Old Indian measures are still in use today, primarily for religious purposes in Hinduism and Jainism. They also are employed in the teachings of Surat Shabda Yoga.  

Time

The Hindu metrics of time (Kaala Vyavahara) can be summarized as below.

Sidereal metrics

• a paramanu (परमाणु) is the normal interval of blinking in humans, or approximately 4 seconds
• a vighati (विघटि) is 6 paramaanus, or approximately 24 seconds
• a ghadiya (घटि) is 60 vighatis, or approximately 24 minutes
• a muhurta is equal to 2 ghadiyas, or approximately 48 minutes
• a nakshatra ahoratram (नक्षत्र अहोरत्रम्) or sidereal day is exactly equal to 30 muhurtas (Note: A day is considered to begin and end at sunrise, not midnight.)

Small units of time used in the Vedas

• a trasarenu is the combination of 6 celestial atoms.
• a truti is the time needed to integrate 3 trasarenus, or 1/1687.5th of a second.
• a vedha is 100 trutis.
• a lava is 3 vedhas.
• a nimesha is 3 lavas, or a blink.
• a kshanas is 3 nimeshas.
• a kashthas is 5 kshanas, or about 8 seconds.
• a laghu is 15 kashthas, or about 2 minutes.
• 15 laghus make one nadika, which is also called a danda. This equals the time before water overflows in a six-pala-weight [fourteen ounce] pot of copper, in which a hole is bored with a gold probe weighing four masha and measuring four fingers long. The pot is then placed on water for calculation.
• 2 dandas make one muhurta.
• 6 or 7 dandas make one yamah, or 1/4th of a day or night.
• 4 praharas or 4 yamas are in each day or each night.

Lunar metrics

• a tithi (also spelled thithi ) or lunar day is defined as the time it takes for the longitudinal angle between the moon and the sun to increase by 12°. Tithis begin at varying times of day and vary in duration from approximately 19 to approximately 26 hours.
• a paksa (also paksha) or lunar fortnight consists of 15 tithis
• a masa or lunar month (approximately 29.5 days) is divided into 2 pakshas: the one between new moon and full moon is called gaura (bright) or shukla paksha; the one between full moon and new moon krishna (dark) paksha
• a ritu is 2 masa
• an ayanam is 3 rituhs
• a year is 2 Aayanas

Tropical metrics

• a yaama (याम) is 7½ Ghatis (घटि)
• 8 yaamas 1 half of the day(either day or night)
• an ahoratram is a tropical day (Note: A day is considered to begin and end at sunrise, not midnight.)

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