Mangala as a planet appears in various Hindu astronomical texts in Sanskrit, such as the 5th century Aryabhatiya by Aryabhata, the 6th century Romaka by Latadeva and Panca Siddhantika by Varahamihira, the 7th century Khandakhadyaka by Brahmagupta and the 8th century Sisyadhivrddida by Lalla. These texts present Mangala as one of the planets and estimate the characteristics of the respective planetary motion. Other texts such as Surya Siddhanta dated to have been complete sometime between the 5th century and 10th century present their chapters on various planets with deity mythologies.

The manuscripts of these texts exist in slightly different versions, present Mangala's motion in the skies, but vary in their data, suggesting that the text were open and revised over their lives.

The 1st millennium CE Hindu scholars had estimated the time it took for sidereal revolutions of each planet including Mangala, from their astronomical studies, with slightly different results:

Mangala is the root of the word 'Mangalavara' or Tuesday in the Hindu calendar. The word "Tuesday" in the Greco-Roman and other Indo-European calendars is also dedicated to planet Mars, referring to "T?w's Day", the day of Tiw or Týr, the god of war and victory. Tiw was equated with Mars in other Indo-European mythologies. Mangala is considered auspicious.^[1]

Mangala is part of the Navagraha in Hindu zodiac system. The zodiac and naming system of Hindu astrology, including Mangala as Mars, likely developed in the centuries after the arrival of Greek astrology with Alexander the Great,^[9][10][11] their zodiac signs being nearly identical.^[12][13]

He is painted red or flame colour, four-armed, carrying a trident (Sanskrit: trish?la), mace (Sanskrit: gad?), lotus (Sanskrit: Padma) and a spear (Sanskrit: sh?la). His mount (Sanskrit: vahana) is a ram. He presides over (Tuesday).^[14]

Mars (Mangala) is also called:

• Ang?raka (???????) – one who is red in colour also called
• Raktavarna (????????) – whose color is like blood.^[15]
• Bhauma (???) – son of Bhumi.
• Lohit?nga (?????????) – red bodied (Loha also means Iron, so could also mean Iron Bodied).
• Kuja (???) – he who is born from Earth.
• Bha (?) – shining.^[16]

The word Mangala is ancient, first appearing in the Rigveda (pre-1000 BCE), and mentioned by grammarian Patanjali (~2nd century BCE), but not as an astrological term, rather to mean "auspicious-successful" (siddha) structure in literary arts. Panini too mentions it in verse I.3.1 in a similar context.^[17] In the Vedic texts, states Christopher Minkowski, there is no mention of auspicious rituals, or auspicious start or timing of a ritual, rather the "mangala" as auspicious practices likely emerged in the Indian traditions during the medieval era (after mid 1st millennium CE), thereafter found in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.^[18] The ritualistic Mimamsa school of Hinduism did not include any mangala (auspicious) verses in any of its text throughout the 1st millennium CE.^[18]