Generate Complete Kundlis with Sidereal Zodiac

A Kundli (also called Janam Kundali or Rasi chart) is a Vedic birth chart based on sidereal zodiac - the actual positions of stars and constellations in the sky.

Western astrology uses tropical zodiac which is tied to Earth's seasons (spring equinox = 0 degrees Aries).

But here's the thing: due to precession (Earth's slow wobble), the seasons and constellations don't match anymore.

Currently, there's a 24 degree gap called ayanamsa.

So if your Western sun sign is Aries (tropical), your Vedic sun sign is probably Pisces (sidereal).

Kundlis use Whole Sign house system where each zodiac sign equals one house - simple and traditional.

Western charts usually use Placidus houses which are mathematically complex.

Kundlis also include unique Vedic elements: Nakshatra (which of 27 lunar mansions the Moon occupies), Vimshottari Dasha (planetary period system showing when events happen), and divisional charts (D9 for marriage, D10 for career).

For developers, this means Kundli calculation requires subtracting ayanamsa from tropical positions.

Our API handles this automatically - you send birth data, we return both tropical (Western) and sidereal (Vedic) positions.

Ayanamsa is the correction factor that converts tropical zodiac positions to sidereal (Vedic) positions.

There are multiple ayanamsa systems, and our API supports 12 of them: Lahiri, Krishnamurti (KP), Raman, Yukteshwar, True Citra, JN Bhasin, Ushashashi, True Revati, True Pushya, SS Citra, Suryasiddhanta, and Fagan-Bradley.

Each calculates the correction slightly differently.

Lahiri ayanamsa is the official standard adopted by the Indian government and used by 90%+ of Vedic astrologers.

It calculates the gap between tropical and sidereal as approximately 24 degrees currently (exact value changes yearly due to precession).

When generating a Kundli, you take the Sun's tropical position (say 15 degrees Aries) and subtract Lahiri ayanamsa (24 degrees) to get sidereal position (21 degrees Pisces).

Our API uses Lahiri by default but also supports all 12 major ayanamsa systems.

For apps targeting Indian users, ALWAYS use Lahiri unless users specifically request different systems.

KP astrologers prefer Krishnamurti ayanamsa.

Fun fact: the ayanamsa increases about 50 arc-seconds per year, so calculations need to account for the exact birth date.

Swiss Ephemeris (which we use) handles this automatically with NASA JPL precision.

Nakshatras are 27 equal divisions of the zodiac (13 degrees 20 minutes each) that the Moon passes through monthly.

Think of them as super-detailed moon signs - instead of just 12 zodiac signs, you get 27 nakshatras with way more specific personality and prediction info.

Each nakshatra has a ruling planet (called nakshatra lord), deity, symbol, and unique characteristics.

In a Kundli, the birth Nakshatra (where Moon was at birth) is SUPER important - it determines the starting point of Vimshottari Dasha periods AND reveals core personality traits.

For example: Rohini nakshatra (ruled by Moon) = creative, sensual, artistic.

Ashwini nakshatra (ruled by Ketu) = fast-paced, healing abilities, pioneering.

Each nakshatra also divides into 4 padas (quarters), giving 108 total divisions (27 x 4).

Pada placement shows finer details - which pada your Moon occupies affects career, marriage timing, wealth potential.

For marriage matching (Kundli matching), nakshatra compatibility is crucial - some nakshatra combinations are highly auspicious, others indicate challenges.

Our API calculates birth Nakshatra instantly and provides lord, deity, characteristics, and pada position.

Whole Sign houses are the simplest and most traditional house system in Vedic astrology: each zodiac sign equals one house.

If your Ascendant (Lagna) is 15 degrees Leo, the ENTIRE sign of Leo becomes your 1st house, Virgo is 2nd house, Libra is 3rd house, and so on.

No complex math needed.

Western astrology usually uses Placidus or Koch house systems where houses are unequal sizes based on latitude and time - mathematically complex.

Whole Sign is easier to interpret and has been used in Indian Jyotish for 2,000+ years.

For developers, Whole Sign is way simpler to code: just find the Ascendant sign, assign that as 1st house, count forward.

No weird interpolation needed.

Our API uses Whole Sign by default for Vedic charts but also supports Equal House and Porphyry if users prefer.

For apps targeting Indian users, stick with Whole Sign - it's what they expect.

For hybrid apps serving both Western and Vedic users, let them choose house system (Placidus for Western, Whole Sign for Vedic).

Every Kundli includes the starting point of Vimshottari Dasha - the 120-year planetary period system that predicts WHEN events happen in life.

The starting Dasha is determined by the Moon's Nakshatra at birth.

Each of the 27 Nakshatras has a ruling planet (nakshatra lord), and that planet's Mahadasha (major period) starts first.

For example: if Moon is in Rohini nakshatra (ruled by Moon), you start life in Moon Mahadasha (10 years).

If Moon is in Ashwini (ruled by Ketu), you start in Ketu Mahadasha (7 years).

But here's the tricky part: if Moon is not at the exact start of the nakshatra, you don't get the full Mahadasha duration - it's proportionally reduced based on how far the Moon has traveled through that nakshatra.

Our API calculates this precisely: birth Nakshatra leads to starting Dasha planet leads to exact start/end dates for that Mahadasha leads to followed by the remaining 8 planetary periods in order.

This is ESSENTIAL for Vedic predictions - without knowing your current Dasha period, predictions are generic and useless.

When generating a Kundli, ALWAYS include Vimshottari Dasha starting point.

Our API is unique because it generates BOTH Western and Vedic birth charts from the same birth data in one call.

Send birth date, time, and location once.

Specify include_western: true and include_vedic: true in settings.

You get back two complete charts: Western chart with tropical zodiac, Placidus houses, Western aspects.

Vedic chart with sidereal zodiac (Lahiri ayanamsa), Whole Sign houses, Nakshatras, Vimshottari Dasha starting point.

This is HUGE for global apps - if user says I want both Western and Vedic, you don't need to integrate two separate APIs (like ProKerala for Vedic + AstrologyAPI for Western).

One API key, one request, both systems.

For users who are curious about the difference, show them side-by-side: Your Western sun is Aries (tropical), your Vedic sun is Pisces (sidereal) - here's why the 24 degree ayanamsa matters.

Most competitors force you to choose: Western OR Vedic.

We give you both.

This feature alone saves developers 50+ hours of integration work.