Nakshatra Finder – Find Your Birth Star, Rasi & Lagnam by Date of Birth
Find your birth star (natchathiram), padam, rasi and lagnam from your date, time and place of birth, with the naming letter and Tamil baby names for your star. Free, in English & Tamil.
Enter the date and time of birth to see the birth star, rasi and lagnam.
Naming letter
Tamil families often begin a baby's name with the letter of the birth star's padam.
All four padams:
Without the birth time, the star depends on the hour. On this day the moon was in:
Add the birth time to see the padam, rasi and lagnam.
Worked out from traditional astrology rules. Almanacs differ slightly in their rules — for important decisions, consult your family astrologer.
The 27 stars: rasi and naming letters
Each star has four padams (quarters), and each padam has its own naming letter. Nine stars are split between two rasis.
| # | Birth star | Rasi | Naming letters | Star lord | See |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashwini (Ashwini) | Mesham | சு, சே, சோ, ல | Ketu | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 2 | Bharani (Bharani) | Mesham | லி, லு, லே, லோ | Venus | · Porutham |
| 3 | Karthigai (Krittika) | Mesham (Padam 1), Rishabam (Padam 2–4) | அ, இ, உ, ஏ | Sun | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 4 | Rohini (Rohini) | Rishabam | ஓ, வ, வி, வு | Moon | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 5 | Mirugasheersham (Mrigashirsha) | Rishabam (Padam 1–2), Mithunam (Padam 3–4) | வே, வோ, க, கி | Mars | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 6 | Thiruvathirai (Ardra) | Mithunam | கு, க, ங, ச | Rahu | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 7 | Punarpoosam (Punarvasu) | Mithunam (Padam 1–3), Kadagam (Padam 4) | கே, கோ, ஹ, ஹி | Jupiter | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 8 | Poosam (Pushya) | Kadagam | ஹு, ஹே, ஹோ, ட | Saturn | · Porutham |
| 9 | Ayilyam (Ashlesha) | Kadagam | டி, டு, டே, டோ | Mercury | · Porutham |
| 10 | Magam (Magha) | Simmam | ம, மி, மு, மே | Ketu | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 11 | Pooram (Purva Phalguni) | Simmam | மோ, ட, டி, டு | Venus | · Porutham |
| 12 | Uthiram (Uttara Phalguni) | Simmam (Padam 1), Kanni (Padam 2–4) | டே, டோ, ப, பி | Sun | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 13 | Hastham (Hasta) | Kanni | பு, ச, ண, ட | Moon | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 14 | Chithirai (Chitra) | Kanni (Padam 1–2), Thulam (Padam 3–4) | பே, போ, ர, ரி | Mars | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 15 | Swathi (Swati) | Thulam | ரு, ரே, ரோ, த | Rahu | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 16 | Visakam (Vishakha) | Thulam (Padam 1–3), Viruchigam (Padam 4) | தி, து, தே, தோ | Jupiter | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 17 | Anusham (Anuradha) | Viruchigam | ந, நி, நு, நே | Saturn | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 18 | Kettai (Jyeshtha) | Viruchigam | நோ, ய, யி, யு | Mercury | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 19 | Moolam (Moola) | Dhanusu | யே, யோ, ப, பி | Ketu | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 20 | Pooradam (Purva Ashadha) | Dhanusu | பு, த, ப, ட | Venus | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 21 | Uthiradam (Uttara Ashadha) | Dhanusu (Padam 1), Magaram (Padam 2–4) | பே, போ, ஜ, ஜி | Sun | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 22 | Thiruvonam (Shravana) | Magaram | ஜு, ஜே, ஜோ, க | Moon | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 23 | Avittam (Dhanishta) | Magaram (Padam 1–2), Kumbam (Padam 3–4) | க, கி, கு, கே | Mars | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 24 | Sadhayam (Shatabhisha) | Kumbam | கோ, ச, சி, சு | Rahu | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 25 | Poorattathi (Purva Bhadrapada) | Kumbam (Padam 1–3), Meenam (Padam 4) | சே, சோ, த, தி | Jupiter | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 26 | Uthirattathi (Uttara Bhadrapada) | Meenam | து, த, ஜ, ஞ | Saturn | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
| 27 | Revathi (Revati) | Meenam | தே, தோ, ச, சி | Mercury | Boy names · Girl names · Porutham |
How the birth star is found
The app works out where the moon was among the stars at the moment of birth, using the same astronomy as our nalla neram and Tamil calendar. The zodiac of 360° is divided into 27 stars of 13°20′ each, starting from Ashwini, and each star into four padams. The star and padam the moon was in give the birth star and its naming letter, and the rasi the moon was in gives the rasi. The lagnam comes from the rasi rising in the east at that time and place.
What to do with your birth star
- Name the baby. Tamil families often start the baby’s name with the letter of the birth star’s padam. Browse Tamil baby names by birth star.
- Match horoscopes. The birth stars of the bride and groom decide the 10 poruthams. Check them in Thirumana Porutham.
- Plan good days. Families avoid new beginnings during chandrashtamam, when the moon is in the 8th rasi from your own. See it each day in the Tamil panchangam.
Frequently asked questions
What is my birth star (janma nakshatra)?
Your birth star is the star (natchathiram) the moon was in at the moment you were born. The moon passes through all 27 stars in about 27 days and spends roughly a day in each, so the birth star depends on the date and also the time of birth.
What is a padam?
Each star is divided into four padams (quarters) of 3°20′ each. The padam decides the naming letter for the baby and, for nine stars that are split between two rasis, which rasi you belong to.
What is my rasi?
In Tamil astrology your rasi is the moon sign: the rasi the moon was in when you were born. It is used for rasi palan, chandrashtamam and marriage matching. It is not the same as the western sun sign (Aries, Taurus and so on by birth month).
What is lagnam?
Lagnam (the ascendant) is the rasi rising on the eastern horizon at the moment of birth. It changes about every two hours, so it needs an accurate birth time and place. The rasi chart in a jathagam is drawn from it.
I don't know my birth time. Can I still find my star?
Yes, often. Tick “I don’t know the time” and the app lists the stars the moon passed through on that day, with times. If only one star covers the whole day, that is your star. If there are two, the time of birth decides it, so ask an elder or check the birth certificate.
Why does this differ from my jathagam?
Usually because the birth was close to a star change and the recorded time was rounded, or because a different ayanamsa was used. This app uses the Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsa, like most Tamil almanacs, and warns you when a birth is within an hour of a star change.
I was born after midnight but before sunrise. Which day counts?
The Tamil calendar day runs from sunrise to sunrise, so the almanac lists you under the previous day. The birth star, though, is the star running at the moment of birth, which is what this app shows. Enter the date on your birth certificate.
Are my birth details sent anywhere?
No. Everything is worked out in your browser and nothing is sent to a server. The city you choose is remembered on this device only.