On which day is Shani Dev worshipped?

Saturday is Shani Dev's day. Offering mustard oil, lighting a lamp under a peepal tree and giving in charity are traditional observances on that day.

What is Shani Sade Sati?

In astrological tradition, Sade Sati is Saturn's roughly 7.5-year transit through the sign before the natal Moon sign, the Moon sign itself and the sign after it. Tradition treats it as a time for self-discipline and working through one's karma.

What is the mantra of Shani Dev?

"Om Sham Shanaishcharaya Namah" is the most widely chanted Shani mantra. The Shani Chalisa and Hanuman Chalisa are also recited on Saturdays.

Does Shani Dev only bring hardship?

No. Tradition regards Shani as the lord of justice who gives results according to one's deeds — he is also believed to bless those who are honest, diligent and humble.

Shani Dev

Giver of the Fruits of Karma, Lord of Justice

Shani Dev, son of Surya and Chhaya, is the deity of the planet Saturn among the nine Navagrahas. He is worshipped as the impartial judge who dispenses the fruits of one's karma, and Saturday is his day.

The Story of Shani Dev

According to the Puranas, Shani is the son of the sun god Surya and his consort Chhaya; Yama and Yamuna (Yami) are his siblings. The story goes that Surya's wife Sanjna, unable to bear his blazing radiance, left her shadow (chhaya) in her place and went away to perform austerities — and from that Chhaya, Shani was born. He is also called Shanaishchara, "the slow-moving one", a name that echoes the slow passage of the planet Saturn across the sky, spending about two and a half years in each zodiac sign. The Brahma Vaivarta Purana tells that Shani was once so absorbed in devotion that he ignored his wife, a daughter of the gandharva Chitraratha. Hurt, she cursed him so that whoever his gaze fell upon would meet misfortune. This is why tradition regards Shani's glance as weighty, and why he is often depicted with his eyes lowered. Shani is understood not as a god of fear but of justice and discipline: he returns to each person the results of their thoughts, words and deeds, and is said to favour the honest and hard-working. In the astrological tradition, Sade Sati — Saturn's roughly seven-and-a-half-year transit through the sign before the natal Moon, the Moon sign itself and the sign after it — is treated as a period of self-examination and the working-out of karma. Popular belief also holds that Shani does not trouble the devotees of Hanuman, which is why Hanuman is widely worshipped on Saturdays too. Traditional observances on Saturday include offering mustard oil, black sesame, black cloth or iron in charity, lighting a lamp beneath a peepal tree, and chanting "Om Sham Shanaishcharaya Namah". Shani Shingnapur in Maharashtra and Thirunallar in Tamil Nadu are among his best-known shrines.

Iconography & Symbols

Dark-complexioned, robed in blue or black, riding a crow or vulture, and bearing a bow and arrow, a trident and an axe.

Other Names

Shanaishchara
Suryaputra
Chhayaputra
Konastha
Manda

Shani Dev: Aartis, Chalisas, Stotras & Festivals

Chalisa

Shani Chalisa

Frequently Asked Questions

Whose son is Shani Dev?: Shani Dev is the son of the sun god Surya and his consort Chhaya. Yama and Yamuna are regarded as his siblings.
On which day is Shani Dev worshipped?: Saturday is Shani Dev's day. Offering mustard oil, lighting a lamp under a peepal tree and giving in charity are traditional observances on that day.
What is Shani Sade Sati?: In astrological tradition, Sade Sati is Saturn's roughly 7.5-year transit through the sign before the natal Moon sign, the Moon sign itself and the sign after it. Tradition treats it as a time for self-discipline and working through one's karma.
What is the mantra of Shani Dev?: "Om Sham Shanaishcharaya Namah" is the most widely chanted Shani mantra. The Shani Chalisa and Hanuman Chalisa are also recited on Saturdays.
Does Shani Dev only bring hardship?: No. Tradition regards Shani as the lord of justice who gives results according to one's deeds — he is also believed to bless those who are honest, diligent and humble.