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Mahamrityunjaya Mantra Jaap, Navgrah Shanti Puja & Durga Saptashati Path in Varanasi
Varanasi, the eternal city of Lord Shiva, has been a centre of mantra sadhana and Vedic remedial rituals for centuries. Among the poojas most requested by devotees are the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra Jaap for health and longevity, the Navgrah Shanti Puja for planetary doshas, and the Durga Saptashati Path for protection and obstacle removal. This guide, prepared with input from our resident purohits who perform these rituals through the year, explains what each one involves, when it is recommended, and current pricing for booking verified pandits in Varanasi.
Mahamrityunjaya Mantra Jaap: The Mantra of Health and Longevity
The Mahamrityunjaya mantra, drawn from the Rigveda and repeated in the Yajurveda, is addressed to Lord Shiva as Tryambaka, the three-eyed one. It is chanted for recovery from illness, protection from untimely death (akal mrityu), and long, healthy life. Families commonly book this jaap alongside a Rudrabhishek puja for a more complete Shiva remedy.
The number of chants (jaap sankhya) is chosen based on the sankalp — 11,000 repetitions for general wellbeing, going up to 51,000, 1,25,000 or beyond for serious health concerns, family sankalps, or when performed collectively by a group of pandits over several days.
How the Jaap Is Conducted
For smaller counts, a single pandit typically completes the jaap over one to three sittings, seated before a Shiva lingam with a sankalp taken in the name of the person the puja is for. For larger counts such as 1,25,000 or above, we assign a team of pandits who chant in rotation across consecutive days, which is the traditional way of completing a large sankhya jaap within a reasonable timeframe. Families can choose to be present throughout, attend only the sankalp and the closing havan, or have the entire jaap performed on their behalf with a video shared at completion.
Navgrah Shanti Puja: Balancing the Nine Planets
Vedic astrology attributes many life challenges to the position of the nine grahas — Surya, Chandra, Mangal, Budh, Guru, Shukra, Shani, Rahu and Ketu — in a person’s birth chart. Navgrah Shanti Puja is performed to reduce the malefic influence of an afflicted planet and strengthen the beneficial ones, and is often recommended alongside remedies for specific doshas such as those covered in our Kaal Sarp Dosh puja guide.
Common Signs Families Look For Before Booking Navgrah Shanti
While a proper kundli reading is the reliable way to confirm a planetary dosha, families often approach us after noticing a pattern of setbacks — repeated delays in marriage or career, unexplained health issues, financial instability, or a string of legal or family disputes. These are not proof of a dosha on their own, but they are common enough reasons for people to request a Navgrah Shanti Puja alongside a kundli review from our Vedic astrology consultation.
Durga Saptashati Path: Protection and Removal of Obstacles
Durga Saptashati, meaning ‘seven hundred verses’, is drawn from the Markandeya Purana and describes Goddess Durga’s victory over the demon Mahishasura. Reciting it is believed to remove obstacles (vighna nivaran), build inner strength, and offer protection during difficult periods of life. While most families associate it with Navratri, it can be performed independently at any time of the year.
Pricing for These Vedic Remedial Poojas in Varanasi
| Puja | Price Range (INR) |
| Mahamrityunjaya Mantra Jaap (11,000 to 1,25,000 chants) | ₹11,000 – ₹1,25,000 |
| Navgrah Shanti Puja (with havan) | ₹15,000 – ₹60,000 |
| Durga Saptashati Path | ₹11,000 – ₹25,000 |
The final cost depends on the jaap/path count chosen, number of pandits, and whether a havan and daan are included in the sankalp.
Which Puja Should You Choose?
As a general guide: choose Mahamrityunjaya Jaap for health and longevity concerns, Navgrah Shanti Puja for career, relationship or kundli-related doshas, and Durga Saptashati Path when you are seeking protection or facing repeated obstacles. If you are unsure, our Vedic astrology consultation or a chat with our recommended astrologers in Varanasi can help you decide before booking.
Combining These Poojas for a Fuller Remedy
These three rituals are not mutually exclusive, and many families combine two of them in a single sankalp when the situation calls for it. A common pairing is Mahamrityunjaya Jaap with Navgrah Shanti when a health issue coincides with an ongoing planetary dasha, or Navgrah Shanti followed by Durga Saptashati Path when career setbacks are accompanied by a general sense of obstacles in daily life. Our pandits can advise on sequencing and timing so the combined rituals don’t clash with each other’s muhurat requirements.
Performed Across Varanasi and Nearby Temples
These poojas are performed both near the Kashi Vishwanath temple corridor and at your home or venue across Sigra, Lanka, Bhelupur, Cantonment and Shivpur. We also serve devotees travelling in from Mirzapur, Chandauli, Jaunpur, Bhadohi and Ghazipur — see our pandit booking coverage near Varanasi districts for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How is the number of Mahamrityunjaya jaap decided?
It is based on the sankalp and the concern being addressed — routine wellbeing typically starts at 11,000 chants, while serious or family-wide health concerns may call for 51,000 or higher, sometimes performed by multiple pandits together.
- Is Navgrah Shanti puja the same as Navgraha Havan?
The havan is usually the concluding part of the Navgrah Shanti Puja; the full package we quote includes both the puja and the havan.
- Can Durga Saptashati Path be done without Navratri?
Yes, it can be performed at any time of year, though many devotees prefer Navratri or a personally significant date.
- Do I need to be physically present for these poojas?
No. These can be performed on your behalf at a temple or at our end with your sankalp taken over a call, and a puja video shared afterward, or you may attend in person if you are in Varanasi.
- How long does a full Mahamrityunjaya jaap of 1,25,000 chants take to complete?
With a team of pandits chanting in rotation, a jaap of this scale is typically completed over 7 to 10 days; the exact duration depends on the number of pandits assigned and the daily chanting hours agreed with the family.
- Can Navgrah Shanti Puja be booked for a specific planet only, such as Shani?
Yes, while the full Navgrah Shanti addresses all nine planets, we also perform focused remedies such as Shani Shanti or Rahu-Ketu Shanti when a kundli review points to one planet as the primary concern.
Devotees travelling to Kashi specifically for these remedial poojas often extend their stay for temple darshan — general Varanasi stay and darshan planning resources are available on indiscover.in.