In Vedic Astrology, time is considered a living force. The Hora system is an ancient method that divides the day from one sunrise to the next into twenty four planetary hours. Each hour is ruled by one of the seven classical planets namely Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. The ruling planet of a Hora influences the nature and results of activities performed during that time.

The first Hora of the day begins exactly at local sunrise and is governed by the lord of the weekday. After this, the planetary sequence continues in a fixed traditional order of Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars, repeating through day and night. By observing Hora timings, one can choose auspicious time for important actions such as business dealings, travel, meetings, property matters and spiritual practices.