Chalisa: 40 Devotional Hymns with Meaning

What Chalisa means

Chalisa means forty, for its forty chaupais.

Most are in Awadhi or Hindi.

Each is read on the deity's day.

How to Chalisa

Here is the simple traditional way families approach Chalisa, step by step, so you can follow it at home without pressure.

1. Bathe and wear clean clothes
2. Light a lamp before the deity
3. Remember Ganesha first
4. Begin with attention
5. End with a prayer for forgiveness and share prasad

Chalisa kya hai

Chalisa chaalis chaupaiyon ka bhajan hai. Isse padhne se mann ko himmat aur shanti milti hai. Roz ek baar padhna kaafi hai.

People phrase it many ways: chalisa in hindi, shiv chalisa, durga chalisa, shani chalisa. All of these point to the same reading, and this page answers them together.

What you may be feeling about chalisa

If you came to chalisa hoping for good news, that hope deserves respect. Maybe you came here because you want your prayer, puja or fast to bring peace, a good marriage, health or progress for your family. Wanting a sign that life is about to open up is one of the oldest and most human feelings there is, and it is the reason families have looked at the sky for thousands of years.

If chalisa is making you uneasy, that is valid too. Or maybe you are anxious that a wrong word, a missed item or an imperfect fast will undo your effort. You are not being silly or superstitious. When a word like this enters a family conversation, it is natural for the heart to tighten and for the mind to ask what it means for the people you love.

Our tradition takes both feelings seriously. The texts themselves answer this worry. Krishna says in the Gita that even a leaf or a drop of water offered with love is accepted, and every aarti ends by asking forgiveness for any mistake. So whatever you are feeling right now, our elders felt it too and wrote about it.

The same tradition then softens the first reaction. So your sincerity is the real offering. Mistakes are forgiven in the very words of the prayer, and devotion grows by doing, not by being perfect. A single factor in a chart, a calendar or a name describes a theme to work with, not a sentence that is already written. Effort, timing, good company and a calm mind shape how it unfolds.

So hold the feeling gently, and then look at the whole picture. That is where one word turns into a clear, hopeful direction, and it is exactly what a personal reading is for.

Why chalisa still matter

Chalisa means forty, for its forty chaupais.

Most are in Awadhi or Hindi.

Each is read on the deity's day.

• Shiv Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Shiva, opening Jai Ganesh Girija suvan, read on Mondays and in Sawan.
• Durga Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Durga, opening Namo namo Durge sukh karni, read in Navratri.
• Shani Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Shani dev, read on Saturdays and during sade sati.
• Ganesh Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Ganesha, read on Wednesdays and Ganesh Chaturthi.
• Lakshmi Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Lakshmi, read on Fridays and Diwali.
• Saraswati Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Saraswati, read by students and musicians.
• Krishna Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Krishna, read on Janmashtami and Ekadashi.
• Ram Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Lord Ram, read on Ram Navami and Tuesdays.
• Vishnu Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Vishnu, read on Thursdays and Ekadashi.
• Surya Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to the Sun god, read on Sundays.
• Kali Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Kali, read on Kali Puja and Tuesdays.
• Parvati Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Parvati, read on Teej.
• Santoshi Mata Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Santoshi Mata, read on Fridays.
• Gayatri Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Gayatri Mata.
• Vindhyeshwari Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Maa Vindhyavasini.
• Bhairav Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Kaal Bhairav.
• Navagraha Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to the nine planets.
• Brihaspati Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Guru Brihaspati, read on Thursdays.
• Chandra Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to the Moon god.
• Mangal Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Mangal dev.
• Budh Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Budh dev.
• Shukra Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Shukra dev.
• Rahu Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Rahu.
• Ketu Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Ketu.
• Khatu Shyam Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Khatu Shyam ji.
• Balaji Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Mehandipur Balaji, a form of Hanuman.
• Tulsi Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Tulsi Mata.
• Ganga Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Ganga Maiya.
• Annapurna Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Annapurna Mata.
• Radha Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Radha Rani.
• Vishwakarma Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Vishwakarma.
• Kuber Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Kuber.
• Sai Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Sai Baba of Shirdi.
• Vaishno Devi Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Mata Vaishno Devi.
• Narmada Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to the river Narmada.
• Sheetla Mata Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Sheetla Mata.
• Baglamukhi Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Maa Baglamukhi, one of the ten Mahavidyas.
• Gorakhnath Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Guru Gorakhnath.
• Shakambhari Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to Maa Shakambhari, the goddess who fed the world with vegetables.
• Pitar Chalisa: the forty verse hymn to the ancestors, read in Pitru Paksha.

Where chalisa leads on KismatAstro

This page gathers every chalisa on KismatAstro. Start with Shiv Chalisa, Durga Chalisa, Shani Chalisa, then follow the links inside each story.

