Nine Planets, One Island Sanctuary
Navagraha Temple in Port Blair enshrines the nine celestial deities (Navagraha) of Hindu astrology — the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and the lunar nodes Rahu and Ketu — serving as the principal Hindu temple for the islands' settler communities, many descended from mainland Indian families relocated here over the past century and a half. The temple provides a vital anchor of familiar devotional practice in this geographically remote Bay of Bengal archipelago.
For pilgrims and residents alike, the temple's Navagraha worship — traditionally undertaken to balance astrological influences and seek protection from planetary afflictions — connects the islands' diverse Hindu community, drawn from across India's mainland states, through a shared ritual practice that transcends the regional differences of their origins, making it a genuine unifying sacred space for Port Blair's pluralistic population.
