Pilgrimage Tours
Photo: অজয় দাস · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped
The Navagraha Mandir stands on Chitrachal Hill in Guwahati and is dedicated to the nine grahas of Hindu astrology — Surya, Chandra, Mangala, Budha, Brihaspati, Shukra, Shani, Rahu and Ketu. What makes it unlike most Navagraha shrines is the form the deities take: inside a dark, dome-shaped brick sanctum sit nine Shiva lingams arranged in a circle, each draped in a differently coloured cloth, with the lingam for the Sun at the centre and the other eight set around it in the eight directions. The temple as it stands today is credited to the Ahom king Rajeswar Singha, who rebuilt it in 1752 after an earlier structure on the hill was badly damaged in the great earthquake of 1697. It is closely tied to Guwahati's old name, Pragjyotishpura, and to the city's long association with the study of astronomy and astrology; families come here chiefly for graha shanti and Shani-related worship, and for prayers when a horoscope shows a difficult planetary period.
October to March is the comfortable window — Guwahati is hot and humid from April, and the June-to-September monsoon brings heavy rain that makes the hill road and steps slippery. The temple's biggest occasion is the three-day Maha Yagna held around the Magh-Phalgun Sankranti (usually February), when the crowd is much larger than usual; Saturdays and Shani-related days also draw heavier footfall than a weekday morning. Confirm festival dates with the temple before you plan around them.
Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport at Borjhar is the nearest airport, roughly 18-20 km away, about 45 minutes to an hour by taxi depending on city traffic. Guwahati Railway Station is the nearest railhead, only about 3-5 km from the hill, an easy auto or cab ride. By road, a winding lane climbs Chitrachal Hill from the city and vehicles can go most of the way up; the last stretch to the temple door is on foot.
There is a short but real climb — vehicles stop below the temple and a flight of steps leads up to the door, which elders with knee trouble should plan for and take slowly. The sanctum is a closed dome with very little natural light, lit mainly by lamps, so it stays dim and can feel warm and airless when crowded; carry a torch if that helps you. Footwear is removed outside as at any temple.
Planned around you, not a fixed departure. Holiday Vibez arranges pilgrimages to Navagraha Temple in Guwahati for families, elders and temple groups travelling from Chennai, Coimbatore, Kochi and Madurai. Tell us your dates and how many are coming — we build the route around that. 100% customisable.
- Stays near the shrine — so elders aren't driven back and forth at 4am.
- Private transfers — pick-up from your door, not a meeting point.
- Meals that suit the group — including pure-veg and fasting requirements.
- Group travel — 4 people or 40, one coordinator, one itinerary.
- Someone on the phone — when you're in a queue three states from home.
Temple boards run their own darshan queues and quotas. No travel agent can sell you a special one, and agencies that promise "VIP darshan" are either misleading you or breaking the trust's rules. We help you book the official slots and we get everything else right.
Most of the people we send on yatra are over 55, or booking for parents who are. We plan shorter driving days, stays within walking distance where the shrine allows it, and we'll tell you honestly if a site involves a long climb or a trek before you pay — not after.
Is the Navagraha Temple a Shiva temple or a planet temple?
Both, in a sense. The nine grahas are worshipped here not as separate idols but as nine Shiva lingams set in a circle, each assigned to one planet and dressed in its own colour, with the Sun's lingam at the centre. So you are offering worship to the navagrahas in the form of Shiva lingams.
Can I have a special puja done for my horoscope or for Shani dosha?
Navagraha puja and graha shanti rituals are part of the temple's regular practice, and priests at the temple arrange them. Requests, requirements and charges are handled entirely by the temple, so speak to the temple directly — no travel agent can arrange, reserve or hasten darshan or puja here.
How much time should we keep for the visit, and can it be combined with Kamakhya?
The temple itself is compact and most families spend well under an hour there, apart from the climb and any puja. It is within Guwahati city, so it is commonly done on the same day as Kamakhya and the other city shrines, but check current opening hours with the temple before fixing your order of visits.
Plan your Navagraha Temple yatra
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