In Telugu tradition each weekday has a special deity: Sunday – Surya; Monday – Shiva; Tuesday – Hanuman, Subrahmanya Swamy and Durga; Wednesday – Vishnu and Ganapati; Thursday – the Guru forms such as Dattatreya and Dakshinamurthy; Friday – Lakshmi Devi; Saturday – Sri Venkateswara, Shani Deva and Hanuman. The scheme comes largely from the planet that rules each day. It is a guide, not a rule – your ishta devata can be worshipped any day.
Why are deities linked to weekdays?
The weekday names come from the navagrahas: Aadivaram (Ravi/Sun), Somavaram (Chandra/Moon), Mangalavaram (Kuja/Mars), Budhavaram (Budha/Mercury), Guruvaram (Brihaspati/Jupiter), Shukravaram (Shukra/Venus) and Shanivaram (Shani/Saturn). Over time, families began worshipping the deity connected with each planet or with the mood of the day. There are regional differences – for example, Venkateswara worship on Saturday is especially strong in Telugu homes.
Weekday deities at a glance
| Day | Planet | Main deity | Traditional colour | Naivedyam (examples) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Ravi (Sun) | Surya Bhagavan | Red, saffron | Jaggery pongali, wheat items |
| Monday | Chandra (Moon) | Shiva | White | Milk, curd rice, fruit |
| Tuesday | Kuja (Mars) | Hanuman, Subrahmanya, Durga | Red | Jaggery, chickpeas, vadalu |
| Wednesday | Budha (Mercury) | Vishnu, Ganapati | Green | Moong dal items, undrallu |
| Thursday | Guru (Jupiter) | Dattatreya, Dakshinamurthy, Gurus | Yellow | Chana dal items, yellow sweets |
| Friday | Shukra (Venus) | Lakshmi, Ammavaru | White, pink | Payasam, pongali |
| Saturday | Shani (Saturn) | Venkateswara, Shani, Hanuman | Black, dark blue | Pulihora, daddojanam, sesame items |
Colours and naivedyam are popular customs, not compulsory rules.
Sunday and Monday
Sunday – Surya Bhagavan
Offering arghyam (water from a copper vessel) to the rising sun is the classic Sunday practice, along with reciting Aditya Hrudayam or the Surya Ashtottaram. Days like Ratha Saptami make Surya worship even more special.
Monday – Shiva
Monday is dearest to Shiva. Families do abhishekam with water or milk, offer bilva leaves, chant the Panchakshari (Om Namah Shivaya) and recite Lingashtakam or Bilvashtakam. Mondays in Karthika masam are especially sacred, and many observe a fast.
Tuesday and Wednesday
Tuesday – Hanuman, Subrahmanya, Durga
Hanuman Chalisa, Sundarakanda parayanam and offering sindhuram or a betel-leaf garland to Hanuman are common. In Telugu regions Tuesday is also special for Subrahmanya Swamy, with the Subrahmanya Ashtakam. Some families worship Durga or Mangala Gauri – the Mangala Gauri vratam on Shravana Tuesdays is well known.
Wednesday – Vishnu, Ganapati
Vishnu Sahasranama parayanam and Ganapati puja are common on Wednesday. Students often pray to Ganapati for focus in studies, and some worship Ayyappa Swamy too. Green flowers and garika (durva grass) are dear to Ganapati.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday
Thursday – the Guru forms
Thursday honours the Guru: Dattatreya, Dakshinamurthy, Sri Raghavendra Swamy and Sai Baba are widely worshipped, with the Guru Stotram or Dakshinamurthy Stotram. Some homes also do Vishnu puja. Yellow clothes and yellow flowers are considered auspicious.
Friday – Lakshmi Devi
Cleaning the house, applying turmeric to the threshold, drawing a muggu and worshipping Lakshmi is a cherished Friday custom. Lakshmi Ashtottaram, Kanakadhara Stotram and Sri Suktam are recited. Varalakshmi Vratam falls on a Shravana Friday, and offering turmeric and kumkum to married women is a Friday tradition.
Saturday – Venkateswara, Shani, Hanuman
Saturday worship of Sri Venkateswara Swamy holds great importance in Telugu homes – Govinda namalu, Suprabhatam and Ashtottaram, with pulihora or daddojanam as naivedyam. Saturdays in the Peratasi season are considered even more special. For Shani shanti, families light a sesame-oil lamp and recite a Shani stotram or Hanuman Chalisa.
How to follow weekday worship simply
- Do your usual daily puja every day.
- Offer one extra flower and lamp to the deity of the day.
- Recite one stotram or ashtottaram of that deity – 5 to 10 minutes is enough.
- If you like, wear the traditional colour or offer flowers of that colour.
- Once a week, prepare a special naivedyam and share it as prasadam.
Some people fast on a particular weekday, such as Monday or Saturday. Pregnant women, elders and anyone with health conditions such as diabetes should check with a doctor before fasting.
Key points
- Weekday deities come mainly from the planet ruling each day.
- Sun–Surya, Mon–Shiva, Tue–Hanuman/Subrahmanya/Durga, Wed–Vishnu/Ganapati, Thu–Guru, Fri–Lakshmi, Sat–Venkateswara/Shani/Hanuman.
- Colours and naivedyam are customs, not obligations.
- Your ishta devata can be worshipped on any day; devotion matters most.
- Consider your health before fasting.