How to check a marriage proposal's horoscope, step by step

To check the horoscope of a marriage proposal, work in a fixed order: confirm both birth stars and Moon signs, check Rajju and Vedha first, then the porutham count or the Gun Milan score, and only then the doshas in both charts and whether they balance. Rajju, Vedha, Nadi and Bhakoot decide more than any total, so a "good score" is never the whole answer.

Below is the checklist experienced families follow, a worked example with real star pairs, and a kind way to say no when a match does not fit.

What do you need before you start?

Both horoscopes, yours and the proposal's. A photo of a handwritten kundli or a printed chart is fine. If the other family sends only birth details, you need three things for each person:

Detail	Why it matters
Date of birth	Fixes the Moon's position, and so the birth star and rashi
Time of birth	Needed for the ascendant and houses, which decide Mangal dosha and timing
Place of birth	Sets the local time and the ascendant

No birth time? You can still match on the stars, but the house-based checks become less certain. Read matching without a birth time.

Step 1: Which birth star and Moon sign does each chart have?

Read the birth star (nakshatra) and Moon sign (rashi) from each chart, and check the pada (quarter) if it is written. Nine of the 27 stars fall across two signs (Krittika, Mrigashira, Punarvasu, Uttara Phalguni, Chitra, Vishakha, Uttara Ashadha, Dhanishta and Purva Bhadrapada), so the same star can give a different match depending on the rashi. A wrong star is the most common reason two calculators disagree.

If a chart is missing or unclear, the free birth star finder works out the star, rashi and pada from the date, time and place.

Step 2: Do Rajju and Vedha pass?

In the South Indian 10-porutham method, Rajju and Vedha are gates, not points:

Rajju groups the 27 stars into five "cords" (Pada, Kati, Nabhi, Kanta and Shiro). The tradition asks that bride and groom are not in the same group.
Vedha lists pairs of stars that are said to obstruct each other.

If either fails, most families stop on the stars alone, whatever the other poruthams say, and look at the full charts only if the proposal is very important to them. Read Rajju and Vedha explained.

Step 3: What is the porutham count or Gun Milan score?

Families use one of two systems, and many now look at both:

	South Indian 10 poruthams	North Indian Gun Milan (Ashtakoot)
Based on	Birth stars and signs	Birth stars and Moon signs
Scale	Matches out of 10	Points out of 36
Must pass	Rajju and Vedha	No single gate, but Nadi (8) and Bhakoot (7) at zero are doshas
Usual reading	7 or more good, 5 or 6 average	18 minimum, 25 or more good, 33 or more excellent

The details: the 10 poruthams explained and how many gunas should match. Our free kundli matching check shows both systems for any two stars, side by side.

Step 4: Are there doshas in either chart, and do they balance?

Star matching cannot see the houses. For that you need the full charts:

Mangal dosha: Mars in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th or 12th house, counted from the ascendant, the Moon and Venus. Check each chart with the free Mangal dosha check.
Rahu-Ketu dosha: Rahu or Ketu in sensitive houses. Read Rahu-Ketu dosha in marriage.
Balance (dosha balance (dosha samya)): the tradition matches a dosha in one chart with a similar dosha in the other, and many placements are classically cancelled. A cancelled dosha counts as absent. Read dosha samya explained and can a manglik marry a non-manglik?

If Nadi or Bhakoot scored zero in Step 3, this is also where you check whether a classical cancellation applies (Nadi dosha, Bhakoot dosha).

Step 5: Is the timing supportive, if the talks are serious?

When both families are serious, it helps to know whether the coming months are supportive in both charts, for example the dasha periods and Guru bala. This does not decide the match; it helps you choose a good time for the next steps. If marriage has been slow in coming, see marriage delay in astrology.

What happens when the score and the gates disagree? A worked example

Two real star pairs show why the order matters. Both were run through the same code as our free check.

