FOUNDATIONS
Sidereal zodiac and ayanamsha
Ayanamsha is the angular offset used to relate tropical longitude to a chosen sidereal reference.
The idea in context
The sidereal zodiac applies an ayanamsha to relate the zodiac to a stellar reference rather than the seasonal tropical origin.
MAKE IT CONCRETE
An example to picture
In an illustrative calculation, 35° tropical minus a 24° offset gives 11° sidereal; the actual offset must come from the calculation.
How to read it
Check the named ayanamsha and calculated longitude; the present web chart discloses Lahiri rather than offering every native option.
A common misunderstanding
Sidereal signs are equal 30° sectors, not the unequal outlines of modern astronomical constellations.
BRING IT BACK TO YOUR LIFE
A question to sit with
Does knowing the reference frame help explain why two valid chart labels differ?
Go deeper: the full reference
Why signs can change
The tropical and sidereal zodiacs use different zero points. A graha can therefore appear in different signs while its observation time and location remain unchanged.
Reference frames in Synastry
The website uses Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsha, mean Rahu/Ketu and Whole Sign houses. The native app also supports B. V. Raman and Krishnamurti ayanamshas. Keep the reference frame and node mode alongside a chart when comparing results; a preference saved in the app does not change the website’s disclosed calculation defaults.
No universal default claim
The app defaults to Lahiri because it is widely used, not because every Jyotisha school treats one ayanamsha as the only legitimate choice.
Explore the Vedic natal view
Create your free Vedic birth chart from a recorded time and birthplace. Compare the sidereal placements and displayed conventions with this lesson. The guide also explains techniques, including Vedic timing and compatibility, that this web view does not calculate.
Connect the ideas
Western and Vedic are distinct systems
A Vedic chart is not a Western chart with different sign labels; it uses its own zodiac reference, techniques, and vocabulary.
1 min readWhat the Vedic settings change
Ayanamsha and node mode change calculated positions; North- and South-Indian styles change layout only.
1 min readBirth-time sensitivity
Lagna, Bhavas, and some fine-grained placements can change when the birth time or place changes.
1 min read