What it means
The daylight period from sunrise to sunset is divided into eight equal parts, and one of them is assigned to Rahu. Which one depends on the weekday, following a fixed sequence, so Rahu Kaal moves position from day to day but always occupies one eighth of the daylight.
How it is read
Because it is derived from actual sunrise and sunset, its clock time depends on your location and the date - it is not the same 90 minutes everywhere, and any table that gives one fixed slot for the whole country is approximating.
What to watch for
The convention is to avoid beginning new work, journeys or purchases during it; ongoing work is generally considered unaffected. It is a South Indian practice by origin, now widely observed, and it belongs to popular almanac tradition rather than to the classical texts on chart interpretation.
Astroniq AI astrologer
Ask about your own chart, in plain words
Pages like this one explain the general rules. Your chart is specific. Astroniq computes your real Vedic birth chart - planetary positions, dashas, yogas - and its AI astrologer answers your questions about it in chat, like a consultation. First reading free, no signup.
Try asking: