The fourth day of Navratri belongs to Kushmanda, the form of the Goddess who is remembered as the maker of the universe. Her story is the shortest of the nine and the widest: before there was anything, she smiled, and from that smile the cosmos took shape. Devotees of Kushmanda tend to think of her as the bright, warm and generous mother.
This is one page of the Navadurga guide. The order of the nine forms is the one widely followed in north and west India, and some regions arrange the days differently.
The day of Navratri
Kushmanda is worshipped on Chaturthi, the fourth tithi of the bright half. In 2026 Chaturthi is in force at sunrise on Wednesday 14 October 2026 in New Delhi and Pune, and it runs until 1:13 am on the next morning. In Chaitra Navratri 2027 the fourth day is Saturday 10 April 2027. The Sharad Navratri page and the Chaitra Navratri page give dates for 49 cities, and the Navratri day by day page lists all nine days with their tithis. The day before is Chandraghanta; the next is Skandamata.
The meaning of the name
The name is made of three Sanskrit parts: ku, a little; ushma, warmth or energy; and anda, an egg. Together they mean “the one who, with a little warmth, made the cosmic egg”. The picture is of a universe that comes from a warm, small beginning, as in many traditions the world begins from an egg. In the usual reading, the warmth is the Goddess’s own energy and the smile is the ease with which it happens.
Kushmanda is also the Sanskrit name of the ash gourd, a large pale pumpkin. In some traditions the gourd is therefore connected with her, and in parts of India offering a gourd to the Goddess takes the place of the older animal sacrifice. We mention this as a custom of some regions, not as a rule everywhere.
Form and iconography
Kushmanda is shown with eight arms, so she is also called Ashtabhuja. In the right hands are a water pot (kamandalu), a bow, an arrow and a lotus. In the left hands are a jar of nectar, a rosary, a mace and a discus. She rides a lion. Her face is cheerful, and her complexion glows like the morning Sun. The tradition says she lives in the middle of the orb of the Sun, which is why she is thought to give the Sun its light and, among the nine forms, to be the one who has power over the Sun’s realm.
Because she is associated with light and warmth, her worship is often chosen by those who want to ask for health and energy. In devotion this is a prayer and not a treatment, and any real illness is for a doctor.
The story as tradition tells it
The tradition has no single narrative of Kushmanda in the way there is of Parvati’s penance. Her story is the account of the beginning: when the universe did not exist and darkness was everywhere, the Goddess smiled gently, and that smile began creation. From her light came the first sparks, and from the sparks the sun, the stars and the worlds. In some tellings she then gave the three great goddesses, Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati, their forms.
This is close in spirit to the way the first chapter of the Devi Mahatmya speaks of the Goddess as the power behind Vishnu’s sleep and the world’s coming and going, but the name Kushmanda and her place as the fourth day are from the later Navadurga tradition and the Devi Kavacha. Where a family’s elders tell it differently, follow them.
The heart centre
In the yoga-influenced reading that is popular today, Kushmanda is linked to the heart centre, anahata. The thought is that on the fourth day the worshipper turns from the discipline of the first days to warmth and generosity. This too is a later layer of devotion and is not found in the older texts.
The dhyana shloka
There are short meditation verses printed for Kushmanda in modern booklets. We have not been able to match them to an old printed edition that we can check, so we do not give them here. If your family recites one, keep to it. The picture the verses describe is the one above: eight arms, the lion, the jar of nectar and the lotus.
Offerings and customs
The offering commonly given to Kushmanda is malpua, the sweet fried pancake soaked in syrup, and the ash gourd or its sweet (in many places called petha) is also given. The tradition says a sweet offered with a happy heart is what pleases her. Malpua is shared out among family, and some people give it to Brahmins or to girls.
In Maharashtra the popular colour of the fourth day depends on the weekday; see the day by day page. In many places the day is marked with a yellow or orange cloth and marigolds. The evening aarti is Jai Ambe Gauri, and the daily puja guide gives a short order for the nine days.
Anyone who is diabetic should take care with the sweet offerings and may give a smaller portion or a fruit instead; the Goddess is not described as asking for sugar.
Frequently asked questions
↳ Which day of Navratri is Kushmanda worshipped?
Kushmanda is worshipped on the fourth day, Chaturthi. In 2026 that is Wednesday 14 October 2026 in New Delhi and Pune.
↳ What does the name Kushmanda mean?
It is made from ku (a little), ushma (warmth) and anda (egg), and means the one who made the cosmic egg with a little warmth. Kushmanda is also the Sanskrit word for the ash gourd.
↳ Why is she said to live in the Sun?
The tradition places her in the orb of the Sun because she is the source of light and warmth in the story of creation. It is a devotional picture, not an astronomical claim.
↳ What is offered to Kushmanda?
Malpua is the commonly given offering, and the ash gourd or its sweet is also offered in some places. These are customs, not rules.
↳ How many arms does Kushmanda have?
She is shown with eight arms and is also called Ashtabhuja. The hands hold a water pot, bow, arrow, lotus, nectar jar, rosary, mace and discus.