After Ghatasthapana (see the Ghatasthapana vidhi), the nine days of Navratri are given to the Goddess in her nine forms, the Navadurga. A short worship is done morning and evening, and a different form is remembered each day. The list below is the one most commonly followed; in some regions the days, colours or offerings differ.
Timing
Navratri runs from the first to the ninth tithi of the bright half, and in some years a tithi is skipped or repeated, so the number of calendar days can change. Dates and the Ghatasthapana window for 49 cities are on the Sharad Navratri page and the Chaitra Navratri page. City pages such as New Delhi, Toronto and Sydney show the local days, and the any-city tool covers other places.
The nine forms, day by day
| Day | Form | A commonly given offering |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shailaputri, the daughter of the mountain | Pure ghee |
| 2 | Brahmacharini, the form of austerity | Sugar |
| 3 | Chandraghanta, with a crescent bell on her brow | Milk or kheer |
| 4 | Kushmanda, the creator of the cosmos with her smile | Malpua |
| 5 | Skandamata, mother of Skanda | Banana |
| 6 | Katyayani, the warrior form | Honey |
| 7 | Kalaratri, the dark night | Jaggery |
| 8 | Mahagauri, the fair one | Coconut |
| 9 | Siddhidatri, giver of accomplishments | Sesame |
The offerings are one popular scheme. Families and temples keep others, and the colours assigned to each day also change from year to year and region to region, so follow your own source.
Samagri for the daily puja
| Item | Use |
|---|---|
| Picture or idol of Durga, the kalash | The place of worship set up on the first day |
| Red flowers, hibiscus if available, and a garland | Offered each day |
| Kumkum, sandalwood, rice, red cloth (chunri) | Tilak and the offering of the cloth |
| Incense, a lamp and camphor | Worship and aarti |
| Fruit, sweets, the day’s offering | Naivedya |
| Water and a small bell | For purification and the aarti |
A simple daily order
- Bathe, tidy the place of worship and sprinkle the barley with water.
- Light the lamp and incense, and bow to Ganesha.
- Remember the form of the day, offer flowers, tilak and the day’s offering.
- Recite a few verses of the Devi Mahatmya, a Durga chalisa or a simple mantra, as you are able, or just sit quietly.
- Sing the Ambe aarti with the lamp.
- Share the prasad. Repeat in the evening in a shorter form.
- On the eighth or ninth day, many families invite nine girls (kanya pujan), wash their feet, apply tilak, feed them a meal of halwa, puri and chickpeas and give small gifts. A boy, often called Langur, is sometimes included.
The katha
The Devi Mahatmya, a section of the Markandeya Purana, tells of Mahishasura, a demon who could take the form of a buffalo. By a boon he could not be killed by any man or god, and he drove the gods out of heaven. The gods, in distress, gave out their own radiance, and from it a radiant woman arose. Each deity gave her a weapon: a trident from Shiva, a discus from Vishnu, a bow, a spear, a conch. Seated on a lion, she faced Mahishasura.
The battle lasted nine nights as he changed shape, from buffalo to lion to man to elephant. On the tenth day she killed him, and the gods’ worlds were restored. This is why the nine nights are for the Goddess and the tenth day, Vijayadashami, is a day of victory. See the Dussehra puja for that day.
Regional variations
Customs differ by region and family; follow your family’s custom. In Gujarat the nights are for garba and dandiya. In Bengal Durga Puja is kept in the last four days with large pandals. In the south, Golu displays of dolls are set up in many homes. In Himachal, Kullu has its own Dussehra.
Fasting and food
Fasting is optional and takes many forms: nine days on fruit and milk, one meal a day, only the first and last day, or no fast with a satvik diet. Anyone pregnant, nursing, diabetic, unwell, or taking medicine should consult a doctor before a long fast, and a gentler observance is entirely acceptable in the tradition.
Frequently asked questions
↳ What is kanya pujan?
It is the worship of young girls as the living form of the Goddess, usually on the eighth or ninth day. They are invited home, fed and given small gifts, and many families end their fast with this meal.
↳ Why does Navratri sometimes last eight or ten days?
It is counted in tithis, not in civil days. A tithi can begin and end within one civil day or span two, so the festival can look shorter or longer on the calendar.
↳ Which colours should I wear?
A colour for each day is a modern custom that varies by year and region. It is not part of the classical ritual, so wear what feels right, or follow your community.
↳ What is the difference between Chaitra and Sharad Navratri?
Both honour the Goddess. Chaitra Navratri falls in spring and ends with Rama Navami, while Sharad Navratri falls in autumn and ends with Dussehra. The rituals are largely the same.