Each chalisa praises one deity, and the deity guides tell their full story. After chalisa, families usually sing the aarti of the same deity. Planet chalisas are read for the grahas, and the planets guide explains what each planet means in a chart.

Stories like this are why families still look for a good day before a new step. You can see today's timings in the free Ask Tara free, and plan ahead with the vrat calendar.

What the old texts and scholars say

Our retelling follows the Hindi bhakti tradition of forty verse hymns. Versions differ by region and family, and every one of them is treated with respect here.

If you would like to read further, Britannica's guide to Hindu holidays gives a clear, well sourced overview: Britannica's guide to Hindu holidays.

For a second view, see Hinduism portal on Wikisource, which keeps public domain translations.

A gentle seven day practice inspired by chalisa

You do not need a big ritual. These small steps keep the story alive in daily life, and none of them cost money.

1. Day 1: read the meaning slowly
2. Day 2: do it once with family
3. Day 3: learn the first line by heart
4. Day 4: light a lamp at dusk
5. Day 5: share prasad or help someone
6. Day 6: read the linked story
7. Day 7: note how you feel

When and how to read Chalisa

A chalisa is a forty verse Hindi hymn praising a deity. Here are 40 chalisas with their meaning, the day each is read and how to read them at home. Families usually read it the deity's weekday, morning or evening. There is no single correct clock time in the old texts; what matters is a calm mind, a clean place and attention. If you are new to it, start with the short version and add more as it becomes a habit.

Many readers ask whether they must follow every step exactly. Tradition answers kindly: chalisa means forty, for its forty chaupais. A sincere attempt done with love is complete, and a missed detail is never a cause for fear. Elders often say that the practice shapes the person more than the person perfects the practice.

Common worries about Chalisa, answered gently

These are the questions families send us most often. Each worry is real, and each has a calm, traditional answer.

• I mispronounced a word in the chalisa. Tradition says the feeling reaches before the sound. Learn slowly; the effort itself is devotion.
• I missed a day of the chalisa. Begin again the next day. No missed day erases earlier devotion, and no god is angered by a busy life.
• I do not have every item. Use what you have. A lamp, water and a flower are enough, the texts say so themselves.
• I am not sure I believe fully. Doubt is human. Many find that the practice brings calm first and faith later. Go at your own pace.
• Something bad happened after I started. Hard times come to everyone and are not a punishment for prayer. Keep the practice as a support, and seek practical help too.

Chalisa across India

In North India the chalisa is usually in Hindi or Awadhi, sung with a bell and a ghee lamp. In Maharashtra and Gujarat local language versions are common. In South India Sanskrit and Tamil, Telugu or Kannada forms are used with nadaswaram music.

Bengal and Odisha add conch shells and ululation. Punjab and Himachal homes often sing together after dinner. Overseas families in Dubai, London or Toronto keep the same words with a small home altar.

Whichever version your family follows, it is valid. KismatAstro tells the commonly shared form and respects every regional and family custom.

Chalisa and your rashi

Every rashi can read Chalisa. Astrology (jyotish) adds only a gentle flavour, a way to make the practice feel more personal. If you know your Moon sign (chandra rashi), find it below. If not, the free moon sign (chandra rashi) calculator tells you in a minute.

• Mesh: your rashi brings fire and quick devotion; keep it short and heartfelt.
• Vrishabh: your rashi loves steady ritual; the same time each day suits you.
• Mithun: your rashi connects through words; reading the meaning aloud helps.
• Kark: your rashi feels it deeply; doing it with family comforts you.
• Simha: your rashi shines with confidence; lead the family in it.
• Kanya: your rashi values precision; the step by step order calms you.
• Tula: your rashi seeks balance; doing it with your partner suits you.
• Vrishchik: your rashi goes deep; quiet evening practice suits you.
• Dhanu: your rashi loves wisdom; read the story behind it.
• Makar: your rashi values discipline; a fixed weekly day works best.
• Kumbh: your rashi thinks of others; share prasad or help someone after.
• Meen: your rashi is naturally devotional; music and lamps lift you.

Taking Chalisa one step further

Devotion often brings a personal question to the surface: a marriage that is taking time, a job, a child's future or simple peace at home. That is a natural moment to look at your own chart. Prayer brings calm; a reading of your own chart can show the timing of the change you are praying for, so you can plan with hope rather than worry.

Begin free with the Ask Tara free. If you would like a personal reading written from your own birth details, our reports and prices explains what each report covers, and the offer below this page shows the current price. The free content above stays free, always.

Carrying Chalisa into your own life

Chalisa is not a test you can fail. It is a story that has comforted families for centuries, and it asks only for attention and a kind heart.

If something in it touched a hope or a worry in your own life, a marriage, a child, money or health, that is a good moment to look at your own chart calmly. The free kundli (muft janam kundli) shows it, and a personal written reading is there if you want more depth.