What Is Barakhadi? A Simple Guide for Parents (with Free Charts)

What Is Barakhadi?

Barakhadi (बाराखडी in Marathi, बारहखड़ी in Hindi, બારાખડી in Gujarati) is the table of syllables you get when one consonant is combined with each of the twelve vowel signs. The plain consonant already carries a built-in 'a' sound, and adding a matra changes that vowel — so क (ka) becomes का (kaa), कि (ki), की (kee) and so on.

Think of the alphabet as the ingredients and barakhadi as the first recipes. A child who knows the letters but not barakhadi can name क, but a child who knows barakhadi can read कमल, किताब and कान.

• Bara = twelve, so each consonant has twelve barakhadi forms
• The plain consonant (क) has the inherent 'a' sound
• Each matra (ा ि ी ु ू े ै ो ौ ं ः) changes the vowel
• The full grid is consonants down the side × 12 vowels across the top

Why Barakhadi Matters So Much

Many children learn all the swar and vyanjan and then get stuck — because knowing letters is not the same as reading. Barakhadi is exactly the step that turns letter knowledge into reading and writing whole words.

It's also wonderfully efficient. There are only twelve patterns to learn, and once they click for one consonant, they apply to every consonant. That single insight is the moment reading suddenly starts to feel possible for a child.

The 12 Forms, Using क as an Example

Here is the complete barakhadi row for the consonant क. Say each one aloud with your child, pointing to the matra that changes the sound each time.

• क (ka), का (kaa), कि (ki), की (kee)
• कु (ku), कू (koo), के (ke), कै (kai)
• को (ko), कौ (kau), कं (kan), कः (kah)
• The same twelve patterns work for ख, ग, घ … and every other consonant

How to Read the Barakhadi Chart

A barakhadi chart lists the consonants down the left side and the twelve vowel signs across the top. Each cell shows that consonant joined with that vowel sign. To read it, pick a consonant's row and move left to right, saying each form aloud.

Start with just one row. Reading the whole grid at once overwhelms a young child, but one consonant's row a day feels like a small, winnable game.

• Read across one row at a time, top vowel sign to bottom
• Say the sound before writing the shape
• Cover the other rows so only today's consonant shows
• Re-read yesterday's row before starting a new one

In What Order Should You Teach Barakhadi?

Teach barakhadi only after your child is comfortable recognising the basic consonants. Then begin with क, because it is one of the first and clearest consonants, and its forms show every matra plainly.

Move to the next consonant only once the current row is secure in both reading and writing. There is no prize for speed — a child who truly owns three consonants' barakhadi will read faster than one who has half-learned ten.

• First make sure single consonants are familiar
• Begin with क, then ख, ग, घ …
• Master one full row before moving on
• Add simple words as soon as a few rows are known (कमल, गाय)

The Same Pattern in Marathi, Hindi and Gujarati

One of the best things about barakhadi is that the logic is shared across languages. Marathi and Hindi both use the Devanagari script, so their barakhadi forms look almost identical. Gujarati uses its own script and drops the top line (shirorekha), but the twelve-vowel pattern is exactly the same.

This means a child learning one of these languages already has a big head start on the others. If your family speaks more than one, barakhadi is a natural place to show how the languages rhyme with each other.

• Marathi बाराखडी and Hindi बारहखड़ी share the Devanagari forms
• Gujarati બારાખડી uses the same 12 vowels in the Gujarati script
• Learn the pattern once and it transfers across all three

Common Barakhadi Challenges (and Easy Fixes)

A few forms trip children up, and that's completely normal. Knowing them in advance helps you stay patient and point them out gently.

• कि writes the vowel sign before the consonant — show it's read after
• कु and कू add a mark below the letter — trace slowly together
• कं and कः change the ending sound — say them clearly aloud
• Take breaks and keep it playful — frustration is the real enemy

A Simple Way to Practise Barakhadi at Home

You don't need anything fancy — a printed chart, a pencil, and five minutes a day. Trace one consonant's row, say each form aloud, and revise it the next day before adding a new row.

Our free printable barakhadi charts and workbooks in Marathi, Hindi and Gujarati are made exactly for this: one clear page per consonant, big tracing lines, and the full twelve forms to read and write. Print at home, no sign-up, and re-print any page as often as your child needs.

• Print one consonant's barakhadi page and trace the full row
• Say each form aloud as you write it
• Revise yesterday's row before starting today's
• Move to reading real words once a few rows are solid