What is Rashi (Moon Sign)?
A rashi is one of the twelve equal 30° divisions of the zodiac, from Mesha to Meena. When someone in India says “my rashi”, they almost always mean the chandra rashi — the rashi the Moon occupied at their birth — and not the sun sign a Western horoscope column would give them.
Twelve equal divisions
The twelve rashis — Mesha, Vrishabha, Mithuna, Karka, Simha, Kanya, Tula, Vrishchika, Dhanu, Makara, Kumbha, Meena — cut the 360° zodiac into equal 30° arcs. Each is ruled by a graha, and each spans exactly 2¼ nakshatras, since 27 nakshatras of 13°20′ cover the same circle.
Moon sign, not sun sign
Indian astrology reads the Moon’s position for most personal purposes: the naam akshar, the opening dasha and the traditional matching kootas all derive from the Moon’s rashi and nakshatra. The Sun’s rashi matters too — it is what a sankranti marks — but it is not what “rashi” means in everyday speech.
Why it differs from a Western sign
The rashis are measured against the fixed stars (sidereal), while Western signs are measured from the equinox (tropical). Precession has separated the two frames by roughly 24° — the ayanamsa — so someone whose Western sun sign is Aries commonly has a sidereal solar rashi of Meena. The frames disagree; the astronomy does not.
Rashi attributes
Each rashi carries classical attributes used in matching and in muhurta: a ruling graha, an element and a mode (movable, fixed or dual), a varna and a paya. A chart prints these alongside the placement itself.
Related tools
FAQ
How do I find my rashi?
From the Moon’s sidereal longitude at your birth moment — divide it by 30°. A birth chart computes it directly from your date, time and place.
Is rashi the same as a zodiac sign?
It is the same twelvefold division, but measured in the sidereal frame rather than the tropical one, and read from the Moon rather than the Sun.
How many nakshatras are in one rashi?
Two and a quarter — twelve rashis of 30° and twenty-seven nakshatras of 13°20′ cover the same 360°.