Begin with the recorded time and place
A date, local clock time and location identify the birth instant. We use named time zones to convert that record to UTC. Skipped or repeated times need clarification. For older Indian records, the city alone may not reveal whether a municipal, railway or wartime clock was used.
One set of positions, several ways to read it
Astronomy Engine supplies geocentric planetary positions. A versioned approximate Lahiri offset gives sidereal longitudes. We use mean lunar nodes, whole-sign D1 houses and a ninth-harmonic D9 mapping. Nakshatra and pada come from sidereal longitude. Vimshottari uses a stated 365.25-day year.
Keep uncertainty in the result
Unknown time covers the whole local birth date. Approximate time covers the entered time plus or minus your stated range. The calculation samples those intervals and preserves candidate labels. It withholds a single ascendant, house layout and dasha schedule. Fine divisions near boundaries carry additional warnings.
What we check
The engine has regression fixtures compared with independent Swiss Ephemeris outputs at five planetary instants, plus a separate sunrise and Panchang fixture. Tests also cover clock changes, uncertain times and chart divisions. Those checks are bounded reference comparisons, not a proof of identical results for every instant or a validation of predictive claims.
What the numbers cannot decide
An astronomical calculation can establish a position under declared assumptions. It cannot establish a future job offer, a partner's intentions or a marriage outcome. The personal conversation should make room for your circumstances, practical evidence and choices.
Current engine: vedic-2026.1-ae2.1.19-lahiri-approx-v1. Calculations are bounded to 1900–2100; the profile form accepts birth dates through today.
Sources and method
Original explanations of our current methods, with background sources below. A link does not imply endorsement. Traditional interpretation is separate from the calculated positions.
- Astronomy Engine documentation
The astronomy library used for planetary positions, sunrise and sunset.
- IANA: India time-zone history
Historical regional clock records do not establish the clock used on an individual birth record.
- IMD: Rashtriya Panchang
Background on the Indian calendar. Our declared calculation conventions and horizon assumptions can differ.