Navratri Nine Nights of the Goddess

What is Navratri?

Navratri - from nava (nine) and ratri (nights) - is the worship of the Goddess across nine days and nights, each dedicated to one of the nine forms of Durga, the Navadurga. It begins with the installation of the sacred pot (Ghatasthapana) and rises through the nine nights to close on the tenth day, Vijayadashami (Dussehra), the celebration of the Goddess’s victory over the buffalo-demon Mahishasura - good over evil. It is among the most widely kept of all Hindu festivals, observed with fasting, worship, music and dance.

The four Navratris of the year

Though Sharad Navratri in autumn is by far the greatest, the Goddess is honoured in four Navratris across the lunar year - two widely celebrated and two quieter “Gupt” (secret) ones:

Dates are computed for Mumbai, Maharashtra; set your city to see your local dates.

Ghatasthapana - opening the nine nights

Ghatasthapana (Kalash Sthapana) is the rite that opens Navratri on Day 1 (Pratipada). A consecrated pot (kalash) is installed on a bed of soil in which barley seeds are sown; the Goddess is invoked into it for all nine nights, and the barley that greens through the festival is treated as a living blessing, distributed on the final day. It is performed in an auspicious morning window - the Day 1 (Shailaputri) page shows the Ghatasthapana muhurat computed for your city.

The nine days, the Navadurga & the colours

Each day of Sharad Navratri honours one of the nine Navadurga in worship order, and carries a colour to wear. The colour follows the weekday that day falls on, so it changes a little each year. Tap any day for its story, mantra, bhog and the day’s muhurats - all computed for your city.

Durga Ashtami, Sandhi Puja & Kanya Pujan

The eighth day, Durga Ashtami (Maha Ashtami), and the ninth, Maha Navami, are the peak of Navratri. The Sandhi Puja - offered in the final ghatis of Ashtami and the first of Navami - is the most powerful moment of the Durga Puja. On Ashtami or Navami, families perform Kanya Pujan (Kanjak): young girls are honoured as living forms of the Goddess, their feet washed, then fed and gifted. For many households the nine-day fast is broken with this feast.

The Navratri fast (vrat)

Many observe a fast through the nine days, ranging from a full nirjala (waterless) fast to a daily satvik meal. Grains, rice, lentils, onion, garlic, meat and alcohol are set aside; devotees eat phalahar (fruit) and vrat foods made from kuttu (buckwheat), singhara (water-chestnut) flour, samak rice and sendha namak (rock salt). Hair and nails are traditionally left uncut through the vrat, an Akhand Jyoti (unbroken lamp) is kept burning, and the Durga Saptashati is read.

How Navratri is celebrated across India

The nine nights take a different form in every region. In Bengal and the east, they are the great Durga Puja, with grand pandals and the immersion of the Goddess on Dashami. In Gujarat, the nights ring with Garba and Dandiya-Raas danced around the lamp. In Tamil Nadu and the south, homes arrange the Golu (Bommai Kolu), a tiered display of dolls, and honour Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati over the nine days. In the north, the Ramlila is enacted nightly and culminates on Dussehra with the burning of Ravana’s effigy.

Vijayadashami (Dussehra)

The day after the ninth night is Vijayadashami, or Dussehra - the day of victory that completes Navratri. It marks Durga’s slaying of Mahishasura and Rama’s victory over Ravana, and is one of the most auspicious days of the year for beginning new ventures, learning and journeys.