Shani Graha is one of the most powerful and dreaded planets

Vedic astrology has a long and interesting past. It basically relates to the positions of the nine planets during the birth of an individual and its entire life-course. It is not an unknown fact that one of the most powerful and dreaded planets out of the nine is Saturn or Shani. rnWhat Is The Shani Grah?rnAccording to Hindu mythology, Shani is the son of Surya Dev or the Sun God and Chaaya. As the name suggests, it is the slowest planet as it takes a time span of 2.5 years in each Raashi and completes a cycle in roundabout 30 years.rnThe Shani Grah is associated with the karma or destiny of people. It is said that Shani Devta keeps an eye on our deeds and depending on how we fare, he punishes or rewards us. As a matter of fact, Shani is the most feared planets as it has the power to turn a king into a beggar, just like it happened with the legendary King Vikramaditya.rnWhat About Its Presence And Effects?rnIt is said that Shani Grah is most powerful when it is in the seventh house. The planet Saturn rules over Capricorn and Aquarius and is highly beneficial for sunsigns like Taurus and Libra. Shani wreaks havoc when it is either conjoined with other planets like Rahu, Ketu or Mangal.rnA full Saturn cycle or Shani Grah is known to last for 7.5 years called Sade Satti which is further divided into three portions of 2.5 years each. In the first portion, Shani Devta takes control over the financial prosperity of a person. In the second portion, he causes destruction in the health and personal life of the person. Interestingly, in the third portion he is said to return all that he had earlier taken from the person and in double proportions if he has been enlightened during the entire cycle. One of the medical effects of the Shani Grah are diseases like arthritis, rheumatism, asthma or gout. As is obvious, it is tough to bear the brunt of the Saturn God.rnWhat Are The Remedies?rnThere are a number of ways in which a person can plead for mercy and please the Shani Grah. Things like conducting the Shani Puja, Grah Shanti Puja or the Hanuman Puja can reduce the hardships. One could also recite the Hanuman Chalisa or the Shani Mantra 108 times every day. Some people have even benefitted from keeping fasts on Saturdays. Wearing a 14 mukhi Rudraksha or a blue sapphire helps in curbing the effects of the Shani Grah.