All About Navratri Festival: 9 Navdurga Puja Days and Dates

Navratri is one of the most awaited religious events among the Hindus, especially for the devotees of Goddess Durga.

Normally people offer worships to please their deity but during Navratri, people also dance, offer food to nine girls, perform plays on Devi Durga, and keep 9 days long fasts for impressing their Ma Durga.

In short, they leave no stone unturned to seek the blessings of Devi Durga, serving her 9 different forms (incarnations) day and night during Navratri.

Elders or kids, rich or poor, no one leaves behind in participating and celebrating this Hindu festival of Navratri that signifies the restoration of Dharma by Durga after the good vs evil fight.

All About Navratri Festival: 9 Navdurga Puja Days and Dates

Navratri Festival: Overview in Quick Look

Also Known As

Durga Puja, Navdurga Puja

Also Spelled As

Navaratri or Navarathri

Significance

Festive celebration on the incarnation of nine forms of Devi Durga for restoring Dharma

Event Type

Religious (Also observed as the seasonal and cultural event)

Observed By

Hindu(s)

Observations

Idol Worship, prayers, stage setting, plays, bonfire, image immersion, dance, cultural programs

Goddess of the Day

Navdurga or Devi Durga

Celebrations

Durga Worship, Dance performances (Garba)

Holiday

No

Date and Time

Ashwin, Chaitra, Ashadha, Magha month's Shukla Pratipada to Shukla Navami (First to ninth dates as per Panchang Hindi Calendar)

Duration

Nine nights and ten days

occurrence/ Frequency

Annual (The main Navratri falls in Ashvin, other three are of lesser significance)

Other Correlated Events (Popular Successive Events)

Dussehra (Dushehra)

About Navratri Puja Days & Dates

Contents:

• Introduction to Navratri,
• What is Navratri,
• Meaning of Navratri,
• Popular Navratri Names among Followers,
• When Does Navratri Fall,
• Why People Celebrate Navratri

Navratri festival days bring joy, hopes, and loads of festive events. The followers of Goddess Durga celebrate the victory of their Devi with dance performances and worships.

This Sneh Post shares information about the meaning of Navratri, the significance of 9 Navdurga Puja days, and the dates of four types of Navratri in a year.

What is Navratri?

Navratri is an auspicious nine days long festival that is dedicated to nine forms of Hindu Goddess Durga. In honor of the divine feminine Devi Durga, the Navratri events are celebrated with enthusiasm and dedication.

Literal Meaning of Navratri

Navratri term is made of two Sanskrit words ‘Nav’ and ‘Ratri’. Nav means ‘9 or nine’, Ratri means ‘night’, and the meaning of Navratri is “Nine Nights”. Thus the festival runs for ten days and nine nights, and so it is called Navratri.

Navratri: Popular Names among Followers

Navratri is also spelled as Navaratri and Navarathri.

Many people call this festive nine days event ‘Durga Puja’.

When Does Navratri Fall?

It falls four times in four different Hindu Lunar months in a year: Ashwin, Chaitra, Ashadha, and Magha.

Among these four, Ashwin Navratri is the most popular one which is famous as Sharadiya Navratra or Maha Navratri.

This is the main and most celebrated Navratri and event which is dedicated to Goddess Durga. There are three more times in a year when Navaratri is observed, but they are lesser significant comparatively.

Chaitra Navratri is also one of the main ones which are observed as Annual Navratra.

Other two: Ashadha Navratri and Magha Navratri are celebrated as Gupta Navratra and less significantly celebrated in comparison to Sharadiya and Chaitra Navratri (Also spelled as Navratra).

Why Navratri is Celebrated with Great Joy?

It is believed that those who worship Durga during Navratri, Devi takes away the evils from their lives and free them from all their adverse situations by the end of the 10 days and 9 nights of Navratri festival.