🖤 Saturday Vrat (Shani Dev) Puja Vidhi — step by step
The household vidhi of the Saturday vrat — begin on a Saturday of a Shukla Paksha (or a Shanishchari Amavasya/Shravana), 7/11/19 Saturdays; puja at home in the morning, the peepal or Shani temple in the evening.
How to do Saturday Vrat (Shani Dev) — the steps
- Morning: bathe (black sesame in the water), wear black, blue or dark clothes; a black cloth at the puja place, a picture of Shani Dev or an iron/black-stone image (or the Shani yantra); a picture of Hanuman alongside.
- Sankalp: 'I (name) will keep the vrat of Shani Dev for 7/11/19 Saturdays for (relief in Sade Sati / freedom from illness and debt / success in work); one meal, and donation of oil and sesame' — release the water.
- Worship: a mustard-oil lamp (in an iron or clay lamp), black sesame, urad, a black cloth, blue or dark flowers (blue aparajita; any dark flower if not available), an iron nail or ring, black gram; an oil tilak on the picture (oil abhishek if an image); 'Om Sham Shanaishcharaya Namah' 108 times or 'Om Pram Prim Praum Sah Shanaishcharaya Namah'; the Shani stotra (by Dasharatha) or the Shani Chalisa.
- Hanuman: the Hanuman Chalisa (1/7/11 times), Sundarkand if possible, 'Om Ham Hanumate Namah'; sindoor and jasmine oil, jaggery-gram and boondi laddoo for Hanuman.
- Through the day: one meal — black-urad khichdi or dal, black-sesame-jaggery laddoos, something cooked in mustard oil (some homes), or fruit; silence and restraint, no harshness to any servant, labourer or poor person, a resolve to give.
- Evening (sunset — pradosh): a mustard-oil lamp (with black sesame) under the peepal, water offered (milk-water in some customs), 7 circumambulations, a prayer for Shani's peace; at the Shani temple oil (from an iron vessel), black sesame, urad, black cloth, iron, a blanket, umbrella or shoes (to the needy); bow before the image standing to one side (the custom of not meeting Shani's gaze directly — look at the feet).
- Donation (the life of the vrat): mustard oil, black sesame, urad, a black blanket or cloth, iron, footwear, an umbrella, bread to a black cow, dogs and crows, food or money to labourers, sweepers and servants — on Saturday; for Saturn's peace 'labour and service' is the truest gift.
- Udyapan (7th/11th/19th Saturday): Shani-Hanuman puja, donation of oil, sesame, urad, blanket and iron, a meal for the poor or labourers, recitation of the Shani stotra or Chalisa, a lamp and cloth at the peepal; dakshina to a Brahmin or the needy; a sesame havan (with a pandit) after checking Saturn in the chart, optionally.
Puja samagri checklist
Mustard oil, black sesame, urad, iron, black cloth — Shani's simple list; the donation items are the real worship.
- Picture of Shani Dev / iron or black-stone image / Shani yantra, Hanuman picture, black-blue cloth, chauki
- Mustard oil (puja, lamp, abhishek, donation), an iron or clay lamp, black sesame, whole urad, black gram, an iron nail or ring
- Black or blue cloth, blue-dark flowers (aparajita), guggul incense, camphor, akshat mixed with black sesame, roli (sindoor for Hanuman)
- Offering: urad-dal khichdi, black-sesame-jaggery laddoos, sesame revdi, imarti (Hanuman), jaggery-gram, banana
- Recitations: Shani stotra (by Dasharatha), Shani Chalisa, Hanuman Chalisa, Sundarkand; a Shani mantra mala (black hakik or iron — on a pandit's advice)
- Donation: mustard oil (in an iron or clay vessel), black sesame, urad, a black blanket, black cloth, an iron object, footwear, an umbrella, coal (some customs), bread for dogs, crows and a black cow
- Peepal puja: mustard-oil lamp, black sesame, water (with milk in some customs), raw thread; an iron vessel for the Shani temple
- Udyapan: Shani-Hanuman puja items, dakshina for a Brahmin or the needy, a meal for labourers, sesame havan items (optional)
Urad khichdi, sesame-jaggery, mustard oil; one plain meal
Shani loves black urad, black sesame, jaggery and mustard oil — in the offering and in the donation alike. The vrat meal is once a day: urad khichdi or dal, sesame-jaggery laddoos, a vegetable cooked in mustard oil (some homes), or fruit; no garlic, onion, meat or alcohol; in some customs the meal comes after the peepal lamp in the evening.
