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Ayanamsa: Why Lahiri, Raman & KP Charts Differ

The ayanamsa is the offset between the seasonal (tropical) zodiac and the star-based (sidereal) zodiac Vedic astrology uses. Choose a different ayanamsa and every planet in the chart shifts. Here is how the three major systems compare — and your own positions, computed live under Lahiri.

Indian national standard

Lahiri (Chitrapaksha)

Anchors the star Chitra (Spica) at exactly 180° of the sidereal zodiac. Adopted by the Indian Calendar Reform Committee in 1956, it is the official ayanamsa for Indian government panchangas and the default in most Vedic software. Currently about 24° behind the tropical zodiac.

Classical lineage

B.V. Raman

Popularised by the influential astrologer B.V. Raman, following an older reckoning of the zodiac's anchor point. It runs roughly 1.4° smaller than Lahiri — enough that a planet sitting early in a sign under Lahiri can slip back into the previous sign under Raman.

Stellar precision system

KP (Krishnamurti)

Defined by K.S. Krishnamurti for his Krishnamurti Paddhati method. It sits only a few arc-minutes from Lahiri, so signs rarely change — but KP's hallmark sub-lord divisions are so fine that even those minutes matter for its house-cusp and sub-lord analysis.

Same sky, three slightly different rulers. The system does not change the planets — it changes where the sidereal zodiac starts counting from.

Compute your positions under Lahiri

pyastro charts are calculated with the Lahiri ayanamsa — the same standard used by Indian government panchangas — at Swiss Ephemeris precision. Enter your birth details to see your sidereal placements.

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Ayanamsa FAQ

What exactly is the ayanamsa?: It is the angular difference between the tropical zodiac (anchored to the equinoxes, used in Western astrology) and the sidereal zodiac (anchored to the fixed stars, used in Vedic astrology). Because of the slow wobble of Earth's axis — the precession of the equinoxes — this difference grows by about 50 arc-seconds per year and currently stands near 24 degrees.
Which ayanamsa is correct?: There is no astronomical proof for one anchor point; it is a matter of school and lineage. Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) is the Indian government standard and by far the most widely used; Raman serves an older classical lineage; KP is required for the Krishnamurti Paddhati method. What matters most is consistency — comparing charts cast under different ayanamsas leads to false disagreements.
Which ayanamsa does pyastro use?: All pyastro charts and readings are computed with the Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsa at Swiss Ephemeris precision. The live table on this page shows your positions under Lahiri; we do not currently offer live Raman or KP computation.
Can my sign really change between ayanamsas?: Between Lahiri and KP, almost never — they differ by only a few arc-minutes. Between Lahiri and Raman the gap is about 1.4 degrees, so a planet (or your ascendant) in the first degrees of a sign under Lahiri can fall in the previous sign under Raman. The planets have not moved; only the zodiac's starting line has.
Why is my Vedic sign different from my Western sun sign?: That is the ayanamsa at work: the sidereal and tropical zodiacs currently differ by about 24 degrees, so roughly 5 of every 6 people find their Vedic Sun sign is one sign earlier than their Western one. Both systems are internally consistent — they simply measure from different starting points.

Ayanamsa FAQ

What exactly is the ayanamsa?

It is the angular difference between the tropical zodiac (anchored to the equinoxes, used in Western astrology) and the sidereal zodiac (anchored to the fixed stars, used in Vedic astrology). Because of the slow wobble of Earth's axis — the precession of the equinoxes — this difference grows by about 50 arc-seconds per year and currently stands near 24 degrees.

Which ayanamsa is correct?

There is no astronomical proof for one anchor point; it is a matter of school and lineage. Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) is the Indian government standard and by far the most widely used; Raman serves an older classical lineage; KP is required for the Krishnamurti Paddhati method. What matters most is consistency — comparing charts cast under different ayanamsas leads to false disagreements.

Which ayanamsa does pyastro use?

All pyastro charts and readings are computed with the Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsa at Swiss Ephemeris precision. The live table on this page shows your positions under Lahiri; we do not currently offer live Raman or KP computation.

Can my sign really change between ayanamsas?

Between Lahiri and KP, almost never — they differ by only a few arc-minutes. Between Lahiri and Raman the gap is about 1.4 degrees, so a planet (or your ascendant) in the first degrees of a sign under Lahiri can fall in the previous sign under Raman. The planets have not moved; only the zodiac's starting line has.

Why is my Vedic sign different from my Western sun sign?

That is the ayanamsa at work: the sidereal and tropical zodiacs currently differ by about 24 degrees, so roughly 5 of every 6 people find their Vedic Sun sign is one sign earlier than their Western one. Both systems are internally consistent — they simply measure from different starting points.