Every chart, Kundli, and Panchang on this site is built from real astronomy, not lookup tables or spun text. This page explains the engine and the standards we follow, so you can trust that the positions and timings here line up with a traditional Indian almanac.
The ephemeris — Swiss Ephemeris (Drik Ganita)
Planetary positions come from the Swiss Ephemeris, the same high-precision astronomical engine used by professional astrology software worldwide. This is the Drik Ganita (observational, "as seen in the sky") method — the modern standard that matches the actual heavens, rather than the older Surya Siddhanta approximations that can drift by a degree or more over the centuries. The Sun, Moon, and planets are computed for your exact moment and place, and the Moon's fast motion is tracked precisely so Tithi, Nakshatra, and Yoga end-times are accurate to within a minute or two.
The ayanamsa — Lahiri (Chitrapaksha)
Vedic astrology is sidereal: it measures the planets against the fixed stars, not the moving equinox. To convert from the tropical zodiac to the sidereal one we apply the Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsa — the official ayanamsa of the Indian government's calendar and the one most Panchangs and Vedic astrologers follow. The same Lahiri ayanamsa is used consistently across every tool, from the Kundli Maker to the daily Panchang, so the Lagna, Rashi, and Nakshatra you see here agree with a traditional almanac instead of a Western (tropical) horoscope.
Panchang reckoning — computed at local sunrise
The Hindu day runs from sunrise to sunrise, so the daily Panchang is calculated at the local sunrise for the city you choose. The five limbs follow directly from the true positions of the Moon and Sun: the Tithi from their angular separation, the Nakshatra from the Moon's longitude, the Yoga from their combined longitude, the Karana as the half-Tithi, and the Vara as the weekday. Each shows the moment it gives way to the next. Because all of this is tied to sunrise, the timings genuinely differ from one city to another.
Location and time
Accurate results need an accurate place and time. We use each city's own latitude, longitude, and timezone, and historical daylight-saving (DST) rules are handled automatically, so a birth time in a DST period is interpreted correctly. City coordinates come from a large geographic places database, which is also what powers the city search and "detect my location" features.
What this means for accuracy
In practice, the charts and Panchang here will agree closely with any reputable Drik-based Panchang or astrology program, because they share the same ephemeris and the same Lahiri ayanamsa. Small differences of a minute or two in end-times are normal and come from rounding and the exact sunrise definition used. Two things still depend on you: enter the most exact birth time you can (even ten minutes can change the Lagna, and AM/PM mix-ups are the most common error), and pick your city from the dropdown so the coordinates and timezone are set correctly.
A note on guidance
The astronomy is precise, but astrology is interpretation. Everything here is offered for learning and general guidance, not as a substitute for a personal consultation. For a reading tailored to your full chart, or for confirming a wedding or housewarming muhurat, it is best to speak with a qualified astrologer.