Navgrah Shani Mandir Ujjain: Temple History | Information | Rituals

Navgrah Shani Mandir is India's first Shani Mandir. In the Mandir, one will find Lord Shanidev who has been idolized as Lord Shiva. The statue of Shani Shani is popular among the devotees and many religious pilgrims travel from the four directions to come and pay respect to the deity.

Temple History:

The temple itself is 2000 years old and is located in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. It is known by different names like the Navagraha Temple or Shani Mandir and different people refer to it differently. The locals refer to it as the Triveni Teertham. The myth surrounding the temple tells us that the temple was built by King Vikramaditya around 2000 years ago on the banks of the Shipra River. It is also speculated that Vikramaditya started Vikram Samvat for the construction of this temple. The idol of Shani Dev is accompanied by the idol of Dhayya Shani. Historically and religiously the Shri Navagraha Shani Temple holds a lot of importance as it is the first temple where Shani Dev sits in the form of Lord Shiva. Another aspect of the temple is that the temple is said to be dedicated to the planets of our solar system. The nearby presence of the Triveni Ghat and the convergence of 3 rivers: Shipra, Gandaki, and Saraswati is considered to render the place sacred.

Information:

The Mandir is located on Triveni on Indore Road. It is easily accessible to the devotees as it is practically 6 km from the main city. One can reach by taking any public means of transport from Ujjain. The Mandir is open to all from 5:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. and there is no entry fee for the devotees. The best time to visit is said to be the winter season and during the Shani Shastri Amavasya when a fair is held. Saturdays are also considered to be auspicious for a visit to this temple since it is considered the day of Shani. Shani is known to be the god of justice and known for giving wealth and prosperity to those who are known to do good deeds and bring punishment on the ones that do evil deeds.

Rituals:

The temple is visited by thousands of pilgrims all around the year. It is believed that one is supposed to offer oil to Shani Dev if they want their wishes to come true. There is also another significance for this offering of oil as according to the legends the oil is offered for the peace of Sade Sati and Dhayya. The ritual of offering 5 quintals of oil to the lord on the day of Shani Amavasya is revered. The oil is later auctioned to the devotees.

It is firmly believed that anyone who offers oil to Shani Dev with the goodness of their heart will receive the blessings of the lord and all their troubles of life will be taken care of.