Established in 1892, the Navagraha Temple located in Vadodara’s Pratap Nagar area is the only temple in the city dedicated to all nine planetary deities. This unique temple allows devotees to worship Shani, Rahu, Ketu, Guru, Shukra, Budh, Mangal, Som, and Surya simultaneously, all seated together on a single pedestal. The temple, which has been standing for 131 years, is a rare historical site.
In addition to the Navagrahas, the temple also features deities such as Amar Kanteshwar Mahadev, Lord Dattatreya, Goddess Mahakali, and Hanumanji. The temple plays a significant role in performing various rituals and ceremonies aimed at mitigating astrological issues and offering solutions to devotees.
Devotees frequently visit the temple on Saturdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to seek remedies for their planetary concerns. On Saturdays, particularly, they make offerings such as black cloth, coconuts, oil, and iron items to Shani Dev. Many also participate in lighting lamps on 5, 11, or 21 Saturdays as part of their devotional practices.
An Structure for the Tour
Nearby the Temple stands a small structure created by Shri G. V. Vakil. It features a marble plaque with the title ‘શ્રીમંત સરકાર સયાજીરાવ મહારાજા સાહેબની યુરોપખંડમાં ત્રીજી સવારી,’ dated ‘સન ૧૮૯૨-૯૩,’ and also displays the monogram of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III with his face engraved. Below it, there is a description written as:
વડોદરા રાજ્યના પાછલા રાજ્યકર્તાઓમાં તેમજ બ્રિટિશ ઇન્ડિયાના સ્વસ્થાનિકોમાં પ્રથમના મહારાજા આ જ છે કે જે સ્વરાજના તથા હિન્દુસ્તાનના હિત માટે ત્રણ વખત યુરોપખંડમાં ગયાને તે ખંડના દેશોની રચના , વિદ્યા, વેપાર, કળા, રાજ્ય કારભાર, દોલત, હિંમત સારી રીતે તપાસી આવ્યા. વળી કેસરી હિન્દ મહારાણી વિકટોરીઆનો ત્યાં ઇંગ્લેંડ દેશનું બહુમાન પોતાની રાજપત્ની સાથે મેળવી આવ્યા.
ગો.વી.દે.વકીલ
Translation
Nearby the Temple stands a small structure created by Shri G. V. Vakil. It features a marble plaque with the title ‘Shrimant Sarkar Sayajirao Maharaja Saheb’s Third European Tour,’ dated ‘1892-93,’ and also displays the monogram of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III with his face engraved. Below it, there is a description written as:
“Among the former rulers of the Baroda State and the eminent figures of British India, Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III is the only one who undertook three tours of Europe for the benefit of Swaraj and Hindustan. He thoroughly examined the formation, education, trade, arts, administration, and wealth of the countries in that continent. Additionally, he brought back great honor from England, including a personal audience with Queen Victoria and the honor of his wife.”
G. V. Vakil
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