measured using water clocks (Ghati Yantra) — a copper vessel with a small hole through which water flowed at a calibrated rate.
The Ghati system is sexagesimal (base-60), mirroring the modern convention of 60 seconds = 1 minute, 60 minutes = 1 hour. In the Vedic system: 60 Palas = 1 Ghati, 60 Ghatis = 1 day. This likely reflects an ancient mathematical connection between Sumerian and Indian civilisations. The Muhurta (2 Ghatis = 48 minutes) and Prahar (7.5 Ghatis = 3 hours) are larger units used for daily rituals and ceremonies.
In Jyotish, the Muhurta is of special significance. Each of the day's 30 Muhurtas has a presiding deity and quality (auspicious or inauspicious). The Abhijit Muhurta (the midday Muhurta, approximately 11:36 AM to 12:24 PM) is considered the best for all auspicious activities, except on Wednesdays when its potency is diminished.
| Vedic Unit | Duration |
|---|---|
| Kashtha | 3 min |
| Kala | 2h |
| Nadika (Ghati) | 24 min |
| Pala (Vipala) | 24 sec |
| Muhurta | 48 min |
| Prahar (Yama) | 3h |
| Ahoratra | 24h |
Each Muhurta spans 48 minutes. Starting from sunrise, 15 belong to the daytime and 15 to nighttime. Auspicious Muhurtas are marked green, inauspicious in red.
Vedic time units are still used in Muhurta Shastra (electional astrology), Panchang computation, Hora charts, and astrological consultations. When selecting auspicious times for weddings, housewarming (Griha Pravesh), or naming ceremonies, timings are often given in Ghati-Pala notation. Every Panchang records tithi, nakshatra, and yoga start/end times in Ghati-Pala format.
The interactive tool below shows the current Vedic time (Ghati, Pala, Vipala), running Muhurta, and Prahar based on your location's sunrise. It updates every second in real time.
प्राचीन भारतीय समय पद्धति – घटी, पल, विपल
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वैदिक प्रणाली दिन को 30 मुहूर्तों (~48 मिनट प्रत्येक), 8 प्रहरों (~3 घंटे), घटिकाओं (24 मिनट), पलों (24 सेकंड) और विपलों (0.4 सेकंड) में विभाजित करती है। आधुनिक 24-घंटे की घड़ी से भिन्न, वैदिक दिन सूर्योदय से प्रारम्भ होता है।
प्रत्येक मुहूर्त का अपना गुण है: ब्रह्म मुहूर्त (सूर्योदय से ~96 मिनट पहले) ध्यान और अध्ययन के लिए सर्वाधिक शुभ माना जाता है। अभिजित मुहूर्त (मध्याह्न) सर्वत्र अनुकूल है। राहु काल, यमगण्ड और गुलिक काल वार के ग्रह स्वामी के अनुसार अशुभ समय दर्शाते हैं।