Mesh Rashi in English
Mesh rashi is Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, ruled by Mars - and the sign that marks the sidereal new year.
Mesh rashi in English is Aries. Mesha is the first of the twelve Vedic rashis, the sign where the zodiac count begins, ruled by Mars. Tell the chart above the date, the time and the town you were born in, and it shows whether Mesha is your own rashi, worked out from where the Moon sat at that exact moment.
By Astro Ashish · Last verified: September 24, 2026
Mesh Rashi in English: Aries at the start of the zodiac
As the first rashi, Mesha defines zero degrees of the zodiac; every other rashi, and the nakshatra count, is measured onward from its starting point. The table below has the complete fact set.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit | Mesha |
| Hindi | मेष |
| English sign | Aries ♈︎ |
| Symbol | Ram |
| Ruling planet (lord) | Mars (Mangal) |
| Element | Fire (Agni) |
| Quality | Movable (Chara) |
| Nakshatras spanned | Ashwini (full), Bharani (full), Krittika (pada 1) |
| Common spellings | Mesh, Mesha, Mesham |
| Tamil / Malayalam name | Mesham (மேஷம்) / Medam (മേടം) |
| Name letters (naam akshar) | Chu, Che, Cho, La, Li, Lu, Le, Lo, A (चू, चे, चो, ला, ली, लू, ले, लो, अ) |
| Sun enters Mesha, 2026 (sidereal, Lahiri) - Mesha Sankranti | 14 April 2026, 09:32 IST |
| Sun enters Mesha, 2027 (sidereal, Lahiri) - Mesha Sankranti | 14 April 2027, 15:28 IST |
| Western (tropical) Aries dates | 21 March - 19 April |
| Why the dates differ | The sidereal Lahiri zodiac is anchored to the fixed stars; the tropical zodiac is anchored to the spring equinox. Precession has separated the two by about 24 days. |
When is Mesha Sankranti, the sidereal new year?
Mesha Sankranti, the Sun's sidereal entry into Mesha, is treated as the start of the solar new year in several Indian regional calendars: Vaisakhi in Punjab, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu, Vishu in Kerala, Pohela Boishakh in Bengal, and other regional new-year names, all timed to this same astronomical event even though each carries its own separate local customs.
On the Lahiri ayanamsa, the 2026 crossing falls on 14 April 2026 at 09:32 IST, and the 2027 crossing on 14 April 2027 at 15:28 IST. Both land on 14 April, matching the date most Indian almanacs publish for Mesha Sankranti and Vaisakhi in these years.
This is a different reset point from Makar Sankranti, which marks the start of Uttarayana rather than the zodiac's own restart; Mesha Sankranti is specifically where the sidereal year count returns to zero degrees.
Mesh rashi ko English me kya bolte hain?
Mesh rashi ko English mein 'Aries' bolte hain, aur agar angreji mein kya kahate hain poochha jaye to jawab wahi hai: Aries. Mesha aur Aries donon usi pehle rashi ke naam hain, ek Sanskrit mein aur doosra angreji mein.
हिंदी में: मेष राशि को अंग्रेज़ी में Aries (एरीज़) कहते हैं।
The ram symbol behind Mesha and behind Aries comes from two separate mythological traditions, Vedic and Greco-Roman, that happened to land on the same animal for the zodiac's first sign, one of the more direct symbol matches across the two systems.
Mars, the ram, and a Mesha temperament
Mars rules Mesha, and as the first sign ruled by a naturally forceful, fast-moving planet, Mesha is traditionally read as initiating rather than sustaining: quick to start, direct, and more comfortable leading a first move than managing a long middle stretch. That reading applies to the Moon sign specifically, and it sits alongside, not above, the rest of a full chart.
Mesha's three nakshatras, the full spans of Ashwini and Bharani and the first quarter of Krittika, each carry their own separate character and ruling planet within the Vimshottari dasha system; a rashi alone does not fix which one a birth falls in, or which dasha period starts running from it.
Mesha is also classified as a male (purusha) sign and, in the temperament groupings some classical sources use, a bilious or pitta-type sign, grouped with its fire trine partners Simha (Leo) and Dhanu (Sagittarius). None of these classifications describe a fixed personality; they are the starting inputs a fuller reading combines with the rest of the chart, including the ascendant and the placements of the other eight grahas.
