Astrology basics
Astrology basics: rashi, nakshatra, planets and houses
These are the reference pages behind every chart on the site. Read them when a word in your Kundli or rashifal is new to you, or when you want to know why a tool gives the result it does.
What each one does
- 12 rashis (Moon signs)The 12 rashis (Moon signs) with their lord, element, nakshatra padas, naam akshar and best matches.
- Zodiac signs and datesThe 12 Western zodiac signs with dates, element, ruler and traits, and how each differs from the Vedic sign.
- 27 nakshatrasThe 27 nakshatras with their span, padas, deity, symbol, nature and the baby-name syllables of each.
- Navagraha (9 planets)The nine grahas, where each one is today, its weekday, colour and ratna, and its beej mantra.
- 12 houses of a KundliThe 12 houses of a Kundli, what each covers, how planets and lords are read there, and a checker for your own chart.
- Nadi doshaNadi and Bhakoot dosha in plain words, a checker by nakshatra and the conditions that cancel each.
- Lal KitabWhat Lal Kitab is, how its chart differs from a Kundli, the pakka ghar table and the rules of its remedies.
Where to start
Start with your rashi, since most Indian readings begin from the Moon sign. Then read your nakshatra, which narrows the rashi down to a smaller part of the sky. Once you have your Kundli, the houses and navagraha pages explain what you see in it. Read the zodiac signs page if you also follow Western astrology, and Nadi dosha before a Kundli matching.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a rashi and a nakshatra?
The zodiac is split into 12 rashis of 30 degrees each, and also into 27 nakshatras of 13 degrees 20 minutes each. Your rashi and nakshatra are the sign and the nakshatra the Moon was in when you were born.
Do I need to learn all this to use the calculators?
No. Every calculator explains its own result. These pages are for when you want to understand the terms in more depth.
Is Lal Kitab the same as Vedic astrology?
No. It uses the same planets and a 12-house chart, but gives every house a fixed sign and has its own rules and remedies. The Lal Kitab page explains how the two differ.
Why do the rashi pages have no fixed dates?
Your rashi depends on where the Moon was at your birth, and the Moon changes sign about every two and a half days. The fixed date ranges you see in newspapers belong to the Western sun signs.