Rajju (Rajju porutham)
Rajju is a South Indian matching check that sorts the 27 nakshatras into five body parts: feet, waist, navel, neck and head. Both partners’ stars falling in the same rajju is called Rajju dosha.
Also known as: Rajju dosha, Rajju dosham, Rajju koota
Rajju means “cord”. The nakshatras are laid out along a figure from feet to head and back again: Pada (feet), Kati (waist), Nabhi (navel), Kantha (neck) and Shira (head). Mrigashira, Chitra and Dhanishta, for example, are Shira rajju, while Ashwini, Ashlesha and Magha are Pada rajju.
In Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Rajju is one of the ten poruthams and is treated as one of the most important. Different rajjus are favourable. The same rajju is called Rajju dosha; traditional texts link each group with a different area of married life and treat the head group as the most sensitive.
Rajju is not part of the North Indian 36-point Guna Milan, so it does not change that score. Families who follow South Indian practice give it real weight. As with every check, an experienced astrologer will consider the exceptions and the full charts.