- Offering: urad-dal khichdi (black urad, rice, little turmeric, ghee), black-sesame-jaggery laddoos, sesame revdi and gajak, jaggery; imarti or boondi laddoo and jaggery-gram for Hanuman
- Vrat plate: urad khichdi or urad dal with roti, potato or brinjal cooked in mustard oil (some homes), sesame-jaggery, curd (allowed — the Shani vrat has no rule against sour food)
- Fruit meal: banana, apple, milk, sesame laddoo, peanuts and jaggery; black raisins in some homes
- Donation meal: a full meal (dal, roti, vegetable, khichdi) to labourers, sweepers and the needy; oil-smeared bread for dogs, crows and a black cow
- Avoided: meat, alcohol, garlic, onion; buying oil, iron, black cloth or salt on Saturday (folk belief — donate, don't buy; opinions differ), travel southwards in some customs
Rules — do's and don'ts
✅ Do
- 7/11/19 Saturdays — begin in a Shukla Paksha, in Shravana or on a Shani Amavasya; Shani mantra 108 times, Shani stotra, Hanuman Chalisa
- In the evening a mustard-oil lamp + water + 7 circumambulations at the peepal; oil, sesame and urad at the Shani temple (from an iron vessel)
- Donation is Shani's worship: oil, sesame, urad, blanket, iron, footwear, umbrella; food and money to labourers, servants and the poor; bread for dogs and crows
- The rule of labour, truth, service and humility; respect for elders and servants — Shani is the god of justice
- Check Sade Sati or Dhaiya from the chart (sign and phase) — reform of conduct along with the vrat; the ill and pregnant give and recite instead of fasting
❌ Don't
- Standing face to face with the Shani image and meeting its gaze (folk tradition — stand aside, look at the feet); keeping his image inside the house (temple only — opinions differ)
- Buying oil, iron, black cloth, salt, blankets or footwear on Saturday (folk belief — donate instead); cutting hair or nails (some customs)
- Insulting servants, labourers, the poor, the disabled or elders; lending money on Saturday; meat, alcohol, garlic, onion
- Blue sapphire without a chart check (the most sensitive gem); fear of Shani, occult tricks, money to fraudsters selling 'Shani dosha removal'
- Touching or breaking the peepal at night (folk rule — the lamp goes at sunset), leaving a lit lamp unattended
Vrat katha
The katha of King Vikramaditya and Shani: once in the court of Vikramaditya of Ujjain a debate arose on which of the nine planets is the greatest; the pandits praised all but Shani — and the king too called Shani cruel a… Read the full katha →
Frequently asked questions
When is the next Saturday vrat, and when are the Saturdays and Shanishchari Amavasya in {Y}?
The list above gives the next twelve Saturdays with month and paksha; on the Amavasya page a Saturday Amavasya is marked '(Shanishchari)'. Best to begin on a Saturday of a Shukla Paksha, a Shravana Saturday or a Shanishchari Amavasya.
How to keep the Saturday vrat during Sade Sati?
First check the Moon sign and the phase of Sade Sati from the chart; then 7/11/19 Saturdays — morning Shani-Hanuman puja, Shani mantra/stotra, Hanuman Chalisa, one meal, the peepal lamp at dusk, donation of oil, sesame, urad and blanket, service to the poor; through the Sade Sati keep the peepal lamp and donation every Saturday.
When and how is the peepal lamp lit?
On Saturday around sunset (pradosh — timings above) a mustard-oil lamp with black sesame at the root of the peepal, water offered, 7 circumambulations, a prayer for Shani's peace; folk custom forbids touching the peepal at night, hence at sunset.
Why not stand in front of the Shani image?
Folk tradition — to avoid Shani's gaze (the astrological notion of his harsh aspect) devotees stand aside and look at the feet; at Shingnapur devotees do not turn their back on the platform but do not look straight either; the spirit is reverence, not fear.
What to eat in the vrat?
One meal — urad khichdi or dal, sesame-jaggery, a vegetable in mustard oil (some homes), curd is fine; or fruit; no garlic, onion, meat or alcohol; many homes eat after the evening peepal lamp.
Why is oil or iron not bought on Saturday?
Folk belief — buying Shani's things (oil, iron, black cloth, salt, blanket, footwear) on Saturday invites his displeasure, donating them earns his grace; not a scriptural rule, but kept in most homes — donate and postpone the purchase.
How many Saturdays, how is the udyapan done, should one wear blue sapphire?
7, 11 or 19 (continuously during Sade Sati); udyapan — Shani-Hanuman puja, donation of oil, sesame, urad, blanket and iron, a meal for labourers, stotra recitation, dakshina; blue sapphire only after a chart check and on the advice of a pandit or astrologer — a wrong sapphire is believed to harm.
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