Five calculators on the same Swiss Ephemeris engine as the daily panchang | Delhi, India | Time zone Asia/Kolkata
Find the birth star, its pada and the Moon sign from a birth date, time and place, then read today’s tarabalam, the nine-fold strength counted from that star to the Moon’s star today.
Your result will appear here
Enter a date of birth, and the time and place if you know them, then press Calculate: the janma nakshatra and pada, the Moon sign, the birth tithi and the tara for the date above are shown together.
Which ayanamsa do you use?
Lahiri (Chitrapaksha), the standard used by most Indian almanacs, so results can be checked side by side.
Do I need an exact birth time?
The Moon spends about a day in each nakshatra, so a small error rarely changes the star. A pada lasts about six hours, so it can shift; enter the time from the birth record where possible.
Does the tara change during the day?
Yes, whenever the Moon enters the next nakshatra. The result shows when that happens for the chosen city and date.
Why does the tithi end at the same moment in every city?
Because it ends when the Moon completes a 12-degree step, which is one moment worldwide. Only the clock reading changes with the time zone; what changes by city is the sunrise, and so which tithi rules the day.
Which tithi counts for a vrat?
Usually the one at sunrise (udaya tithi), with exceptions such as Ganesh Chaturthi (midday) and Diwali (pradosh). The festival pages apply each festival’s own rule.
What is a kshaya or vriddhi tithi?
A tithi that starts and ends between two sunrises is skipped (kshaya); one that spans two sunrises repeats (vriddhi). Both are normal because tithis vary in length.
Does the birth place matter?
Through the time zone: the same clock time in two zones is two different moments. Cities that share a time zone give the same star for the same clock time.
Is this the same as my star sign?
No. Western horoscopes use the tropical Sun sign; Indian astrology uses the sidereal Moon sign shown here. Both are correct in their own system, and they often differ.
Why is the Sun sign different from a Western site?
Sidereal signs sit behind tropical ones by the ayanamsa, about 24 degrees today, so the sidereal Sun sign is often the sign before the Western one.
Can my Moon sign change on my birthday?
Yes. The Moon crosses into a new rashi every two and a quarter days, so if that crossing fell on your birth date the exact time decides the sign.
Why do Amanta and Purnimanta months differ?
In Krishna Paksha the Purnimanta name runs one month ahead of the Amanta name; in Shukla Paksha both agree. The result always shows both.
Why is a converted Amavasya not always the Diwali date?
The converter returns the civil day whose sunrise tithi matches. Festivals follow their own rules (Diwali, for example, follows the pradosh rule), so use the Festivals page for observance dates.
What is an adhik month?
A lunar month with no sankranti, inserted about every 32 months to keep the lunar year aligned with the seasons. When a date falls in one, the result is marked Adhik Maas.
What should I avoid on an unfavourable tara?
Starting new work, journeys, large purchases and signing agreements. Routine duties, worship and work already under way carry on as normal.
Is tarabalam the same as chandrabalam?
No. Chandrabalam counts rashis from your Moon sign; tarabalam counts nakshatras from your birth star. Muhurat selection checks both together.