Mesh rashi name letters, Mesham and Medam
Mesh rashi's nine name letters are Chu, Che, Cho, La, Li, Lu, Le, Lo and A (चू, चे, चो, ला, ली, लू, ले, लो, अ). Chu, Che, Cho and La come from Ashwini, Li, Lu, Le and Lo from Bharani, and A from the first pada of Krittika. The first letter of a name is traditionally the syllable of the Moon's pada at birth.
In Tamil this rashi is Mesham (மேஷம்) and in Malayalam it is Medam (മേടം), so Mesham in English is Aries as well. Kerala's Vishu falls on the first day of Medam, the same Sun-into-Mesha moment as Vaisakhi and Puthandu.
Mesha borders Meena (Pisces), the sign it follows, and Vrishabha (Taurus), the sign after it. A Moon near either edge of Mesha can change rashi within hours, so for anyone born close to a boundary only an accurate birth time settles which rashi is theirs.
How do I know if my rashi is Mesh?
Because the Moon moves through roughly one rashi every two to three days, and can cross a boundary within a single day, only the exact birth time settles the question for anyone born near a boundary. The chart above returns your rashi along with your ascendant, nakshatra and complete Vimshottari timeline.
- Start with your birth date in the chart at the top.
- Add your time of birth; a Moon at the Meena-Mesha or Mesha-Vrishabha edge can switch rashi within hours.
- Enter your place of birth.
- If the Moon sign reads Mesha (Aries), Mesh is your rashi. Your nakshatra pada, shown alongside, gives the matching name letter.
Calculation notes for the Mesha Sankranti times
The Mesha Sankranti times are the Sun's sidereal ingress into Mesha from the Swiss Ephemeris, on the Lahiri ayanamsa, in IST. With the Lahiri ayanamsa a little over 24 degrees in 2026, sidereal Mesha begins around 14 April, about 24 days after the tropical equinox that starts Western Aries.
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Frequently asked
What is Mesh rashi in English?
Mesh rashi in English is Aries. It is the first sign of the Vedic zodiac, a movable fire sign ruled by Mars, and the point from which the whole sidereal zodiac is measured.
Is mesha rasi the same as mesh rashi?
Yes. Mesh and Mesha are two spellings of the same Sanskrit word, and rasi is a spelling of rashi, so Mesha rasi in English is Aries, the same first sign of the zodiac.
What is Mesham in English?
Mesham is the Tamil name (மேஷம்) for Mesha rashi; Malayalam calls it Medam (മേടം). Both are Aries in English, like Mesh rashi in English itself: the first sign of the zodiac, ruled by Mars.
What is the starting letter of Mesh rashi?
Mesh rashi has nine name letters: Chu, Che, Cho, La, Li, Lu, Le, Lo and A (चू, चे, चो, ला, ली, लू, ले, लो, अ). The right one for a child is the letter of the nakshatra pada the Moon occupied at birth.
What is mesh rashi in English name?
The mesh rashi in English name is Aries. Mesha corresponds directly to the Western zodiac's Aries, both symbolised by a ram, even though the two names come from separate, unrelated mythological traditions.
Why is Mesha the first rashi?
The sidereal zodiac's zero-degree point is fixed at the start of Mesha by definition, and the sign that begins there is counted first. Every other rashi, and the Sankranti calendar, is measured onward from that same starting point.
What is Mesha Sankranti and when is it?
Mesha Sankranti is the Sun's sidereal entry into Mesha, treated as the solar new year in several Indian regional calendars. It falls on 14 April 2026 at 09:32 IST and 14 April 2027 at 15:28 IST, computed on the Lahiri ayanamsa.
Is Mesh rashi a fire sign?
Yes. Mesh rashi in English is Aries, and Mesha is one of three fire signs in Vedic astrology, alongside Simha and Dhanu, traditionally read as energetic and quick to act, in contrast to the steadier earth signs or the more emotionally led water signs.
How do I find out if Mesh rashi is mine?
Your janam rashi depends on the Moon's exact position at your birth time, not your date of birth alone. Add the date, time and place you were born to the form above and your rashi, Mesha or otherwise, is calculated directly.