Shani Trayodashi 2026-2027: Dates, Meaning, Pradosh Puja Vidhi and Mantras

In short: Shani Trayodashi is the Saturday on which Trayodashi, the 13th lunar day, falls. When Trayodashi also covers the evening twilight, the day is Shani Pradosh, and devotees traditionally worship Shiva at Pradosh time and offer sesame oil to Shani Deva. In India the next one is Saturday 7 November 2026, and the next full Shani Pradosh is Saturday 20 March 2027. All dates to December 2027 are below.

What is Shani Trayodashi?

Each lunar month has two fortnights, Shukla paksha (waxing moon) and Krishna paksha (waning moon), and each has a Trayodashi, the 13th tithi. Trayodashi evening is Pradosh, a time dedicated to Lord Shiva. Saturday, Shanivara, is the day of Shani Deva, the Navagraha associated with the planet Saturn.

When the two meet, the day is called Shani Trayodashi. Two ways of counting are common. Many regional panchangams, including Telugu ones, name the day by the tithi at sunrise, so a Saturday that begins in Trayodashi is Shani Trayodashi. The Pradosh vrat follows the evening: when Trayodashi prevails during Pradosh kaal on a Saturday, it is Shani Pradosh. Most of the dates below are both; where they differ, we say so.

Shani Trayodashi and Shani Pradosh dates, late 2026 to 2027 (India, IST)

Tithi times are in Indian Standard Time and apply across India. We calculated them with HinduTone's panchang calculator and checked every date against Drik Panchang's New Delhi Pradosh listings. Saturday 24 October 2026 was also a Shani Trayodashi; the next ones are:

Pradosh kaal starts at your local sunset, so its exact clock time changes with your city and the season. Sunrise also varies within India, so on a day like 7 November 2026, when Trayodashi ends in the morning, follow your local panchangam or temple calendar.

Outside India: the date can be different. Drik Panchang's New York listing, for example, shows Shani Pradosh on Saturday 21 November 2026, Saturday 5 December 2026 and Saturday 3 April 2027; in India those Pradosh days fall on Sundays. Use a panchang set to your own city.

Why Shani Trayodashi is considered special

Pradosh is traditionally the time when Shiva is worshipped with special devotion, and Saturday is Shani's own day. On Shani Trayodashi the two come together, so devotees pray to Shiva in the evening and offer worship to Shani Deva on the same day. It is traditionally believed that sincere prayer, discipline and charity on this day ease the difficult periods associated with Shani, such as Sade Sati. These are matters of faith; no particular result is promised.

Shani is often misunderstood as a deity to be feared. In tradition he is the impartial judge of karma who rewards patience, honesty and hard work, and the Navagraha verse below remembers him as the son of Surya and Chhaya and the elder brother of Yama.

Shani Trayodashi puja vidhi (traditional, varies by region)

There is no single fixed procedure. Families and temples follow their own customs, so treat the steps below as a general outline and follow your family elders or temple priest where they differ.

1. Morning: bathe early, clean the puja place and, if you are keeping a vrat, make a simple sankalpa (a resolve) for the day in your own words.
2. Evening Pradosh puja of Shiva: Pradosh kaal is the evening twilight that begins at sunset and lasts for roughly the next two to three hours. At home or in a Shiva temple, devotees offer abhishekam to the Shivalinga with water, milk or panchamrit, offer bilva leaves and flowers, light a lamp, chant Om Namah Shivaya and complete with aarti and pradakshina.
3. Sesame oil abhishekam to Shani: at a Shani shrine or the Navagraha mandapam of a temple, devotees traditionally offer sesame oil (tailabhishekam). Many temples have their own rules: some let devotees pour the oil, others ask you to hand it to the priest, and some do not allow the murti to be touched. Follow the temple's practice.
4. Lamp and offerings: light a sesame oil lamp, and offer black sesame seeds, blue or dark flowers and a simple naivedyam. Many devotees walk around the Navagraha shrine and pray quietly.

Shani and Shiva mantras for the day

The verse and mantras below are taken from texts on sanskritdocuments.org and shown in Telugu, Devanagari and Roman script. The first is the Shani verse (verse 7) of the Navagraha Stotram attributed to Vyasa:

నీలాఞ్జనసమాభాసం రవిపుత్రం యమాగ్రజమ్ ।
ఛాయామార్తణ్డసంభూతం తం నమామి శనైశ్చరమ్ ॥

नीलाञ्जनसमाभासं रविपुत्रं यमाग्रजम् ।
छायामार्तण्डसंभूतं तं नमामि शनैश्चरम् ॥

nīlāñjanasamābhāsaṃ raviputraṃ yamāgrajam |
chāyāmārtaṇḍasaṃbhūtaṃ taṃ namāmi śanaiścaram ||

Meaning: I bow to Shanaishchara, who shines like blue collyrium, the son of Surya and the elder brother of Yama, born of Chhaya and Martanda (the Sun).

