Chandra Graha Shanti

Significance and when it is done

Chandra Graha Shanti (चंद्र ग्रह शांति; Sanskrit: चन्द्रग्रहशान्तिः) is a graha shanti puja performed for an afflicted Moon. In jyotish, the Moon is associated with the mind, sleep and the emotions, and this puja is undertaken when those areas of life feel unsettled. The presiding deity is Chandra. It belongs to the category of graha shanti and dosha remedies.

Families usually plan it after a jyotishi has read a personal chart and identified the Moon as afflicted. The puja is not a substitute for that reading; it is a devotional response to it. Because the Moon governs the inner life rather than outward events, the tone of the ritual is quiet and settling rather than dramatic. A havan is part of the proceedings.

Who performs it and who should attend

A qualified pandit conducts the puja and the havan. Family members normally sit with the pandit, repeat the mantras where asked, and offer ahuti into the fire. In many households the person for whom the puja is being done is present throughout, with close family beside them.

If the person cannot be present, or lives far away, the puja can be done online. Many pandits perform it by video call while a family member does the physical steps at home. The pandit guides the sequence; the family member handles the thali, the diya and the offerings. This is a common arrangement for diaspora families, and it follows the same outline as an in-person puja.

Vidhi step by step (outline)

Exact wording and order vary by tradition and by the pandit's own parampara. What follows is a general outline of how the two hours are usually spent.

• Sankalp: the family states the purpose of the puja and the name of the person it is for.
• Ganesh and kalash sthapana: Ganesh is invoked, and the kalash is set up with water, mango leaves and coconut.
• Punyaha and abhishek: purification of the space and the participants, followed by abhishek of the deity with milk and Ganga jal.
• Chandra invocation and shodashopachar: the sixteen customary offerings — seat, water, bath, cloth, flowers, incense, diya, naivedya and so on.
• Japa: repetition of the Chandra mantra, counted on the mala, with the family joining where they are able.
• Havan: a small kund is lit; ahuti of ghee, til, jau and havan samagri is offered with mantras. Palash and mango wood are used as samidha.
• Purnahuti: the final offering that closes the havan.
• Aarti and pranam: closing worship, then prasad distribution.

Typical duration is about 2 h, depending on the tradition and how much is included. Some families add a short Chandra stotra recitation, which extends the time.

Preparing the samagri and the space

Samagri is usually arranged a day or two in advance. A pandit will often supply a full kit; if you are gathering it yourself, the standard list is:

• Roli (kumkum), Haldi, Akshat (unbroken rice), Moli (sacred thread)
• Supari, Paan leaves, Coconut
• Ghee, Diya and cotton wicks, Camphor, Incense sticks
• Flowers and garland, Fruits, Sweets for naivedya, Ganga jal
• Kalash, Havan kund, Mango wood (samidha), Havan samagri, Palash samidha
• Ghee for ahuti, Til (sesame), Jau (barley), Rice
• White cloth, Milk, Silver

White is the colour associated with Chandra, so white cloth, white flowers and milk feature in most versions. Silver is included as an offering item. For the space: a clean, quiet room or courtyard, a low table or chowki for the kalash and deity, a clear area for the havan kund with ventilation, and a mat for seating. Keep a small bowl of water and a cloth for cleaning hands, and set aside the prasad plates before the puja begins so nothing is rushed at the end.

Regional variations

Traditions differ, and it is normal to see more than one valid form. North Indian households commonly follow the purnimanta calendar; many in South India and Maharashtra follow amanta. Smarta and Vaishnava families may order the sankalp, the invocation and the closing differently, and the mantra used for japa can vary between regions. South Indian versions often give more time to abhishek and to stotra recitation; some North Indian versions move more quickly into the havan. None of these is a correction of the others. Follow the pandit you have engaged, and follow the family's own kula practice where one exists.

After the puja: prasad, daan, dos and don'ts

After aarti, prasad is shared with everyone present, and a portion is kept aside for those who could not attend. Daan is given according to the family's means and the pandit's guidance — white items, milk, rice and silver are customary for Chandra. Dakshina to the pandit is separate; each pandit sets their own fee, and samagri and travel are usually additional.

• Do keep the day calm and unhurried, and let the person the puja is for rest afterwards.
• Do ask the pandit in advance what you need to arrange and what will be provided.
• Do treat the puja as a devotional act, not a transaction with a fixed outcome.
• Don't expect the puja alone to resolve a chart; for personal guidance, consult a qualified jyotishi.
• Don't buy gemstones or yantras on impulse at the venue; any such decision belongs with proper jyotish advice.

For questions about fees and suitable dates, see the details shown on this page.