Kundali Milan
Kundali Milan (Ashtakoota) is the Indian 36-point comparison of charts before marriage. It is the most widespread astrological practice in the world: in India, millions of couples go through it every year.
If the time is unknown, tick the box: the Moon will be calculated for noon, and Mangal Dosha will be checked only from the Moon. Names are used only for labels and are not sent anywhere. Latitude, longitude and UTC offset are needed only if your city is not on the list; north latitude and east longitude are positive.
How the 36 Points Are Calculated
All eight factors (“kootas”) are calculated from the positions of both partners’ Moons: Tara, Yoni, Gana and Nadi by nakshatras, and Varna, Vashya, Graha Maitri and Bhakoot by Moon signs.
| Koota | Points | What It Assesses |
|---|---|---|
| Varna | 1 | spiritual compatibility |
| Vashya | 2 | mutual influence |
| Tara | 3 | well-being |
| Yoni | 4 | physical compatibility |
| Graha Maitri | 5 | friendship between the ruling planets |
| Gana | 6 | temperament |
| Bhakoot | 7 | family well-being |
| Nadi | 8 | constitution (vata, pitta, kapha) |
Total: 36. A score of 18 or more is traditionally considered acceptable, below 18 unfavorable, 25 to 32 good, and above 32 very good.
Nadi Dosha and Why It's Controversial
Nadi is the heaviest factor: 8 points out of 36. If both partners' nakshatras belong to the same nadi (there are three: Adi, Madhya, Antya), the nadi score is zero, and this is called "Nadi Dosha."
Since reaching 18 is harder without those eight points, such couples often get a negative verdict. The tradition explains Nadi Dosha as an incompatibility of constitutions and sees it as a threat to offspring — this is its most controversial rule.
This is a well-known problem with the practice: people who are well suited to each other break up because of the calculation. In India this is debated openly, and there are also ways to "neutralize" the dosha, which in itself shows how negotiable the rule is.
Mangal Dosha
Separately from the 36 points, astrologers check for "Mangal Dosha," the placement of Mars in certain houses of the chart. A person with this placement is called a "Manglik," and the tradition considers a marriage between a Manglik and a non-Manglik unfavorable.
There is a well-known case in which the actress Aishwarya Rai was ritually "married" to a tree before her wedding to remove the dosha. It illustrates nicely how the practice works: the rule is considered binding, but it can be circumvented by a ritual.
How the calculator works
Each person's Moon position is calculated with Jean Meeus's theory in the sidereal zodiac with the Lahiri ayanamsa. It gives the sign, nakshatra and pada, and from them the eight kootas. The tables are those common in Indian software: Vashya with Sagittarius and Capricorn split in half, Gana and Yoni with reduced points for hostile pairs. The calculation is asymmetric: Varna, Vashya and Gana are counted from the bride to the groom.
Mangal Dosha is checked from the Lagna and from the Moon (from Venus for reference only). The Lagna is needed only for this check; without a birth time the calculator skips it.
An Honest Look at the Method
There are no studies showing a link between Kundali Milan scores and marital stability. There is a counterpoint, though: in a culture where the calculation influences the decision to marry, any statistics will be skewed by the selection itself.
If someone offers you such a calculation as grounds for a decision about marriage, remember that what's being assessed is not the person but the Moon's position at the moment of their birth. To compare two people we offer zodiac compatibility and birth date compatibility, and we say the same thing about them: they're a reason to talk, not a basis for a decision.