Shani is one of the nine Navagraha or primary celestial beings in Hindu astrology, embodied in the planet Saturn. Shani Dev is the Lord of Saturday; the word Shani also denotes the seventh day or Saturday in most Indian languages.

According to Hindu mythology Shani is actually a demi-god and is the son of Surya, the Sun God. It is the general belief that when Shani Dev enters one’s horoscope, bad luck will fall upon that person and will be surrounded with problems. To avoid this and to please Shani-Dev people offer prayers in the shani temples, especially on Saturdays, which are dedicated to Shani Bagwaan. Black is the color associated with Shani Dev, so devotees wear black clothes, donate black pulses and perform a series of rituals to keep the short-tempered God happy.