The North Indian chart
It is a square made of diamonds and triangles. House 1 is the top centre diamond. Houses then run anticlockwise. The numbers inside the boxes are the signs, so you can see which sign sits in each house.
This style is common in North and West India. It makes house relationships easy to see, such as the 7th house sitting opposite the 1st.
The South Indian chart
It is a grid of 12 boxes around the edge, and each box is a sign. Aries is in the second box from the left in the top row, and signs then run clockwise. The box that holds the Lagna carries a diagonal line in one corner.
This style is common in South India. It makes signs easy to spot at a glance, and it works even when the birth time is unknown, because it does not need the houses.
Which one should you use
Use the one you are used to. If you want to share a chart with a family astrologer, ask which they prefer. The AnkShakti Kundali draws both and you can switch between them with one tap. Without a birth time it shows the South style only.
Reading either chart
Find the Lagna first. Then read planets by the sign they are in and the house they fall in. Tap a planet in the chart and the planet table shows its details, including its sign, degree, house, nakshatra and Navamsa sign.
Try it on your own name
Common questions
- Are North and South Indian charts the same?
- Yes. They show the same planetary positions in different layouts.
- Where is the Lagna in a South Indian chart?
- In the box that carries a diagonal line in its corner.
- Which is more accurate?
- Neither. Accuracy depends on the birth details, not the style.
- Is there an East Indian style too?
- Yes, used in Bengal and Odisha. It is less common and AnkShakti shows the North and South styles.