Post No. 15,541
Date uploaded in London – 27 March 2026
Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
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Tamil version posted separately
Navagraha shrines in Tamil Nadu
Suryanar Kovil (Surya- Sun): Dedicated to Surya, located in Suryanar Kovil.
Thingalur (Chandra- Moon): Kailasanathar Temple, dedicated to Chandran.
Vaitheeswaran Koil (Mangal or Angaraka-Mars): Dedicated to Angaragan.
Thiruvenkadu (Budha- Mercury): Swetharanyeswarar Temple, dedicated to Budha.
Alangudi (Guru or Brhaspati-Jupiter): Apatsahayesvarar Temple, dedicated to Guru.
Kanjanur (Sukra- Venus): Agniswarar Temple, dedicated to Sukran.
Thirunallar (Sani or Sanaischara-Saturn): Saniswaran Temple, dedicated to Shani.
Thirunageswaram (Ascending node-Rahu): Naganathar Temple, dedicated to Rahu.
Keezhperumpallam (Descending node-Ketu): Naganathaswamy Temple, dedicated to Ketu.
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Vaishnava Tradition
Surya/Sun- Sri Vaikundam
Chndra/ Moon- Varagunamangai (Naththam)
Mangal/Mars- Thirukkolur
Budha/Mercury- Thirup Puliyankudi
Guru/ Jupiter- Alwar Tirunagari
Sukra/Venus- Thentirupperai
Sani/ Saturn- Perungkulam
Rahu- Tiruth tholaivili mangalam
Ketu – Tiruth tholaivili mangalam
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Navagraha Statues in the British Museum
Vedic poets give various names to the sun according to the task it accomplished; and each name reproduced the salient feature of the task.
The sun when rising was Mitra= friend.
As it advances in its journey, giving new lie it i Savitar= bringing forth or leading the day; the vivifying sun;
When it collects the clouds and sends rain on the earth it is Indra; indu= drops.
The sun is Vishnu when it makes “three strides” in the vault of heaven, its position in the morning, at noon, and in the evening;
It is Varuna – the all-embracing, when it envelops in clouds as in a shroud, and the sky darkens.
Some phenomena descended on man from above, such as thunder bolts, winds, storms; the storms that came unexpectedly dealing destruction as they passed received the name of Maruts—from the root mar- and with the meaning of those who strike or beat to death; (My comments- Murder is derived from this Sanskrit root)
The thunder was called Rudra= he who roars.
The wind was Vayu= he who blows.
All these names indicated that which could be seen and that which could be heard; the invisible things remained unnamed.
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Navagrahas in Ashmoleoon Museum, Oxford
Surya is Brahma, Vishnu and Siva- Three in One!
SUN AND SCIENCE IN THE RIG VEDA :6 DISCOVERIES CONFIRMED (Post No10,291)
Latest research and study of the Rig Veda (RV) , the oldest book in the world, show that the Vedic Hindus had advanced knowledge of Sun. Though the 30 + foreigners who translated Four Vedas made passing remarks about Hindu Knowledge on Sun, they added words like ‘possibly’, ‘probably’ and sowed seeds of doubts in the readers’ mind. Now we can confirm the Hindu knowledge in the following areas
Following 6 points are confirmed now:-
1.The Rishis/seers told us Sun God has a chariot with one wheel that was drawn by Seven Horses. Now we all know that they meant the Rain Bow colours VIBGYOR (violet,indigo,blue, geen, yellow, orange and red. Sun light passed through a prism shows it.
2. Throughout the Ten Mandalas/books of the RV, they report a miracle of Atri Maharishi. In fact he was praised for calculating a total eclipse and its duration. A total eclipse can last for a maximum of seven minutes, which is very rare. One of the solar eclipses was well calculated by Atri and his disciples wondered when he finished reciting a Rig Vedic mantra the sun came out. He was the only one knew the occurrence of eclipse on that day. Well calculated the duration of the Solar Eclipse he recited a mantra for few minutes and the Sun came out of shadow. This is reported as a ‘miracle’ in the Veda.
Krishna also used this trick to destroy Jayadratha who did not know that it was a Solar eclipse day. He thought that the sun was set, and the bugle was sounded marking the end of the battle for that day. In those days they fought Dharma Yuddha. So, after sun set they shook hands and walked home shoulder to shoulder. But Krishna knowing that it was only an eclipse and so urged Arjuna to shoot down Jayadratha, when the eclipsed sun was released. A solar eclipse can happen only on a new moon/Amavasya day. During Mahabharata day it was not a continuous 18 day war. Alternate days were the fighting days.