A short name-mantra of Shani, chanted 11 or 108 times by many devotees:

ఓం శనైశ్చరాయ నమః ॥

ॐ शनैश्चराय नमः ॥

oṃ śanaiścarāya namaḥ ||

And the Shiva mantra for the Pradosh puja in the evening:

ఓం నమః శివాయ ॥

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॥

oṃ namaḥ śivāya ||

For a full Shani stotram, read the Dasharatha Shani Stotram with meaning or the Shani Chalisa. We do not repeat them here.

What people traditionally do: charity, sesame, oil and black cloth

Charity (daana) is central to Shani worship. These customs are traditionally believed to please Shani Deva; they are acts of faith and kindness, not a guarantee of any result.

• Donating sesame seeds (til) and sesame oil.
• Giving black or dark cloth, blankets or warm clothes to people in need, especially in winter.
• Feeding the hungry, and serving elders, workers and people with disabilities, whom Shani is traditionally said to watch over.
• In some regions, looking at one's reflection in a bowl of oil and then donating that oil (chhaya daan).
• Worshipping Hanuman on Saturday, which many families also follow.

Give to people who genuinely need it, and give quietly. Simple honesty, patience and hard work are also traditionally seen as the best offering to Shani.

Fasting on Shani Trayodashi: health notes

• Choose a fast that suits your health: a full fast until the evening puja, fruit and milk, or one simple meal are all traditional options.
• Drink enough water through the day, unless your tradition or your doctor says otherwise.
• If you have diabetes, blood pressure problems, kidney or heart disease, are pregnant or breastfeeding, are elderly or take regular medicines, ask your doctor before fasting. Do not skip prescribed medicines for a vrat.
• Children do not need to fast; they can join the puja and the charity instead.
• Break the fast gently after the evening puja with light, home-cooked food.

Frequently asked questions

What is Shani Trayodashi?

Shani Trayodashi is the day when Trayodashi, the 13th lunar day (tithi) of either fortnight, falls on a Saturday (Shanivara). When Trayodashi also prevails at Pradosh time, the evening twilight after sunset, the day is called Shani Pradosh. Devotees traditionally worship Lord Shiva in the evening and offer prayers to Shani Deva.

When is the next Shani Trayodashi?

In India (IST), the next Saturday with Trayodashi is 7 November 2026, when Krishna Trayodashi runs until 10:47 AM; the evening Pradosh puja for that Trayodashi falls on Friday 6 November. The next full Shani Pradosh in India is Saturday 20 March 2027.

What is the difference between Shani Trayodashi and Shani Pradosh?

Shani Trayodashi refers to any Saturday on which Trayodashi tithi prevails, often at sunrise as many regional panchangams count it. Shani Pradosh is the Pradosh vrat that falls on a Saturday, when Trayodashi prevails during the evening Pradosh kaal. Most Saturdays in our list are both.

What is offered to Shani Deva on Shani Trayodashi?

Traditionally devotees offer sesame oil (tailabhishekam, where the temple allows it), light a sesame oil lamp, and offer black sesame seeds, blue or dark flowers and prayers. Customs differ from temple to temple, so follow the temple's own practice.

What charity is traditionally done on Shani Trayodashi?

Many families donate sesame seeds, sesame oil, black or dark cloth, blankets and food to people in need, and serve elders, workers and the poor. These acts are traditionally believed to please Shani Deva; no result is guaranteed.

Is fasting compulsory on Shani Trayodashi?

No. Fasting is a personal vow. Some keep a full fast until the evening puja, some eat fruit and milk, and some take one simple meal. People with diabetes, blood pressure problems or other conditions, pregnant women, the elderly and anyone on regular medicines should check with their doctor first.

Is the date the same outside India?

Not always. Tithis begin and end at the same moment worldwide, but the local sunrise and sunset decide the day. For example, Drik Panchang's New York listing shows Shani Pradosh on Saturday 21 November 2026, while in India that Pradosh falls on Sunday 22 November. Check a panchang set to your own city.

Editor's note (25 October 2026)

This guide replaces our January 2026 article on a single Shani Trayodashi date. The dates were calculated with HinduTone's panchang calculator and checked against Drik Panchang; times are IST. The verse and mantras come from sanskritdocuments.org texts. Puja steps and charity customs are described as tradition, which varies by region and family; no benefit is guaranteed.

Updated: 25 October 2026.

Also read

• Dasharatha Shani Stotram with meaning
• Shani Chalisa lyrics with meaning and aarti
• Shani Dev puja vidhi and mantras: a Saturday guide
• Shani Deva, the cosmic judge of karma, and the meaning of Sade Sati
• Shani Dev remedies for Shani dosha and Sade Sati
• Shani Jayanti: date, significance and rituals
• Pradosham: a complete guide to the 13th lunar day Shiva puja
• Pradosha kalam: significance and Shiva aradhana
• November 2026 vrat days: Ekadashi, Pradosh, Sankashti
• Shani Trayodashi for Hindus in the USA