North and South Indian Chart Styles

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The same horoscope can look completely different depending on where you learned astrology. A family astrologer in Tamil Nadu or Kerala draws a square grid; one in Delhi or Uttar Pradesh draws a diamond. These are the South Indian and North Indian chart styles. They hold exactly the same information, and once you know the rules you can read either one in under a minute.

The South Indian chart: signs fixed

The South Indian chart is a square divided into twelve boxes around the edge, with an empty space in the centre (often used for the name, date or the Navamsa).

Each box always holds the same sign. The layout is:

Pisces	Aries	Taurus	Gemini
Aquarius			Cancer
Capricorn			Leo
Sagittarius	Scorpio	Libra	Virgo

Reading the boxes clockwise from the top-left gives the zodiac in order: Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius.

The Lagna (ascendant) is marked in whichever box it falls, usually with a diagonal line, "La" or "Asc". The 1st house is that box; the 2nd house is the next box clockwise, and so on.

Strengths: sign positions are instantly visible, so it is easy to see sign dignity, aspects between signs and transits (a planet moving into Aries always goes into the same box).

The North Indian chart: houses fixed

The North Indian chart is a square crossed by two diagonals and a diamond, giving twelve sections: four diamonds and eight triangles.

Each section always holds the same house.

The top centre diamond is always the 1st house (Lagna).
The houses run anticlockwise: the 2nd house is the triangle at the top-left, the 3rd the triangle below it on the left edge, the 4th the left diamond, then the 5th and 6th triangles, the 7th the bottom diamond, the 8th and 9th triangles, the 10th the right diamond, and the 11th and 12th triangles back up to the top.
A number is written in each house to show its sign: 1 = Aries, 2 = Taurus ... 12 = Pisces.

So if the top diamond shows 5, the Lagna is Leo; the 2nd house will show 6 (Virgo), the 3rd 7 (Libra), and so on.

Strengths: the houses and their relationships (kendras in the four diamonds, for example) are instantly visible, which suits house-based reading.

The East Indian style

In Bengal and Odisha a third style is used. Like the South Indian chart it keeps the signs fixed, but Aries sits in the top centre and the signs run anticlockwise. It is read on the same principle as the South Indian chart.

Converting one style into the other: worked example

Suppose a South Indian chart shows:

Lagna marked in the Leo box
Moon in the Scorpio box
Saturn in the Aquarius box

Step 1: Lagna. In the North Indian chart, write 5 (Leo) in the top centre diamond.

Step 2: count houses. Count each planet's sign from the Lagna sign, counting Leo as 1:

Scorpio: Leo (1), Virgo (2), Libra (3), Scorpio (4). The Moon goes in the 4th house, the left diamond, which carries the number 8.
Aquarius: Leo (1) ... Aquarius (7). Saturn goes in the 7th house, the bottom diamond, numbered 11.

Step 3: fill the numbers anticlockwise: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 1, 2, 3, 4.

Going the other way (North to South), read the number in each house to get the sign, and place the planets in that sign's fixed box.

If you are unsure how the Lagna itself is found, see how to find your Lagna.

Common mistakes

Reading the North Indian numbers as house numbers. The number in a section is the sign, not the house. The house is fixed by position.
Counting the South Indian chart anticlockwise. The signs go clockwise from Pisces in the top-left.
Forgetting the Lagna mark. A South Indian chart without the Lagna marked cannot be read for houses at all.
Mixing charts. The Navamsa (D9) is often drawn in the centre or beside the main chart in the same style; make sure you know which chart you are reading. The Navamsa Lagna is marked the same way.

Which style is better?

Neither. They are two drawings of the same sky. South Indian astrologers often prefer the fixed signs for transits and sign-based techniques; North Indian astrologers often prefer the fixed houses for house-based reading. Some traditions, such as Bhrigu Nandi Nadi, are often taught with one particular layout; see the North Indian chart format in Bhrigu Nandi Nadi.

Use the style you were taught or the one your astrologer uses, and learn to convert, so that no horoscope is unreadable to you.

Summary

The South Indian chart fixes the signs (Pisces top-left, clockwise) and marks the Lagna. The North Indian chart fixes the houses (1st house in the top centre diamond, anticlockwise) and writes the sign number in each. Both show the same positions. To convert, count each planet's sign from the Lagna sign to find its house.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the difference between North and South Indian charts?

In the South Indian chart the signs stay in fixed boxes and the Lagna is marked in whichever box it falls. In the North Indian chart the houses stay fixed, with the 1st house always in the top centre diamond, and numbers written in each house show which sign it holds.

Do the two chart styles give different predictions?

No. They are two ways of drawing the same positions. The planets, signs, houses and Lagna are identical; only the layout differs.

How do I find the Lagna in a North Indian chart?

The Lagna is always the top centre diamond. The number written there is the Lagna sign: 1 for Aries, 2 for Taurus and so on up to 12 for Pisces.

Which way do the houses run in each style?

In the South Indian chart the signs run clockwise starting with Pisces in the top-left box. In the North Indian chart the houses run anticlockwise starting with the 1st house in the top centre diamond.