Manglik dosha (Kuja dosha)
Manglik dosha forms when Mars sits in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th or 12th house of a chart. Traditionally checked before marriage, it is very common and is often cancelled by classical exceptions.
Also known as: Mangal dosha, Kuja dosham, Chevvai dosham, Bhauma dosha, Mangal dosh
The full guide: Manglik Dosha: Meaning, Cancellation Rules and Matching
Mars is the planet of energy and assertion. In the houses of self, family, home, partnership, longevity and private life, it is said to bring friction into married life. One classical verse lists houses 1, 4, 7, 8 and 12; a South Indian version has the 2nd in place of the 1st, and most astrologers now check all six, counted from the ascendant and from the Moon, and often from Venus too.
Because Mars must fall in one of six houses out of twelve, about half of all charts are Manglik from the ascendant alone, and more when the Moon is counted. That alone shows it cannot be a sign of an unhappy marriage.
Classical cancellations are many. Common ones: Mars in its own sign (Aries, Scorpio) or exalted (Capricorn); Mars in particular signs in particular houses, such as Cancer or Capricorn in the 7th; Mars joined by Jupiter or the Moon, or aspected by Jupiter; and both partners being Manglik. The popular idea that it simply ends at 28 is not a classical rule.
If a report flags Manglik dosha, treat it as a prompt to look closer, not a verdict. Compatibility rests on the whole of both charts, and a qualified astrologer should guide any serious decision.