3.Third wonder is they knew sun is a star. Even people like Griffith who translated Rig Veda reported verbatim the mantra where it was said ‘SUN IS A STAR’. In those days, I mean 120 years ago, they did not even know that there were millions of Suns. But Bhagavad Gita and other hymns talk about Koti Surya (Million Suns). The Viswa Roopa Darshan sloka in the Bhagavad Gita says ‘Divi Surya Sahsrasya’ (1000 suns brightness)
4. All Sanskrit proverbs, slokas and astrological hymns say that Surya/Sun was the Deity for Arogya/ health.
There are umpteen remarks to show this in the oldest book, Rig Veda. They knew human beings need Vitamin D from Sun and so they prescribed lot of rituals under the Sun. Though they did not mention ‘Vitamin D’ they knew sun light gives Vitamin D.
5. Sun Spots were not in the 150 year old science books. But RV talks about Sun Spots several thousand years ago. Foreign translators used ‘Spots on Sun Bird’ or a Bull. They said that the bird and bull mentioned here actually Sun. The hymns said Bird/Bull with Spots. In reality they knew the Sun Spots. Now we know that when the sun spots are big in number, communication on earth is affected because of solar flare ups.
6.Jaundice Treatment :– Treatment for jaundice is both in the Rig Veda and Atharva Veda. The Rishis/ seers talk about treatment with Red Light. Actually jaundice in new born babies is treated with red light. It is called photo therapy. Read below the science behind it:
What is Jaundice?
Jaundice is a common, temporary. and usually harmless condition in newborn infants. It affects both full-term and premature babies, usually appearing during the first week of the baby’s life.
Jaundice occurs when there is a build-up of a naturally occurring substance in the blood called bilirubin . Bilirubin is an orange/red pigment in the blood. Bilirubin is produced by the normal breakdown of red blood cells. It is normal for everyone to have low levels of bilirubin in their blood. As bilirubin begins to build up, it deposits on the fatty tissue under the skin causing the baby’s skin and whites of the baby’s eyes to appear yellow.
What is Phototherapy?
Some “normal” jaundice will disappear within a week or two without treatment. Other babies will require treatment because of the severity of the jaundice, the cause of the jaundice, or how old the baby is when jaundice appears.
Phototherapy (light treatment) is the process of using light to eliminate bilirubin in the blood. Your baby’s skin and blood absorb these light waves. These light waves are absorbed by your baby’s skin and blood and change bilirubin into products, which can pass through their system.
When there were no electric lights 5000 years ago Hindus used fire and sun light.
What is the BiliBlanket?
Your doctor may prescribe the biliblanket as an alternative and/or additional treatment for you child’s jaundice. This system uses fibre optics and represents advanced technology in phototherapy treatment given in the hospital or at home.
The biliblanket provides the highest level of therapeutic light available to treat your baby. This form of light is also found in sunlight. The strength of light form the biliblanket is about the same, as you would get in the shade on a sunny day, yet is safer because the biliblanket filters out potentially harmful ultraviolet and infrared energy
PHOTO THERAPY FOR BABIES AND ADULTS
Here are the references:-
Sun spots in Sun—RV 10-189
Sun is a Star — RV 10- 156
Sun’s link wit Eye- 10-90
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NAVA GRAHA HOMAM (Post No.12,190)
Hindus were more scientific than any other ancient community. They named the heavenly bodies Graha ( now wrongly translated in English as Planets). The real meaning of Graha is ‘heavenly bodies with Gravity’. Issac Newton did not discover gravity. Hindus discovered it and named them ‘Grahas’ thousands of years ago. We use that word today in Grahanam (eclipse), Pani Grahanam/holding hand= i.e. wedding etc. Real meaning is that which attracts, grips, holds, grabs.
English words Grab, Grip, Gravity are all derived from Sanskrit Graha. Hindus knew Guru/Jupiter is the largest planet and named it Guru= heavy.
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Now to the Nava Braha Homam
Next to Ganapathi Homam, Nava Graha Homam (havan) is the important one. All new ventures begin with Ganapathi Homam and Nava Graha Homam.
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What is the benefit?
Some people may have certain Grahas in weaker positions in their birth charts knowns as Jaataka or horoscope and they may cause evil effects; to avoid such evil influence of grahas we do this Havan . Those grahas in favourable places in the horoscope will be boosted and encouraged to give the performer more benefits. When one does it for the family, the whole family gets the benefits.
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What is it?
