The 10 poruthams, explained: a calm guide for families

For many Tamil families, the first real conversation about a proposal happens around a horoscope. Before photos are shared or phone numbers exchanged, someone asks, “Do the stars match?” That question usually means thirumana porutham — the traditional check of how well two horoscopes agree.

This guide explains what the ten poruthams look at, which ones families treat as essential, and how to read a porutham report calmly. It is a starting point for a conversation with your astrologer, not a replacement for one.

What a porutham check compares

Each horoscope records the nakshatra (one of 27 birth stars) and the rasi (one of 12 moon signs) at the time of birth. Porutham counts the distance from the bride’s star to the groom’s star, and compares their signs and the planets that rule them. Most of the ten checks come from those two facts alone — which is why a basic check can be made from a profile before full horoscopes are exchanged.

The ten poruthams at a glance

Why Rajju and Vedhai come first

Of the ten, most families treat two as essential. Rajju groups the 27 stars into five sets, often described as parts of the body from head to feet; when the bride and groom fall in the same set, Rajju does not match. Vedhai lists pairs of stars that are said to obstruct each other.

In many households a Rajju or Vedhai mismatch means the horoscopes go to the family astrologer before anything else happens. Some astrologers consider exceptions based on the full chart, so a mismatch is a reason to look closer — not necessarily to stop.

How many poruthams should match?

There is no single rule, but a common way of describing the result is:

• Uthamam — eight or more match, including Rajju and Vedhai.

• Madhyamam — six or seven match, including the essential two.

• Adhamam — fewer than six, or an essential porutham does not match.

These are the same bands you will see on a Shakthi Matrimony profile. Families then look at the full horoscopes — dasa periods, dosham and the placement of the planets — before deciding.

Dosham is part of the picture, not the end of it

Chevvai dosham and other doshams are usually checked alongside porutham. Many astrologers match a horoscope with dosham to another with a similar dosham, and families differ in how much weight they give it. On your profile you can say whether dosham matters to your family, and matches are filtered accordingly.

Reading a porutham report on Shakthi Matrimony

1. Open any Hindu profile — the porutham panel shows each of the ten checks and an overall verdict.

2. Look at Rajju and Vedhai first; they are marked as essential.

3. Share the full horoscope with your family astrologer when a proposal moves forward. Gold and Platinum members can view the full rasi chart.

Ready to see porutham on real profiles? Search Hindu profiles by community and district, or create your profile and add your nakshatra and rasi.