9 Navagrahas.
The nine celestial bodies of Vedic astrology — each ruling Rasis and Nakshatras, governing a day, a colour, and a domain of life.
What Are the 9 Navagrahas?
The Navagrahas are the nine celestial influences central to Vedic astrology: the Sun (Surya), Moon (Chandra), Mars (Mangala), Mercury (Budha), Jupiter (Guru), Venus (Shukra), Saturn (Shani), and the two lunar nodes, Rahu and Ketu. Unlike Western astrology, which treats only the physical planets and luminaries, Vedic astrology gives Rahu and Ketu — the points where the Moon's orbital path intersects the ecliptic — the full status of Grahas, each with independent rulership over specific Nakshatras and characteristic life themes.
Each Graha rules one or more Rasis and three Nakshatras, governs a day of the week, is associated with a specific colour, vahana (vehicle), and domain of life, and occupies a position in the Navagraha shrine arrangement standard across South Indian temple practice. The Grahas also form the basis of the Vimshottari Dasha system — a 120-year planetary period cycle used throughout Vedic predictive astrology.
Surya
சூரியன்
Sun
Chandra
சந்திரன்
Moon
Mangala (Angaraka)
செவ்வாய்
Mars
Budha
புதன்
Mercury
Guru (Brihaspati)
குரு / வியாழன்
Jupiter
Shukra
சுக்ரன் / வெள்ளி
Venus
Shani
சனி
Saturn
Rahu
ராகு
North Lunar Node
Ketu
கேது
South Lunar Node
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Navagrahas?
The Navagrahas are the nine celestial influences of Vedic astrology: the Sun (Surya), Moon (Chandra), Mars (Mangala), Mercury (Budha), Jupiter (Guru), Venus (Shukra), Saturn (Shani), and the two lunar nodes Rahu (North Node) and Ketu (South Node). "Nava" means nine and "Graha" means that which seizes or influences.
Why are Rahu and Ketu considered Grahas if they are not physical bodies?
Rahu and Ketu represent the two intersection points of the Moon's orbital path with the ecliptic (the lunar nodes). Vedic astrology treats their eclipse-causing and gravitational influence as a genuine planetary force, independent of the Western astronomical definition of a planet. They move in retrograde and are always exactly 180° apart.
What is a planetary Dasha and how do the Navagrahas govern it?
A Dasha is a planetary period system assigning each Graha a span of years believed to colour a phase of a person's life. The most widely used is the Vimshottari Dasha, a 120-year cycle where each of the nine Grahas rules a fixed number of years. The active Dasha at birth is determined by the Moon's Nakshatra, linking the Nakshatra, Graha, and Dasha systems together.
How do the Navagrahas relate to the Rasis and Nakshatras?
Each Graha rules one or more Rasis (its Moolatrikona and own signs) and exactly three Nakshatras. These rulerships form the interconnected web astrologers use to read a birth chart: the Rasi a planet occupies, the Nakshatra its dispositor rules, and the Dasha period it activates are all read together.
What is the significance of Navagraha worship at the temple?
Navagraha shrines — arranged in a standard nine-planet layout in South Indian temples — are worshipped to honour the cosmic forces each Graha represents and to seek balance in the areas of life they govern. Specific pujas, mantras, and offerings are prescribed for each Graha based on a devotee's birth chart and current planetary periods.
Traditional References: Content on this page draws from classical Vedic astrology texts, including the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, which provides the foundational planetary chapters underlying most Navagraha interpretation. Interpretations may vary across regional and lineage-based traditions.