In this fire ceremony, Nine Planets (actually heavenly bodies) are worshiped. They use Nine different diagrams, nine colour cloths, nine different grains, nine different wooden sticks, Nine Prasads etc. Priests recite hymns praising Nine Grahas: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury , Venus, Jupiter, Saturn Rahu, and Ketu.
It will take more time than Ganapathi Homam. Both can be finished within three hours. Advance preparations will reduce this time.
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How do they do it?
The priests invoke Varuna/God of Water and Nine Grahas in the metal pot filled with water in which spices like cardamom and cloves are put. All the deities who control the nava/nine grahas are also invoked. Coconut with Mango leaves are placed on the mouth of the pot. It is placed on Banana leaves spread with rice. On top of banana leaves two measures of rice is spread then the Purna Kumbha (metal pot usually made up of silver or brass ) is placed. After finishing the mantra the holy water is sprinkled on everyone present there.
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Following are required for the Navagraha Homam
I am giving nine grahas and their favourite things below; the priest will put the grains and the sticks along with ghee.
So ghee (clarified butter is required along with the things mentioned below. Certain Hindu shops sell them as a pack; if one says ‘it is for Navagraha homa’, they will give the pack; Havan Samagri is sold on line too)
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Priest offer the wooden sticks reciting the mantras eight times.
In the following, please focus on FOUR things only: Grains, Colour cloths, particular wooden sticks/twigs and Prasad. Rest is only for information.
1.Sun
Diagram – circle
Vahana – horse chariot
Zodiac sign ruled by sun- simha/ leo
(Please note Hindu zodiac signs are different from western)
Gem stone – Ruby/ Maanikkam
Grain – wheat
Samittu / wood stick – from arka (Calotropis gigantea)
Naivedya / prasad – sweet Pongal/rice
Cloth or blouse piece required – red cloth
Devata in charge of sun – Lord Shiva
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2.Moon
Diagram –square
Vahana – white horse
Zodiac sign ruled by moon – cancer/ kataka rasi
(Please note Hindu zodiac signs are different from western)
Gem stone – pearl/ muthu
Grain – paddy
Samittu / wood stick – purasu(Palasa)Butea monosperma
Naivedya / prasad – paayasa/ sweet liquid with little ghee
Cloth or blouse piece required – white
Devata in charge of sun – Goddess Gauri
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3.Mars / Angaaraka
Diagram –triangle
Vahana – red goat
Zodiac sign ruled by moon – Aries and Scorpio
Mesha/Vrischika
(Please note Hindu zodiac signs are different from western)
Gem stone – coral
Grain – toor dhal
Samittu / wood stick – rose wood/ karunkali in Tamil/ Simsapa
Naivedya / prasad – havis/ cooked rice
Cloth or blouse piece required – red
Devata in charge of sun – God Subrahmanya
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4.Mercury -Budha
Diagram –arrow
Vahana – lion
Zodiac sign ruled by moon – Gemini/ Virgo
Mithuna / kanya
(Please not Hindu zodiac signs are different from western)
Gem stone – emerald / maragatha
Grain – pulses
Samittu / wood stick – naayuruvi (Achyranthes aspera) Mayura in Sanskrit
Naivedya / prasad – milk rice
Cloth or blouse piece required –yellow
Devata in charge of sun – God Vishnu
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5.Guru /Jupiter /Brihaspati
Diagram –rectangle
Vahana – yellow horse
Zodiac sign ruled by moon – Sagittarius /Pisces
Dhanus / Meena
Please note Hindu zodiac signs are different from western)
Gem stone – Topaz/ pushparaga
Grain – channadhal whole
Samittu / wood stick – peepal/ pipal sticks
Naivedya / prasad – curd rice/ yoghurt rice
Cloth or blouse piece required – golden colour
Devata in charge of sun – God Brahma
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6.Sukran / Venus
Diagram –five pointed star
ahana – white horse
Zodiac sign ruled by moon – Taurus /Libra; Rishabha, Tulaa
(Please note Hindu zodiac signs are different from western)
Gem stone – diamond
Grain – white country bean seeds
Samittu / wood stick – udumbaa/ aththi / ficus udumberata
Naivedya / prasad – rice mixed with ghee
Cloth or blouse piece required – white
Devata in charge of sun – God Indra
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7.Saturn / sani/ Sanai Charan
Diagram –bow and arrow
Vahana – crow
Zodiac sign ruled by moon – makara / kumbham
Capricorn / Aquarius
(Please note Hindu zodiac signs are different from western)
