The Navagraha placement for the Nine planets- How are the 9 planets postioned in a temple

Navagraha placement in various temples and their importance

In the Hindu Mythology, the Navagrahas have an exalted position in a persons life as they exert a great influence and it is said that the proper worship of these 9 planets can greatly tone down their malefic influence and thus grant peace and prosperity in a persons life. The entire place where the Navagraha is installed in a temple is a black granite stand  and the Navagrahas are also black granite with the facial features not so well formed, but they are well decorated with the most favored colored cloth of the particular planet. entire pedestal that they are placed on has small channels that lead the water, milk, curd, yoghurt and oil abhisheka that the idols are regularly done to a  clean place. The oil from the shani oil abhishek is collected to light the lamps in the temple. So on and so forth.

As per Hindu customs, the Navagraha are typically placed in a single square with the Sun (Surya) in the center and the other deities surrounding Surya; no two of them are made to face each other. In South India, their images are generally found in all important Saiva temples. They are invariably placed in a separate hall, on a pedestal of about three feet in height, usually to the north-east of the sanctum sanctorum.

There are 2 kinds of installation of the planets when arranged in this fashion, known as Agama Pradishta and Vaidika Pradishta.

Navagraha-Pranapratishta_Agama

In Agama Pradishta, Surya occupies the central place, Chandra on Surya’s east, Budha on his south, Brihaspati on his west, Shukra on his north, Mangala on his south-east, Shani on his south-west, Rahu on north-west and Ketu in the north-east. Temples such as Suryanar temple, Tiruvidadaimarudur, Tiruvaiyaru and Tirucchirappalli follow this system.

navagraha in a temple

In Vaidika Pradishta, Surya is still in the centre, but Shukra is in the east, Mangala in the south, Shani in the west, Brihaspati in the north, Chandra in the south-east, Rahu in the south-west, Ketu in the north-west and Budha in the north-east.

Other temples install the Navagrahas in other arrangements.

In Ramanathapuram district, in a place called Navapashana, nine stone slabs are worshipped as the

Navapasha installed by Lord Rama at Devipattinam near Ramanathapuram

Navagraha. The Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple boasts a unique structure wherein the nine grahas are installed in a single stone. Surya is prominently displayed in this structure with seven horses in a chariot with two wheels and a charioteer. The other eight grahas are placed in eight directions with the sun in the centre.

The different grahas have different preferences: Namely;

Surya- Sun: Wheat for daan, Red colour, center facing East

Chandra- Moon: Rice for daan, White colour, South east facing of Sun

Guru-Jupiter: Indian Yellow Split Peas(Kabuli chana), Yellow color, Facing North

Budh- Mercury:  Green Gram, Green Color, facing North East

Shukra-Venus: Soya Gram, white color, facing East

Mangal-Mars: Bengal Gram, Red color, facing South

Shani-Saturn: Mustard Seeds, blue color, facing West

Rahu- North Node: Black gram, Black color, facing South West

Kethu-South Node: Horse gram, Multi color, facing North West

Donations give to appease the Navagrahas- Nine Planets

• Donation to appease the Planet Sun (On Sunday): Ruby, coral, wheat, jaggery, ghee, red cloth, sandalwood, saffron flowers.
• Donation to appease the planets moon (On Monday): White cloth, rice, curd, sandalwood, camphor, flowers, conch.
• Donation to appease the planet Mars (On Tuesday): Gold, copper, lentil, jaggery, ghee, red cloth, saffron, sandal wood.
• Donation to appease the planet mercury (On Wednesday): Emerald, gold, green cloth, lentil, sugar, ghee, flowers, fruits, camphor, Dakshina.
• Donation to appease the planet Jupiter – (On Thursday): Topaz, Gold, Yellow cloth, Chana (grams), Turmeric, Jaggery, Ghee, flowers, fruits books, Dakshina.
• Donation to appease the planets Venus (On Friday): Diamond, Gold, Silver, cloth, rice, Sugar candy, milk, curd, sandalwood, flowers
• Donation to appease to planet Saturn (on Saturday): Sapphire, gold, black cloth, oil, horse bean, music, flowers, Dakshina.
• Donation to appease the Planet Rahu: Agate, gold, lead, blue cloth, blanket, Sesamum, mustard oil, flowers, Dakshina.
• Donation to appease planet Ketu: Gold, bluish grey cloth, seven types of cereals, oil coconut, knife, Dakshina.

Ten other types of Charity or Mahadaan

1. Godaan (Donating Cow) – Direct or indirectly
2. Donating Land – According to one’s ability
3. Donating Gold – According to one’s ability or 34 Grams
4. Donating Silver – According to one’s ability or 2 Kilos.
5. Donating clothes – Cloth measuring 8 yards.
6. Donating grain/cereals – According to one’s ability or 100 Kilo.
7. Donating Ghee – According to one’s ability or 20 Kilos
8. Donating Jaggery – According to one’s ability or 13 Kilos
9. Donating Sesame – According to one’s ability or 18 Kg.
10. Donating Salt – According to one’s ability or 135 Kg.


The Day and time to donate:

Donations to the Gods should be offered in the early morning. To eliminate doshas, ailments in human donations should be offered in the afternoon. For deceased ancestor donations should be offered in the night or evening. Donations to the spirits should be done in the evening.

One should donate on the following Tithis (dates)

1. Shukla Poornima in Jyestha, Vaishakh month
2. Dasham or Poornima day in Aashad month
3. Krishna Ashtami in Shravana month
4. Tritiya of Krishna Paksha in month of Bhadrapada
5. Kartik Shukla Dwadeshi and Poornima
6. Paush Shukla Ekadashi
7. Mayh Shukla Tritiya and Saptami
8. Phalguna Amavasya in Poornima
9. Chaitra Krishna Panchami
10. Chaitra Shukla Panchami
11. Vaishakh Shukla Tritiya
12. Kartik Shukla Saptami
13. Margshish Shukla Navami
14. Magh Shukla Trayodashi
15. Phalgun Krishna Tritiya.

One should donate during solar and lunar eclipse. If there is incidentally a solar eclipse on a Sunday and lunar eclipse on a Monday it creates a Chudamani Yoga. The donation done on these days reaps limitless benefits. One gets special benefits if one donates on days of Amavasya, Poornima, Sankranti, Vyatipat, Vaidhriti Yoga. 

• Donation done on the Poornima of the Vaishakh, Shravana, Kartik and Magh are considered auspicious and very noble.
• The tithi of Somvati Amavasya is very rare, auspicious tithi even for the Gods.
• On the day of Nirjala Ekadashi one should donate anything other then food.
• On the day of Ramnavami and Janmashtami and the day after Janmashtami one should donate during time of ‘Mand Utsav’.
• By donating on the day of Akshaya Tritiye one gets limitless benefits, on the days of Amavasya on Monday. Saptami of Sunday, Chaturthi on Tuesday and the Ashtami on Wednesday are equally auspicious as a solar eclipse for donation/charity.
• One should donate on both the Trayodashi days of Shravana month and also in the Bhadrapada Krishna Paksha, on Kartik Shukla Navami, Ekadashi, Makar Sanskranti and in Adhik maas.