A Lagna chart can look like a puzzle the first time: a square full of diamonds or boxes, numbers, and two-letter codes like "Ma" and "Ra". It's actually simple once you know the rules, and there are only a few. This guide shows you how to read a Lagna chart in both the North Indian and South Indian styles, step by step, using a real chart.
Follow along with your own chart. The free Kundli calculator draws your Lagna chart in either style, with a switch to change between them. No sign-up.
What the Lagna is
The Lagna (Ascendant) is the zodiac sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the moment you were born. It becomes the 1st house of your chart, and every other house is counted from it. Because the rising sign changes about every two hours, the Lagna is the most time-sensitive part of the chart, and the most personal.
Reading a North Indian chart
The North Indian chart is a square with diagonal lines that make 12 boxes: 4 diamonds and 8 triangles. The key rule: the houses are fixed, the signs move.
- The top-centre diamond is always the 1st house (the Lagna).
- The houses run anticlockwise from there: the triangle to the upper left is the 2nd house, the one below it the 3rd, the left diamond the 4th, and so on. The bottom diamond is the 7th house and the right diamond is the 10th.
- The number in each box is the sign, not the house: 1 = Aries, 2 = Taurus, 3 = Gemini, 4 = Cancer, 5 = Leo, 6 = Virgo, 7 = Libra, 8 = Scorpio, 9 = Sagittarius, 10 = Capricorn, 11 = Aquarius, 12 = Pisces.
So to find your Lagna, just read the number in the top diamond. A "5" there means Leo Lagna.
Reading a South Indian chart
The South Indian chart is a square of 12 boxes around the edge (the centre is empty). The rule is the opposite: the signs are fixed, the houses move.
- Pisces is always the top-left box. The top row reads Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini from left to right, and the signs continue clockwise around the square: Cancer, Leo and Virgo down the right side, Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius along the bottom from right to left, and Capricorn and Aquarius up the left side.
- The Lagna box is marked, usually with a diagonal line or "Asc"/"La".
- Count the houses clockwise from the Lagna box: the Lagna is the 1st house, the next box clockwise is the 2nd, and so on.
Both styles show exactly the same chart. Use whichever your family or astrologer uses.
Decoding the planet abbreviations
| Abbreviation | Planet | Hindi |
|---|---|---|
| Su | Sun | Surya |
| Mo | Moon | Chandra |
| Ma | Mars | Mangal |
| Me | Mercury | Budh |
| Ju | Jupiter | Guru, Brihaspati |
| Ve | Venus | Shukra |
| Sa | Saturn | Shani |
| Ra | Rahu | Rahu |
| Ke | Ketu | Ketu |
| As / La | Ascendant | Lagna |
Common symbols: ᴿ or (R) means retrograde, ↑ exalted and ↓ debilitated. Some charts also print each planet's degree in the sign.
Six steps to read your Lagna chart
- Find the Lagna sign. North Indian: the number in the top diamond. South Indian: the marked box.
- Find the Lagna lord. The planet that rules that sign (Mars for Aries, Venus for Taurus, and so on; see 12 Rashi Names). Locate it in the chart and count which house it's in.
- Note planets in the Lagna. Any planet in the 1st house strongly colours your body and temperament.
- Count the houses of the other planets. In North Indian style that's just the box position; in South Indian style count clockwise from the Lagna.
- Find the Moon. Its sign is your rashi.
- Check the kendras (1, 4, 7, 10). Planets in these four houses are the most prominent in the chart.
A worked example
A real chart from NavAstro's calculator, for an example birth (not a real person): 12 August 1994, 6:40 am, Lucknow.
In the North Indian style, the top diamond shows 5, so the Lagna is Leo. Going anticlockwise:
- 2nd house: 6 (Virgo), with Mo and Ve↓
- 3rd house: 7 (Libra), with Ju and Ra
- 7th house (bottom diamond): 11 (Aquarius), with Saᴿ
- 9th house: 1 (Aries), with Ke
- 11th house: 3 (Gemini), with Ma
- 12th house: 4 (Cancer), with Su and Me
In the South Indian style, the Leo box (right column, second from the bottom) is marked as the Lagna, and the planets sit in their sign boxes: the Moon and Venus in Virgo, Saturn in Aquarius, and so on.
Reading the steps: the Lagna lord, the Sun, is in the 12th house. No planet is in the Lagna itself. The Moon is in Virgo, so the rashi is Kanya. In the kendras, only Saturn sits there, in the 7th, in its own sign.
Lagna, Rashi and Sun sign: three different things
- Lagna: the rising sign, the 1st house. Needs the exact birth time.
- Rashi: the Moon's sign. What rashifals use.
- Sun sign: the Sun's sign. What Western horoscopes use (and in Vedic astrology it's usually one sign earlier than the Western one).
In the example, they are three different signs: Leo Lagna, Kanya rashi, and the Sun in Cancer.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know my Lagna from my chart? In a North Indian chart, read the number in the top-centre diamond (1 = Aries … 12 = Pisces). In a South Indian chart, find the box marked "Asc" or with a diagonal line.
Why are there numbers in the North Indian chart? They are sign numbers, not house numbers. The houses are fixed by position: the top diamond is always the 1st house.
Is the Lagna chart the same as the D1 chart? Yes. See D1 Chart in Vedic Astrology.
What if my birth time is wrong? The Lagna may be wrong too, which shifts every house. If you're unsure, rely more on the Moon sign and the planets' signs.
Related reading: How to Read a Kundali · Kundli Houses Explained · The 12 Houses and Their Lords · Draw your chart in the free Kundli calculator
This article is for general information about Vedic astrology. It is not professional advice.