Deities & Rituals For 7 Days Of The Week

Hindus follow a lot of rituals right through the week. It is believed that for the 7 days in a week, each of the days are dedicated to one or two Gods.

According to the scriptures, the 7 days in a week are also associated with the ritual fasting that is observed.

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Apart from these special occasions, many of the Hindu devotees also fast on a particular day of the week, which is dedicated to a particular God in the Hindu custom.

This dedication to those certain Gods and Goddesses is done in order to appease them. It is also known that in ancient times, sages used observances like ritual fasts to spread the awareness of these different Gods.

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According to the sages, fasting and other rituals paved the path of the divine for the devotees to realise God, which is considered the sole purpose of human existence.

So, today, let us discuss some of the Deities & Rituals that are followed on the 7 days of the week right through the year. Read on to know more about this beautiful and vast religion:

Monday (Somvar), Dedicated To Lord Shiva:

Monday is dedicated to Lord Shiva along with his consort, Goddess Parvati. It is on this day of the week the Hindus believe that if they fast, they will be granted with wisdom and that the Lord will satisfy all their required desires.

Tuesday (Mangalvar), Dedicated To Lord Hanuman:

Tuesdays are dedicated to Lord Hanuman. The Mangalvar fast, which is usually followed by some, continues as a fast that is observed for 21 Tuesdays. The fast involves consuming foods only made of wheat and jaggery. It is also said that couples who desire for a 'son' tend to keep this fast.

Wednesday (Budhvar), Dedicated To Lord Krishna:

On Wednesdays, devotees listen to Krishna Bhajans. On this day, those who follow a fast are usually people who start new businesses, students who pray for success in education and couples who pray to have a peaceful life.

Thursday (Guruvar), Dedicated To Lord Vishnu:

Devotees of Lord Vishnu adorn yellow-coloured clothes and offer yellow flowers to propitiate the God. For those who fast on this day, they consume food only once, which consists of chana daal & ghee. If you fast on this day, the devotees will be blessed with wealth, success and fame.

Friday (Shukravar), Dedicated To Goddess Shakti:

Friday is dedicated to Goddess Shakti who is the Mother Goddess, and Santoshi Mata who is an incarnation of Shakti. On this day, the fasting begins at sunrise and ends with sunset. The devotees of this God wear white clothes and participate in an evening meal. The meal will contain only white-coloured foods.

Saturday (Shanivar), Dedicated To God Shani:

He is known as the fearful God. He is represented as a deity carrying a bow with arrows and riding on a crow or a vulture. On this day, devotees who visit the temple offer black-coloured items like sesame oil, black clothes and black grams to the God. This God is said to ward off all the ill effects, illness and troubles in life.

Sunday (Ravivar), Dedicated To Lord Surya:

Sunday is dedicated to Lord Surya, who is also known as Suryanarayana or the Sun God. On this day, devotees of the Sun God will take part in a ritual bath and cleanse their body and their house. They will offer red flowers to the Lord and will apply red sandalwood paste as 'tilak' on their forehead. Fasting on this day for the Lord is said to cure all kinds of skin diseases.