The KP (Krishnamurti) ayanamsa
The KP ayanamsa belongs to the Krishnamurti Paddhati system, developed by K. S. Krishnamurti in the mid-20th century. Its base value at J2000 on this site is 23.7602 degrees, about 0.11 degrees less than Lahiri.
Origin
K. S. Krishnamurti developed the Krishnamurti Paddhati (KP) system, which uses sub-lords within nakshatras and a specific ayanamsa. KP is used in horary and event-timing work, and many KP practitioners use this ayanamsa.
Value and use
The base value at J2000 is 23.7602 degrees. The difference from Lahiri is small, about 0.11 degrees, so most planets keep the same sign. Planets near a sign boundary can change, and the nakshatra sub-divisions used in KP depend on it.
When to choose it
Choose KP if you follow the Krishnamurti Paddhati, or if your reference uses KP sub-lords. For general birth-chart reading, Lahiri is the more common default.
Note on method
This site's panchang and birth chart tools do not yet compute KP sub-lords. They only use the KP ayanamsa value for the sidereal conversion.
What the KP system adds
The Krishnamurti Paddhati is more than an ayanamsa. It uses a divided nakshatra scheme in which each nakshatra is split into nine sub-lords, and it is widely used for timing events and for horary questions. The ayanamsa is only the first step: it fixes where the zodiac starts. The sub-lord system then works on top of the sidereal positions. A reader who wants the full KP method needs the sub-lord tables as well, which are not covered by this site. Use the KP ayanamsa here to compute positions, and treat the sub-lord reading as a separate discipline with its own sources.
A common confusion
Readers sometimes assume that the KP ayanamsa gives a different reading of character from Lahiri. It does not, by itself. The difference between the two is a small offset of about 0.11 degrees at J2000, so most planets stay in the same sign. The bigger difference lies in the method built on top of the positions. When a KP reading and a Lahiri reading disagree, check first whether the disagreement comes from the sub-lord method, the house system or the ayanamsa, in that order of likely size.
Where to learn more
Readers who want the full Krishnamurti Paddhati method should read the works associated with its founder and the later texts that present the sub-lord tables. Be careful with secondary summaries that state the sub-lord rules without their sources, because the tables are the core of the method and small errors in them change the result. This site does not reproduce the tables. It uses the KP ayanamsa for the sidereal conversion only, and it says so on the method page, so that a reader does not mistake the position for a full KP reading.
Comparing KP with other ayanamsas
A reader comparing the KP ayanamsa with Lahiri should expect a small difference of about a tenth of a degree at J2000, which is enough to change a planet only near a boundary. For most charts the signs are the same under both, and the comparison shows where the choice matters.