Mangala, Mars, is the planet of energy, courage, drive, siblings, land and the will to act. A strong Mars is a good deal of fuel, and the remedies tradition suggests are mostly about giving it a useful channel. A Mars that is weak in Cancer, or tense with Saturn or the nodes, is often described as hesitation or a short fuse, and the placements behind what is called Mangal dosha lead many readers to this page. Here are the practices as tradition gives them, with the caveat that none of them is a certain fix.
Start with conduct and service
Mars asks to be spent. The first remedies are all physical and moral rather than ritual.
- Move your body. Regular exercise, walking, a sport or manual work. Teachers who speak of Mars remedies usually begin here, because unused Mars energy tends to sour into irritation.
- Pause before you answer. The planet of anger is best managed by a habit of waiting a breath before replying in a heated moment. This is the Mars remedy that most people notice.
- Honour your brothers, sisters and cousins. Mars is the karaka of younger siblings. A kind message, a repaired quarrel or help with a task counts.
- Protect and serve. Mars is the planet of soldiers, surgeons, police and builders. Help someone move house, give blood where you are fit to do so, or look after a neighbour’s land. Service of this practical kind is the Mars version of charity.
- Keep debts and promises tidy. Mars is also read for property and borrowed money, so paying back what you owe on time is a quiet remedy.
Mantra and devotion
The deity tradition links with Mars is Kartikeya (Skanda, Murugan) in many regions, and Hanuman on Tuesdays across north India. The site holds several Hanuman texts.
- Hanuman Chalisa: the forty verses of Tulsidas, the most widely recited Tuesday text.
- Hanuman Ashtak: eight stanzas recounting his acts of rescue.
- Hanuman Bahuk: a Hindi poem of Tulsidas to Hanuman.
- Hanuman aarti: the evening song of lamps.
- Navagraha mantras: the verse to Mangala describes him as born of the Earth and bright like lightning.
Beej mantras, with their syllable strings, vary by tradition and are not yet published here. Pick a single text and say it at the same hour on Tuesdays, or daily if you wish. Consistency matters more than length.
Charity and the Tuesday fast, as tradition describes them
Tuesday (Mangalvar) is the day of Mars.
- Charity on Tuesday. Lists differ by region. Red lentils (masoor), jaggery, red cloth and sweets are the items often named. Feeding someone hungry is the same gesture.
- A Tuesday fast. Many keep it until sunset and eat one simple meal in the evening, often without salt. Others take only fruit. If you are unwell, pregnant, elderly or on medication, do not fast. A lighter meal and a visit to a Hanuman temple is an accepted alternative.
- A temple visit. Many go to a Hanuman temple on Tuesday and offer a lamp, a flower or sindoor, as the local practice goes.
See Hanuman Jayanti for the annual festival. None of these steps is obligatory.
About Mangal dosha
Mangal dosha is the name for Mars standing in certain houses (commonly the 1st, 4th, 7th, 8th and 12th) in a chart, and it is much discussed in matchmaking. Teachers disagree on which houses count, on whether it is read from the Moon and Venus as well, and on what cancels it, and many accomplished and happily married people have it. Remedies for it are discussed in the tradition, but the first thing is to find out whether your chart really has it. The Mangal dosha calculator shows the rule and the result, and the Mars in all twelve houses guide explains each placement. For a couple’s chart see the Mangal dosha matching tool.
Read your own Mars before choosing a remedy
Mars is strong in Aries and Scorpio, its own signs, and in Capricorn, where it is exalted. Look at the Mars in each sign guide and the Mars Mahadasha guide for the seven-year period. If Mars is joined with another planet, see Mars and Saturn or Mars and Rahu.
The gemstone, last
The stone of Mars is red coral (moonga). It is a recognised classical remedy, though choosing it from house lordship is a later practice, and astrologers who use it consider the sign, house, strength and dasha of Mars along with the ascendant. Several advise caution for people who already run hot, and so the decision rests on the chart and not on the planet’s name. A reading comes first, and many readers keep to exercise and Hanuman devotion alone.
Our red coral guide covers who considers it, natural and dyed coral, and the traditional way of wearing it, and the gemstones hub covers the rest. We sell nothing but the reading, so there is no stone here to sell you.
Frequently asked questions
↳ What is the best remedy for Mars?
Tradition starts with channelling its energy: exercise, patience in anger and tidy dealings with siblings and debts. Devotion to Hanuman, Tuesday charity and the Tuesday fast follow, and red coral is a last and optional step.
↳ Are there remedies for Mangal dosha?
The tradition lists several, such as Hanuman devotion and Tuesday charity, but first check whether the dosha is really present, since schools differ on the houses and the cancellations. Many people with Mangal dosha live well, and no remedy is a guarantee.
↳ Why Hanuman for Mars?
In north Indian practice Tuesday is Hanuman's day as well as Mars's, so the two have joined. In the south, Kartikeya is the more usual deity for Mars. Both are traditions, and you may follow whichever your family does.
↳ Should I wear red coral for Mars?
Only after a full chart has been read, if at all. Some astrologers advise against coral where Mars is already strong or troubling. It is an optional remedy and never a requirement.
↳ Can remedies help with anger?
Exercise and a pause before answering help many people, and the tradition names them as Mars remedies. If anger feels unmanageable or causes harm, please speak to a doctor or a counsellor as well.