Shani Jayanti Date, Time, Significance, Puja Vidhi & Story

Lord Shani was born from Lord Sun and Shadow. He is the god of justice or action. His righteous nature rewards those who follow the path of morality while punishing those who follow the path of treachery and evil. He is said to be the greatest teacher of all time, who once led people astray from nobility and righteousness back to the right path.

The festival of Shani Jayanti is celebrated in honor of Lord Shani, as it is considered his birth anniversary. The day is sometimes called Sri Shanishchar Birth Day to mark the celebration of his birthday. According to the Hindu calendar, this day falls on Amavasya Tithi in the month of Jyeshtha, which falls in the month of May or June.

Shani Jayanti Date and Time

Shani Dev Jayanti on Saturday, 16 May 2026

Shani Jayanti Date Start – 16 May 2026 at 05:11 am
Shani Jayanti Date Ends – 17 May 2026 at 01:30 am

Shani Jayanti Significance

Shani Jayanti has great importance among Hindus. Shanidev was born from Lord Surya and Mother Swarna (Shadow). According to Hindu scriptures, Shanidev was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. Shani Dev is considered the lord of deeds like service and business. It is considered inauspicious wherever Shanidev looks directly and devotees should not look into the eyes of Shanidev. 

According to Hindu mythology, once Ravana kidnapped Lord Shanidev and kept him in his prison. Hanuman ji rescued him from Ravana. Since then Shanidev expressed his gratitude towards Lord Hanuman and promised him that the devotees who worship him will never let them face any difficulty during Shani Sadesati, Shani Mahadasha and dhaiya.

Shani Jayanti Puja Vidhi and Rituals

• Different rituals are performed in different sects of India on Shani Jayanti.
• On the day of Shani Jayanti, devotees perform a special puja ceremony, Yagya or Ghar which is usually organized on Shani Jayanti or Navagraha Puja.
• Before starting the ritual, the devotee should clean the place of worship and also the idol of the deity. Cleansing is done with water, oil, Panchamrit and Ganga water.
• Devotees recite Shani Path or Shani Stotra to please the deity and achieve success in life.
• To live an obstacle-free life, devotees should also donate mustard oil, sesame seeds and black colored clothes on the day of Shani Jayanti.
• People also observe a strict fast and feed forks of food especially to black dogs or crows.

Shani Jayanti Story

Surya Dev was married to the daughter of King Daksh. The three saints of Sun God were Manu, Yamraj and Yamuna. According to the legend, a version of the bar tells about the troubles Surya faced from his father Daksha. But King Daksh did not pay attention to his daughter and said that you are the better half of the Sun God. When the father said this, the father showed his shadow with the power of his penance. The shadow of the shadow was named Samvarna. Shani Dev was born from the womb of Chhaya, wife of Surya Dev. The character of Shani Devta was a very dark God.

But when the Sun God came to know that Samvarna was not his better half, the Sun God insulted Shanidev with his son. Due to this, Shani Dev got angry and his eyes fell on Sun God, due to which Sun God turned black and darkness started spreading in the world. Troubled, the Sun God went to seek refuge in Lord Shiva. Then Lord Shiva asked him for forgiveness from Chhaya (Swarna). On such prayer of Lord Shankar, Lord Surya sought forgiveness from the shadow and was freed from the crow of Saturn.

Wrapping Up

There is a belief in Hindu religion that every person goes through a difficult period which is known as the period of Sade Sati in astrology. This period lasts for seven and a half years and occurs at least once in a person’s lifetime. These difficult times bring extremely challenging situations in a person’s life, bringing hurdles and obstacles at every step. However, according to the scriptures, if you live a virtuous life, do good deeds, then Shanidev showers his blessings on you. This festival marks the time when observing fasts and penance can help in reducing the ill effects of Sade Sati. If you want to know more information about Shani Jayanti then you can take online astrology consultation.