navagraha worshipped as deities

[N. Ganesan]

M. Kropf wrote:
*it seems to me interesting to see whether or not shrines for the
*grahas or at least graha-murtis placed in temples to be worshipped by
*devotees and daily cared for by priests are a rather southern phenomenon.

I think this is true. C. Sivaramamurti explains this in his magnum opus,
Art of India. Chola daughters married away to Vengi Prince of Andhra;
their descendant Chodaganga Deva building Konarak.

Seventh century CE saiva saint, Thirugnana Sambandhar
sings a beautiful decad to Siva seeking help for protection
when planets are doing harm. All the sanskrit namavalis
may postdate this important bhakti hymn.

Muthusvaami Dikshitar's navagraha kshetra krithis are
precise and packed, I have heard. Dikshitar knew very well
all the intricacies of jyothisa and mantra shastras.
Prof. V. Raghavan, Madras university must have written on
navagraha krithis, as he was always fond of Dikshitar.
May be Srini Pichumani or Vidyasankar Sundaresan will know
more on these master musical pieces. I can ask
Mrs. Chitra Dharmarajan, a student of D. K. Pattammal.
Pattammal, a master carnatic musdician, comes in the tradition of
Muthusvaami Dikshitar and his relatives -
Annasvami Dikshitar, Balusvami Dikshitar,
Subbarama Dikshitar, Ambi Shastri,...

There is a medieval Sani Bhagavan Tottiram in tamil.
Reprinted several times by the three Saiva Siddhanta Adheenams
that is popular. ki. vaa. ja., student of UVS, has written a
book called navakkirakaGkaL (Alliance Publishers, Royapettah)

In June 1997, there is an Indology  thread on navagraha worship.
On 26/jun/97, I gave some biblio info.

Regards,
N. Ganesan