How to keep the Navratri vrat: ghatasthapana, what to eat, what to avoid and parana
Quick answer: Navratri is nine days of worship of the nine forms of Maa Durga; the main Navratris fall in Chaitra and in Sharad (Ashwin). On the first day a kalash (ghat) is installed at an auspicious time. Devotees fast for all nine days or on the first and last days, avoiding grains, ordinary salt, onion and garlic, and eating fasting foods. The fast usually ends with kanya pujan on Ashtami or Navami.
At a glance
- When
- Chaitra and Ashwin, Shukla Pratipada to Navami
- Goddess
- Navadurga: Shailputri to Siddhidatri
- First day
- Ghatasthapana (kalash installation)
- End
- Kanya pujan on Ashtami or Navami
How to keep the vrat and puja
- On the first day, clean the home and shrine, bathe and take the sankalp.
- At the auspicious time, sow barley in soil and place a water-filled kalash on it, topped with mango leaves and a coconut.
- Set up a picture or idol of Maa Durga; light an akhand jyoti if you wish.
- Each morning and evening, do puja and aarti and read the Durga Chalisa or Durga Saptashati; remember that day's form of the Goddess.
- On Ashtami or Navami, do kanya pujan: wash the feet of young girls, apply tilak, feed them halwa, puri and chana, and give gifts.
- End the fast after kanya pujan or on Dashami, as your family does.
What can be eaten (common practice)
- Kuttu, singhara and rajgira flour; samak (sama) rice
- Sabudana, potato, sweet potato, bottle gourd, pumpkin
- Fruit, milk, curd, paneer, makhana, dry fruits
- Rock salt, black pepper, cumin, ghee
Do
- Fast as your health allows: all nine days, or the first and last days.
- Keep a sattvic atmosphere at home and light a lamp daily.
- If you light an akhand jyoti, keep it supplied with ghee or oil and safe from fire risk.
- Treat the girls at kanya pujan with respect; don't ask them to do any work.
Don't
- Avoid wheat, rice, lentils and ordinary (iodised) salt.
- No onion, garlic, meat, eggs, alcohol or intoxicants.
- Many families don't cut hair or nails or shave during the nine days.
- Avoid insulting anyone, anger and lies.
Navratri customs vary a lot by region (for example, Durga Puja in Bengal and garba in Gujarat). Follow your family's and guru's tradition. If you are ill, pregnant or elderly, ask a doctor first.
Frequently asked questions
Can I eat salt during the Navratri fast?
Not ordinary salt; rock salt (sendha namak) is used.
Can I fast only on the first and last days?
Yes, many devotees fast on Pratipada and on Ashtami or Navami. Take your sankalp accordingly.
On which day is kanya pujan done?
On Ashtami or Navami, as your family does. Usually nine girls aged about 2 to 10, and one boy, are fed.
When should the Navratri fast be broken?
Most families end the fast on Navami after kanya pujan; some on Dashami. Follow your tradition.
What if the akhand jyoti goes out?
Don't worry. Ask the Goddess's forgiveness and light it again.