Gem stone – Saphire / neelam
Grain – sesame seeds
Samittu / wood stick – vanni (Shami tree), Prosopis Cineraria,
Naivedya / prasad – rice mixed with sesame powder
Cloth or blouse piece required – blue
Devata in charge of sun – God Yama
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8. Rahu / shadows/ Chaayaa graha
Diagram –winnowing pan
Vahana – goat
Zodiac sign ruled by moon – Meenam / Pisces
(Please note Hindu zodiac signs are different from western)
Gem stone – Gomedaka/hessonite garnet
Grain – black gram whole/ urad dhal
Samittu / wood stick – Arukam pul/ dhurva grass
Naivedya / prasad – rice mixed with urad dhal
Cloth or blouse piece required –gray/ smoky
Devata in charge of sun – God Mrtyu
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Ketu / shadows/ Chaayaa graha
Diagram –flag
Vahana – chitra kapotha/ pigeon
Zodiac sign ruled by moon – mesham / aries
(Please note Hindu zodiac signs are different from western)
Gem stone – vaidurya / cat’s eye gem
Grain – horse gram
Samittu / wood stick – dharba grass
Naivedya / prasad – chitrannam/ colour rices
Cloth or blouse piece required –multi colour
Devata in charge of sun – God Chitra gupta
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Above Charts with tabular columns are used from this very informative book by Padma Raghavan and Savita Narayanan; It is worth buying.
Sun
The worship of the sun in India is as old as the Vedas. Magas were sun worshippers in ancient India and ancient Iran/Persia. Planet names and star names are very common in Hindu families. All south Indian and north Indian kings had sun’s name in their titles. Eg. Aditya, Surya, Vikramaditya, Bhaskara etc.
Inscriptions also mentioned all the planets and stars. When Adi Sankara divided the Hindu worshippers in six main groups, he made one group for sun worshippers. He called it Sauram. Words like solar, lunar are derived from Sanskrit.
In Tamil Nadu, there are special shrines or temples for the worship of nine heavenly bodies. Suriyanar koil in Thanjavur area is dedicated to sun.
The image of the sun god , according to the agamas, is always to be placed in the centre of Navagraha shrine, looking eastward. He must be decorated with red flowers and red garments; his chariot/car must have one wheel, drawn by seven horses. His driver is Aruna who is shown without legs.
Scriptures describe him as the son of Kasyapa, lord of Kalinga country and he wears armour/Kkavacha and his garments are in northern style.
According to the Matsya purana he is represented seated or standing on a lotus flower, holding lotus flowers in his hands. He wears makara kundela/ crocodile or shark earrings
He assumes the forms of Brahma in the morning, Maheswara/ SIva in the midday and Vishnu in the evening. Though he holds conch and the discuss like Vishnu sculptures show his different aspects. For example, Surya sculpture in Chidambaram temple his driver Aruna has legs.
His famous temples are in Konark , Marthanda and Madhera.
While the famous Konark Sun Temple is in the East, several magnificent sun temples are located in Northern India and neighbouring regions. These range from 8th-century ruins to active modern replicas.
Twelve, sometimes thirty two, different forms of the sun god are described in the scriptures. His sons are Yama, Revanta and the two manus. His four wives are rajni, svarna, chaya, and Suvarchasa . His two attendants are Danda Pingala and Ati Pingala.
Varahamihira has described the appearance of sun. the Avyanga which is which is stated to encircle the sun around his waist is identified with the Aivyonghen of the avesta language and is taken to signify the kusti worn by the parsees of the present day.
It may be noted that a mystic diagram called the surya yantra is intimately connected with his worship as in the case of the sakti goddesses. It is stated to be a circle bounded one after another , by a triangle, circle , a square and two circles of eight and sixteen radii respectively
| Temple Name | Location | Period | Key Feature |
| Martand | Anantnag, J&K | 8th Century | Unique Greco-Roman & Kashmiri fusion |
| Katarmal | Almora, Uttarakhand | 9th Century | High-altitude cluster of 45 shrines |
| Modhera | Mehsana, Gujarat | 11th Century | Equinox alignment and Surya Kund |
| Multan (Ruins) | Punjab, Pakistan | Ancient | Once a major focal point for sun worship |
| Gwalior | Morar, Madhya Pradesh | 1988 | Modern replica of Konark |
TO BE CONTINUED
Tags- Hinduism through 500 Pictures in Tamil and English 45; படங்கள் மூலம் இந்து மதம் கற்போம்-45, Navagrahas, Surya, Nine Planets, Sun
Tamil and Vedas 
