What Rajju Porutham is, the 5 Rajju groups with their Nakshatras, why Gounder families treat a Rajju mismatch as a hard stop, and how to check it.
Rajju Porutham checks whether the bride's and groom's birth Nakshatras fall in the same Rajju group. All 27 Nakshatras divide into 5 groups — Pada, Kati, Nabhi, Kanta and Siro. If both belong to the same group, the match is traditionally inauspicious, and Kongu Vellala Gounder families treat that mismatch as a hard stop regardless of other Porutham scores.
Rajju (literally "rope" or "thread") Porutham is a compatibility check based on the Rajju group of each person's birth star (Nakshatra). All 27 Nakshatras are divided into 5 Rajju groups, each named after a part of the body. The check is simple but strict: if the bride's and groom's Nakshatras fall in the same Rajju group, the pairing is traditionally considered inauspicious. A good Rajju result means the two Nakshatras sit in different groups.
Rajju is one of the 10 Poruthams of Tamil marriage matching, but it does not carry equal weight with the others. Among Kongu Vellala Gounder families, Rajju and Vedha are the two critical checks — some families use Rajju as the single most important filter, ahead of everything else in the horoscope.
Each Rajju group is named after a body part. Tradition holds that when both partners' Nakshatras fall in the same group, the Rajju "afflicts" that part of the body — which is why the groups are remembered by their body names.
| Rajju Group | Nakshatras |
|---|---|
| Pada Rajju (Foot) | Ashwini, Pushya, Ashlesha, Jyeshtha, Mula, Uttara Bhadrapada |
| Kati Rajju (Hip) | Bharani, Punarvasu, Magha, Anuradha, Purva Ashadha, Purva Bhadrapada |
| Nabhi Rajju (Navel) | Krittika, Ardra, Purva Phalguni, Vishakha, Uttara Ashadha, Shatabhisha |
| Kanta Rajju (Throat) | Rohini, Mrigashira, Uttara Phalguni, Hasta, Shravana, Dhanishtha |
| Siro Rajju (Head) | Chitra, Swati, Revati |
Look up her birth Nakshatra in the table above and note which of the 5 groups it belongs to.
Do the same for his birth Nakshatra.
Different groups = Rajju Porutham passes. Same group = Rajju mismatch, traditionally treated as inauspicious.
For example: bride Ashwini (Pada) with groom Jyeshtha (Pada) is a Rajju mismatch — both are Pada Rajju. Bride Ashwini (Pada) with groom Rohini (Kanta) passes. The full group of every Nakshatra, along with Vedha pairs, is in our Nakshatra compatibility chart for Kongu Vellala Gounder families.
Most of the 10 Poruthams are scored on a spectrum — a weak Gana or Rasi result can be offset by strength elsewhere. Rajju is different. Traditional Kongu Vellala Gounder practice treats it as a pass-or-fail gate: if Rajju fails, the match is usually not pursued, no matter how well the other nine Poruthams score. The belief is that a same-Rajju pairing threatens the long-term wellbeing of the couple itself, which no supporting Porutham can compensate for.
Within a mismatch, tradition also distinguishes by group. A Siro Rajju (head) mismatch is considered the most serious, while other groups are associated with harm to different aspects of the couple's life. In practice, most families do not weigh these distinctions — any same-group result ends the discussion, or is escalated to the family astrologer and elders for a final word.
On MatrimonyTrust, Rajju Porutham is calculated automatically for every pair of profiles that have provided their Nakshatra. You do not need to look anything up:
The 10 Poruthams in Tamil astrology are Dinam, Gana, Mahendra, Stree Deergha, Yoni, Rasi, Rajju, Vedha, Vasya and Nadi. Each carries a different weight, and Gounder families broadly rank them like this:
| Tier | Poruthams | How families treat them |
|---|---|---|
| Critical (must pass) | Rajju, Vedha | A failure here usually ends the match discussion |
| Important | Nadi, Gana, Yoni | Weak results need strong compensation elsewhere |
| Supporting | Dinam, Rasi, Vasya, Mahendra, Stree Deergha | Add to the overall score; rarely decisive alone |
For what each check actually measures, see the full guide to the 10 Poruthams explained, plus the deep dives on Dina Porutham and Yoni Porutham. MatrimonyTrust calculates all ten together and rolls them into the single horoscope compatibility score shown on every profile.
Rajju Porutham is the most critical of the 10 Poruthams in Tamil astrology. It checks whether the bride's and groom's birth Nakshatras fall in the same Rajju group — all 27 Nakshatras divide into 5 groups named after body parts. A same-group result is a Rajju mismatch, traditionally treated as inauspicious and as a hard stop in Kongu Vellala Gounder marriages.
Pada Rajju (foot — Ashwini, Pushya, Ashlesha, Jyeshtha, Mula, Uttara Bhadrapada), Kati Rajju (hip — Bharani, Punarvasu, Magha, Anuradha, Purva Ashadha, Purva Bhadrapada), Nabhi Rajju (navel — Krittika, Ardra, Purva Phalguni, Vishakha, Uttara Ashadha, Shatabhisha), Kanta Rajju (throat — Rohini, Mrigashira, Uttara Phalguni, Hasta, Shravana, Dhanishtha), and Siro Rajju (head — Chitra, Swati, Revati). Marriage within the same group is considered inauspicious.
In strict Kongu Vellala Gounder tradition, a Rajju mismatch is generally not overcome by other Poruthams or remedies — most families treat it as a non-negotiable filter. Some families, with guidance from their family astrologer, may consider an exception if every other Porutham scores very high. MatrimonyTrust flags Rajju mismatches as a warning and leaves the decision with the family.
Siro Rajju (head) mismatch — where both partners' Nakshatras are Chitra, Swati or Revati — is traditionally considered the most serious of the five. In practice most Gounder families do not distinguish between groups: any same-group result is treated as a failed Rajju Porutham and referred to elders or the family astrologer.
Yes. For every pair of profiles that have provided their Nakshatra, MatrimonyTrust calculates Rajju along with the other nine Poruthams and shows a horoscope compatibility score out of 10 on the profile. Rajju mismatches are flagged with a clear warning in the breakdown, so families can see whether a match is Rajju-safe before making contact.
Phone-verified profiles, horoscope compatibility scores out of 10, and community-specific matching — free to browse.
Create Free Profile →