The goal of cataract surgery is to achieve a desirable refractive outcome with minimal surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) after cataract surgery. However, the presence of preoperative corneal astigmatism continues to challenge the final visual outcome. Present study was aimed to study prevalence of corneal astigmatism in patients undergoing cataract surgery in a tertiary care hospital. Material and Methods: Present study was prospective, observational study, conducted in patients of age > 40 years, either gender, posted for cataract surgery. Results: In present study, 644 patients/ 460 eyes considered for evaluation, mean age was 68.1 ± 10.2 years, gender ratio (Male: Female) was 1:1.22. Majority of cataracts were mixed type (44.57 %) & nuclear sclerosis (38.04%) other less common types were posterior sub capsular opacification (8.7 %), mature cataract (5.75 %), cortical cataract (2.48 %) & developmental cataract (0.47 %). Mean keratometry values were K1 - 43.97 D & K2 - 42.45 D and range was 36-55 D. Mean corneal astigmatism 0.91 ± 0.80 D & range was 0- 5.72 D. Mean sphere was 1.75 ± 1.67 D, mean cylinder 0.54 ± 0.45 D & range of cylinder was 0-2.43 D. No astigmatism was noted in 7.45 %, while oblique astigmatism was in 10.71 % cases. Majority of cases had with the rule astigmatism (WTR) (43.79 %), followed by against the rule astigmatism (ATR) (38.04 %). Conclusion: Majority patients posted for cataract surgery have preoperative corneal astigmatism, commonly with the rule (WTR) as well as against the rule astigmatism (ATR), which can affect the quality of vision after cataract surgery.