What is a Kundli?
Short answer
A Kundli (Janam Kundli or Janam Patri) is a map of the sky at the exact moment and place of your birth. It shows where the nine grahas — Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu — sat across the twelve signs and twelve houses.
What a Kundli is made of
Every Kundli has three layers. The twelve rashis (signs) divide the zodiac into 30° segments. The twelve bhavas (houses) describe areas of life such as self, wealth, home, partnership and career. The nine grahas are placed in signs and houses according to their positions at birth.
The first house is set by the Lagna, the sign rising on the eastern horizon when you were born. All other houses follow from it in order.
What you need to calculate one
You need your date of birth, time of birth and place of birth. The place gives latitude, longitude and time zone. The time is the most sensitive input: the Lagna moves through a full sign in roughly two hours, so a small error in time can change the houses.
Sidereal zodiac and ayanamsa
Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, which is aligned with the fixed stars. Western astrology usually uses the tropical zodiac, aligned with the seasons. The gap between them is called the ayanamsa; the Lahiri (Chitra Paksha) ayanamsa is the standard used in India and is about 24° today. This is why your Vedic Sun sign is often one sign earlier than your Western one.
North Indian and South Indian charts
The same Kundli can be drawn in two styles. The North Indian chart is a diamond in which the houses stay fixed and the signs move. The South Indian chart is a square grid in which the signs stay fixed and the Lagna is marked. Both contain exactly the same information.
Common questions
- Is a Kundli the same as a horoscope?
- In India the words are often used interchangeably. Strictly, the Kundli is the birth chart itself; a horoscope reading is an interpretation of it.
- What if I do not know my exact birth time?
- You can still calculate a chart with an approximate time. Planet signs will mostly be right, but the Lagna and houses may be off. An astrologer can attempt birth-time rectification using past life events.
Sources and further reading
Jyotish is a traditional system for reflection. Interpretations vary between schools; this guide describes common practice.