Learn/Charts & Techniques/North Indian vs South Indian Kundli Chart

Charts & Techniques · 4 min read

North Indian vs South Indian Kundli Chart — What's the Difference?

Q: Is the North or South Indian chart more accurate?

Neither — they are two ways of drawing the identical birth chart. The planetary positions, houses and interpretation are the same; only the diagram differs. Use whichever style you read most comfortably.

Q: What is the main difference between the two charts?

In the South Indian chart the twelve signs are fixed in a square grid and the ascendant is marked wherever it falls. In the North Indian chart the twelve houses are fixed in a diamond, with the ascendant always top-centre, and the sign numbers rotate to fit.

A North Indian and a South Indian kundli are the same birth chart drawn two ways — same planets, same houses, same reading; only the diagram differs. The South fixes the signs in a square; the North fixes the houses in a diamond. Everything else follows from that single choice.

Updated Jul 2026

Same chart?

Yes — identical data

South style

Signs fixed — square

North style

Houses fixed — diamond

Which is right?

Neither — habit decides

01One chart, two drawings

People often think these are two different systems — they aren't. The planetary positions, houses and interpretation are identical; only the diagram on the page differs. Learn the one rule — what stays fixed — and you can read either in minutes.

02How to read either style

Identify the style

A diamond of triangles and kites is North Indian. A square ring of twelve boxes (a 4×4 grid with the centre removed) is South Indian.

Find the lagna

North: the ascendant is always the top-centre diamond. South: look for the lagna mark in whichever sign-box it falls.

Number the houses

North: houses run anticlockwise from top-centre and never move. South: count houses clockwise starting from the lagna box.

Map the signs

North: read the rotating sign number written inside each house — a Libra lagna shows 7 in the top diamond. South: signs never move — Pisces top-left, running clockwise.

Place the planets

Planets sit in the same sign and house in both drawings. Verify one placement across styles and you'll trust the rest.

Twelve houses, one sky. The North Indian diamond pins these houses to the page; the South Indian square pins the signs instead — the chart underneath is the same.

03Diamond vs square, side by side

	◇︎North Indian	▦︎South Indian
Shape	Diamond of triangles and kites	4×4 square grid, twelve outer boxes
What's fixed	Houses — 1st always top-centre	Signs — Pisces always top-left
What moves	Sign numbers rotate to your lagna	The lagna marker; houses counted from it
Direction	Houses run anticlockwise	Signs run clockwise
Region	Northern and central India	Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra, Telangana
Feels like	House-first — 1st, 7th, 10th at a glance	A stable map you memorise once

04Which should you choose?

Pick whichever you grew up seeing — regional habit, not accuracy, decides this. Beginners often find the South Indian grid easier because the signs never move. There is also an East Indian / Bengali square variant, and none of the three is "more correct."

Frequently asked

Is the North or South Indian chart more accurate?+

Neither — they are two ways of drawing the identical birth chart. The planetary positions, houses and interpretation are the same; only the diagram differs. Use whichever style you read most comfortably.

What is the main difference between the two charts?+

In the South Indian chart the twelve signs are fixed in a square grid and the ascendant is marked wherever it falls. In the North Indian chart the twelve houses are fixed in a diamond, with the ascendant always top-centre, and the sign numbers rotate to fit.

Which chart style is used where?+

The North Indian (diamond) style is common across northern and central India. The South Indian (square) style is standard in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Both describe the same chart — an East Indian square variant exists too.

Keep going

◈︎Basics

See your chart in both styles — switch with one tap.

Cast your free kundli and AskVeda renders the North Indian diamond and the South Indian square side by side. Cast once, read either way.

Cast free kundli