Lahiri ayanamsa
Glossary · Last updated: 2026-07-26
Western tropical astrology ties signs to the seasons. Indian Vedic Jyotish uses a sidereal zodiac tied to fixed stars. Ayanamsa is the gap between those two starting points.
Lahiri ayanamsa is the most common official choice in modern Indian ephemerides. An ephemeris is a table of planet positions. Our Indian Vedic Moon and Lagna math uses Lahiri.
Example: see it on a birth date
Our Indian Vedic Moon estimate uses Lahiri ayanamsa. On April 10, 2020 that estimate puts the Moon in Vrishchika rashi.
Ayanamsa is the gap used to shift from tropical positions to sidereal ones. Lahiri is the common modern Indian choice.
Enter your own date on the Zodiac Sign Calculator.
Practical effect
The same birth date can fall in Libra tropically and Virgo sidereally. The names sound familiar. The sky positions differ by about 24 degrees.
Related
Main reading and tools
These are the main reading and calculator pages. Use them for a daily note, a birth-sign tool, or a pair check.
- Today's Horoscope hubAll twelve Western sun-sign daily pages, plus links to the seven-tradition reader.
- Horoscope & Zodiac CompatibilityTwo birth dates for Western, Chinese, and Indian Vedic pairing, plus every sun-sign hub.
- Zodiac Sign CalculatorWestern sun sign from birth date, with element, modality, and ruler.
- Rising Sign CalculatorIndian Vedic Lagna estimate when you have birth date, time, and place.
- Moon Sign CalculatorIndian Vedic Janma Rashi and nakshatra when birth time and city are available.