Sharadiya Navratri, the nine-day festival dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga, will begin this year on Sunday, 11 October. According to the timings listed by Drik Panchang for New Delhi, the auspicious window for Ghatasthapana, or Kalash Sthapana, that day is from 6:19 am to 10:12 am. Devotees who cannot begin their prayers during this period will have the Abhijit Muhurat from 11:44 am to 12:31 pm. The festival will conclude with Vijayadashami on Tuesday, 20 October.
Many people were uncertain this time whether the festival would begin on 10 October or 11 October. According to the panchang, Pratipada of the bright fortnight of Ashwin will begin at 9:19 pm on 10 October and continue until 9:30 pm the following day, 11 October. According to an Amar Ujala report, installing the kalash at night is traditionally not considered appropriate, while Pratipada will be in effect at sunrise on 11 October, which is known as the Udaya Tithi. On this basis, Ghatasthapana will take place on the morning of 11 October.
Pitru Paksha will conclude just before Navratri. According to Aaj Tak reports, following Purnima Shraddha on 26 September, Pitru Paksha began on 27 September and will end with Sarvapitru Amavasya on Saturday, 10 October. The festival of worshipping the Goddess will begin the next day.
Which form will be worshipped on each day
According to Aaj Tak’s Navratri calendar, Goddess Shailputri will be worshipped on the first day, 11 October. This will be followed by Goddess Brahmacharini on 12 October, Goddess Chandraghanta on the 13th, Goddess Kushmanda on the 14th, Goddess Skandamata on the 15th, Goddess Katyayani on the 16th and Goddess Kalaratri on 17 October. Owing to shifts in the lunar dates, the main worship for Maha Ashtami and Maha Navami will take place on the same day this time: Monday, 19 October. According to Drik Panchang, Ashtami Tithi in Delhi lasts until 10:51 am on 19 October, so Sandhi Puja, performed at the transition between Ashtami and Navami, will also fall on that day.
Dussehra, or Vijayadashami, will be celebrated on Tuesday, 20 October. In religious belief, this day symbolises the victory of truth over falsehood. In many parts of the country, Ravana effigies are burnt and Durga idols are immersed on this day.
Please note that the auspicious timings given above are for Delhi. According to an Aaj Tak report, the timings may vary by a few minutes because sunrise occurs at different times in different cities. Different panchangs may also vary slightly on the dates of Ashtami and Navami, so devotees have been advised to confirm the timings with their regional panchang or a local priest.
Special security and crowd-management arrangements have been made at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir for Navratri. According to tradition, devotees fast during these nine days, install the kalash and light an uninterrupted sacred flame, and worship a different form of the Goddess each day.
Representative image. Photo: Abhya2022 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
