According to Hindu religion, there are eight Prahars in 24 hours including day and night. On an average, a Prahar is of three hours or seven and a half hours, in which there are two Muhurtas. One prahar is one Ghati of 24 minutes. A total of eight prahars, four of the day and four of the night. On the basis of this, the time of singing of each raga in Indian classical music is fixed. Each raga is composed according to the prahar.
Generally, there is a popular concept of seconds, minutes, hours, day-night, month, year, decade and century only, but in Hindu religion there is anu, trsarenu, truti, vedh, laava, nimesh, kshan, kashtha, laghu, dand, muhurat, prahar ya yaam, divas, paksh, maah, rtu, ayan, varsh, divy varsh, yug, mahaayug, manwantar, kalp and In the end, the greater time system of Brahma, up to a day and a night, is determined by combining the two kalpas.
What are the rules of eight Prahar according to Hinduism?
Names of the eight prahars: The four prahars of the day- 1.am, 2.midday, 3.apan and 4.evening. The four prahars of the night - 5. Pradosh, 6. Nishith, 7. Triyama and 8. Usha.
Eight Prahar: A Prahar is of three hours. The first prahar of the day starts at the time of sunrise which is called Poorvahan. The second half of the day, when the sun comes on the head, remains till it is called Madhyahna.
After this, the time of Aparhan (after noon) starts, which lasts till about 4 o'clock. After 4 o'clock the day goes on till evening. Then Pradosh, Nishith and Usha period respectively. One should pray only after evening.
In Vaishnava temples, the law of worship of eight prahars is called
'Ashtayam'. In the Vallabh sect, these are kirtan-services in the name of Mangala, Shringar, Gwal, Rajbhog, Utthapana, Bhoga, Sandhya-Aarti and Shayan. Ashtayam Hindi has its own distinctive poetic form which developed specially in Ritikaal.