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What Is a Kundali? Birth Chart Explained
A kundali, also called a janam kundali or birth chart, is a map of the sky at the exact moment and place you were born. In Vedic astrology (Jyotish) it is the starting point of every reading.
Last updated: 14 October 2026
What you need to make one
Three things: your date of birth, your exact time of birth and your place of birth. The place sets your horizon and the time sets your rising sign, so a small error in time can change the chart.
What a kundali contains
- Lagna (rising sign): the sign rising on the eastern horizon at birth. It changes roughly every two hours, which is why the exact time matters.
- 12 houses (bhavas): each house stands for an area of life, such as self, money, home, children, health, partnership, career and gains.
- 9 planets (grahas): Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn, plus the lunar nodes Rahu and Ketu.
- 12 signs (rashis): the zodiac signs the planets sit in. Your Moon sign is your Rashi.
- 27 nakshatras: lunar constellations used for finer detail and for timing.
- Dashas: planetary periods. The most common system, Vimshottari, spreads nine planetary periods over a 120-year cycle.
How the chart is drawn
The North Indian style uses a diamond layout in which the houses stay in fixed places and the signs move. The South Indian style uses a square in which the signs stay fixed. Both show the same information.
Vedic and Western astrology differ
Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, which is about 24 degrees behind the tropical zodiac used in Western astrology. Because of this, many people have a different Sun sign in Vedic astrology, which also gives special importance to the Moon sign.
Our approach
At MasterAstrologer every kundali is calculated, drawn and written by hand for each client. Each reading covers the period from the day of your order to 3 years ahead. We do not make predictions about the past.
Common questions
Why does the exact time of birth matter?
The rising sign changes about every two hours, and the houses and many planetary periods depend on it. A difference of a few minutes can matter when the birth is close to a sign change.
What is the difference between a kundali and a daily horoscope?
A daily horoscope is general and is based only on one sign. A kundali is built from your own birth details, so it is personal to you.
What if I do not know my birth time?
Ask family members, or check your birth certificate or hospital record. A reading made without the exact time is less reliable, so please tell us when you order.
Ready for your own reading?
Order your handwritten kundali. The minimum fee is ₹1,000 for 3 questions, and ₹500 for each additional question.
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