Navagraha

Navagrahas, a Raja Ravi Varma painting.

Graha (Sanskrit gráha "seizing, laying hold of, holding",^[1] ) or Navagraha (Sanskrit: नवग्रह, lit. nine houses) are deities in Hindu belief, and Hindu astrology.^[2]

There are nine Navagraha. They include the Sun; the Moon; the planets Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn; and the ascending and descending lunar nodes, respectively known as Rahu and Ketu.

Planets, celestial bodies and lunar nodes

The Navagraha, according to Roshen Dalal, are:^[2]

1. Surya (a.k.a. Ravi), the Sun
2. Soma, the Moon
3. Mangala, Mars
4. Budha, Mercury
5. Brihaspati, Jupiter, also called "Guru" the master of all graha.
6. Shukra, Venus
7. Shani, Saturn
8. Rahu, North Node/ascending node
9. Ketu, South node/descending node

Temples

Temples that incorporate or are dedicated to one or all nine of the Navagraha are found in different parts of India, such as in Tamil Nadu.^[3]

• Surya Navagrahastalam -- Sooriyanar Kovil
• Chandra Navagrahastalam -- Thingaloor
• Angaarakan Navagrahastalam -- Vaitheeswaran Kovil
• Budha Navagrahastalam -- Thiruvenkadu
• Guru Navagrahastalam -- Alangudi
• Sukra Navagrahastalam -- Kanjanur
• Shani Navagrahastalam -- Thirunallar
• Raahu Navagrahastalam -- Thirunageswaram
• Ketu Navagrahastalam -- Keezhperumpallam

Navagraha sculpture from Bihar, India, 10th century AD, now at the San Diego Museum of Art.

See also

• Jyotisha
• Planets in astrology

Notes

1. Sanskrit-English Dictionary by Monier-Williams, (c) 1899
2. Roshen Dalal (2010). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin Books. p. 280. ISBN 978-0-14-341421-6.
3. Anantharaman, Ambjuam (2006). Temples of South India (second ed.). East West. pp. x–xxi, 302–304. ISBN 978-81-88661-42-8.