Proposal A. The bride is Rohini (rashi Rishabha), the groom Shravana (rashi Makara).

Gun Milan: 18 of 36, the usual minimum. But Nadi is 0 (both Antya Nadi) and Bhakoot is 0 (a 5/9 placement).
Poruthams: 7 of 10, which sounds good. But Rajju fails: both stars are in the Kanta group.
Reading: not recommended on the stars, despite a passable score. The Bhakoot lords (Venus and Saturn) are friends, which is a classical cancellation for Bhakoot, but it does not remove the Rajju or Nadi concern.

Proposal B. The same bride, Rohini (Rishabha), and a groom born in Pushya (rashi Karka).

Gun Milan: 27 of 36, good, with Nadi and Bhakoot both at full points.
Poruthams: 6 of 10, average, with Rajju and Vedha both passing.
Reading: acceptable on the stars; go on to the full charts in Step 4.

The lesson: if the other family says "18 gunas, it matches", or "7 poruthams", ask which checks failed before you feel reassured. And an "average" porutham count with the gates passing can be a better start than a higher count without them.

Step 6: What should you ask the other family?

A horoscope is one part of a decision. Families usually also talk, openly and early, about:

the couple's own wishes and consent, and time for them to speak;
education, work and where they plan to live;
health matters both sides should share honestly;
the values and expectations of both families, including money and responsibilities.

If the horoscope matches but these conversations do not go well, the chart should not be the reason to continue.

Step 7: How do you say no gracefully?

If the match is not recommended, a short, kind message is enough:

"Thank you for sharing the horoscope. After checking, our families feel it is not the right match. We wish you the very best."

There is no need to name a dosha, blame anyone's chart or share your calculations. A dosha in one match is often cancelled or balanced in another, so labelling a person by it is both unkind and inaccurate.

A checklist you can save

Both charts in hand, with date, time and place
Star, rashi and pada confirmed for both
Rajju and Vedha checked first
Porutham count or Gun Milan read, with the zeros named
Mangal dosha and Rahu-Ketu in both charts, and their balance
Timing, if the talks are serious
The conversations no chart can replace

What can horoscope matching tell you, and what can it not?

Horoscope matching is a traditional first filter. It describes tendencies and gives families a calm, shared way to start a conversation. It is guidance, not a guarantee: it cannot promise a happy marriage, and a weak match is not a prediction of an unhappy one. Our tables and their classical sources are listed in our editorial standards.

Let your personal astrologer check it

Forward both horoscopes on WhatsApp. Your personal astrologer checks Rajju and Vedha first, the 10 poruthams and the Gun Milan, both charts' doshas and their dosha balance (dosha samya), and gives a clear yes or no with the reasons. No need to go anywhere: talking is free, and you pay only when you are sure. A proposal check is ₹199, all taxes included, and you see the price in the chat before you pay. If several proposals are coming, Kalyana Vaibhavam (₹999) checks up to 20 proposals over 6 months. All prices are on the prices page.

Questions families ask

How do I check a horoscope for a marriage proposal at home? Confirm both stars and rashi, check Rajju and Vedha, then read the porutham count or Gun Milan with our free check. For doshas and their balance you need both full charts.

The horoscope we received has no birth time. Can we still check? Yes, from the star and rashi. Mangal dosha and timing will be less certain without the ascendant.

The other family says the match is excellent, but our check says not recommended. Why? Usually one side reads Gun Milan and the other the poruthams, or a different star or rashi was used. Compare which check differs; often it is Rajju or Nadi. See Gun Milan or 10 poruthams?

Is kundli matching necessary at all? Many couples marry without it, especially in love marriages. It is a family tradition, not a rule. Read is kundli matching necessary?

How quickly do we get the answer? The proposal check arrives in the chat within minutes of payment. If it does not arrive within 24 hours, you get a full refund.

Is our data shared with the other family? No. Birth details are used only for your readings, never sold, and you can send "Delete my data" at any time.