Ismaili waez Choghadiya by Abu Ali
The word Choghadiya comprises of two words, named as "Chau" and "Ghadiya". Chau means "Four" and "Ghadiya" means "Time". Ghadia is also known as "Ghati". Therefore, "Choghadiya" is also known as "Ghati". In ancient times, the Indian time was different from today's time representation. People used to check "Ghati" instead of "Hours". If we compare both time formats, then 60 ghatis and 24 hours are both same in unit. However, there is one difference still occurring in evaluation i.e. the day starts from 12:00 AM midnight and ends also at 12:00 AM next midnight.
The word gadi means "time", corresponding with the Koranic term, sa’a. During the Ancient times in India, day and night were measured in gadi instead of hours or minutes. According to the Holy Koran: "They are indeed in loss who give lie to the meeting with God until when the hour (al-sa’a) comes upon them all of a sudden." (6:31) Here, the hour (al-sa’a) stands for the gadi (moment) of death, which is also depicted in the following lines of a ginan:- Sayan’ji mor’e dar lago ek din’ko
Din’ko re gadi pal’ko
From this gadi, the time showing device evolved into what is known as a watch, a portable mechanical timepiece. In the Indian language, a watch is also called gadi or gadiyal.
The gadi is equal to 22.30 minutes, while the word cho means "four." There are many like words beginning with "cho" (four), such as chokhunn (four corners), chokhu’nt (all around), chogath (four knotted), chogatho (fourfold), chogannu (four times), chogam (four directions), chogdarm (all sides), chogan (all around), etc. Similarly, "chogadiyu’n" means "four gadis." The beating of four drums at every fourth gadi also means chogadia. It clearly suggests that the term chogadiyu’n or chogadia embodies a dual significance: on one hand, it means four gadis; on the other hand, it means four drums.
The lunar calendars, which survive even today, were in use in India, known as the Vikram. It is commonly called Samvat, an abbreviation of Samvatsara. Panchang is the Sanskrit name given to the traditional Indian standard time keeping viz. a calendar is the principal instrument for astrologers to compute astrological calculations. The festivals and ceremonies were regulated according to the lunar day (tithi). A Hindu lunar month consists of 30 lunar days and begins on the day of the full moon or the new moon. A fortnight ending with the full moon (purnimanta) is known as the "bright fortnight" and that ending with the new moon (amanta) is called the "dark fortnight". On the other hand, the Hijrah year of the Muslims, though strictly lunar, has its months adjusted to the course of the moon by means of a cycle of 30 years, containing 19 common years of 354 days, and 11 intercalary years of 355 days. The cycle therefore contains 10,631 days and amounts to 29 Julian years and 39 days. Each year is divided into 12 months containing alternately 30 and 29 days with the exception of the last month of the intercalary years, which invariably contains 30 days. The intercalary years are the 2nd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, 18th, 21st 24th, 26th and 29th of the cycle. No month, however, can contain less than 29 days or more than 30 days. The following are the names of the Hindu and the Muslim months respectively.
Hindu Months
1. Vaisakha
2. Jaistha
3. Asarha
4. Sravana
5. Bhadra
6. Asvina
7. Karttika
8. Agrahayana
9. Pausa
10. Magha
11. Phalguna
12. Chaitra
Muslim Months
1. Muharram
2. Safar
3. Rabi-ul-Awwal
4. Rabi-us-Sani
5. Jumada-ul-Awwal
6. Jumada-us-Sani
7. Rajab
8. Shaban
9. Ramzan
10. Shawwal
11. Zul Qada
12. Zul Hijja
For the division of the day and night into hours, they divided the whole of the day and night in time zones of 8 pahors or pahars (Persian: pas), each pahor being equal to 3 hours of modern time.
The Holy Koran also divides a day (yaum) into eight parts (atrafun, sig. taraf). God says: "And glorify your Lord by the praising of Him before the rising of the sun and before its setting, and during hours of the night do also glorify (Him) and during parts of the day, that you may be well pleased." (20:130) In Arabic and Hebrew, the plural is counted from three, not two, as is common in other languages. Thus, the word "atrafun nahar" and a’anaul lail in the above verse stand for three parts each in a day and night. The combination of both these words denotes six parts. Besides, the word "tulu’i shams" and "gurub’i shams" in the above verse mean one part at dawn and another at dusk. In sum, the atrafun nahar, a’anaul lail, tulu’i shams and gurub’i shams refer to eight parts (pahors) of a day (yaum), each part consisting of three hours (a’an).
Each pahor is divided into 8 gadis, and a gadi is divided into 60 pals. A pal is divided into 30 kshans. The following table will make it easier to understand:
00. 01 second :
00. 75 second :
22. 30 seconds :
22. 30 minutes :
03. 00 hours :
24. 00 hours :
1 kala
1 kshan
1 pal
1 gadi
1 pahor
8 pahors