The festival of Navratri holds great significance in the Hindu culture. Navratri is dedicated to worshipping Maa Durga and her nine forms also called Navdurga. Hindus celebrate Navratri four times yearly, but the major celebrations happen during Chaitra (Spring) and Shardiya (Autumn) Navratri.
The upcoming festival is Shardiya Navratri celebrated in the month of Ashwin per the Hindu lunar calendar. According to Drik Panchang, the 2023 Shardiya Navratri will be observed from October 15th to October 24th. In this article, we look at the key dates, puja timings, celebrations, and significance of Navratri 2023.
When is Navratri 2023?
Navratri 2023 will be celebrated from October 15 to October 24. The Pratipada tithi signalling the first day of Shardiya Navratri will start on the night of October 14th and continue till the early hours of October 16th. Hence, Navratri celebrations traditionally commence on October 15th which is known as Pratipada or Ghatasthapana.
The festival culminates on October 24th with Vijayadashami also called Dussehra or Durga Visarjan when the idol immersion takes place. In total, the 2023 Shardiya Navratri will be celebrated over nine days from October 15th to October 23rd.
Shardiya Navratri 2023 Calender
- October 15 – Pratipada, Ghatasthapana, Shailputri Puja
- October 16 – Dwitiyaa, Brahmacharini Puja
- October 17 – Tritiya, Sindoor Tritiya, Chandraghanta Puja
- October 18 – Chaturthi, Kushmanda Puja, Vinayaka Chaturthi
- October 19 – Panchami, Skandamata Puja
- October 20 – Shashti, Katyayani Puja
- October 21 – Saptami, Saraswati Puja, Kalratri Puja
- October 22 – Ashtami, Durga Ashtami, Mahagauri Puja
- October 23 – Navami, Navratri Parana
Navratri 2023 Shubh Muhurat
The most auspicious Muhurat for performing Navratri puja is as follows:
- Pratahkala Muhurat: 06:07 AM to 07:52 AM
- Guni Athva Muhurat: 11:33 AM to 12:21 PM
- Sayahna Muhurat: 05:42 PM to 06:28 PM
Navratri 2023 Kalash Sthapana Vidhi
One of the important rituals of Navratri 2023 is the Kalash Sthapana Puja, which is the installation of a sacred pot that symbolizes the Goddess. Here are the steps to perform this puja with devotion and reverence:
- Wake up early in the morning and take a bath. Wear clean and fresh clothes and prepare yourself for the puja.
- Clean the place where you want to keep the Kalash. Wash the idols of Goddess Durga and other deities that you want to worship along with her.
- Spread a red cloth on a wooden platform and place some raw rice grains on it. This will be the seat for the Kalash. Invoke Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, and chant his mantras.
- Make a small mound of soil on a plate and sow some barley seeds in it. This is called the Ghat Sthapana or the establishment of the earthen pot. Sprinkle some water on it and keep it near the Kalash.
- Take a brass or copper pot and fill it with water. Add some fragrant items like rose water, sandalwood paste, turmeric, kumkum, etc. to it. Draw a swastika sign on the pot with kumkum paste and tie a moli or a sacred thread around its neck.
- Arrange some mango leaves in a circular fashion inside the pot and place a supari or a betel nut and some coins in it. This represents the presence of Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, in the Kalash.
- Take a coconut and wrap it with a red cloth or a Chunri. Tie a moli around it and place it on top of the pot. This completes the Kalash Sthapana.
- Offer flowers, incense, lamps, fruits, sweets, etc. to the Kalash and pray to Goddess Durga and other gods and goddesses. Recite the Durga Saptashati or the 700 verses in praise of the Goddess or listen to them online.
- Perform an aarti or a ritual of waving lamps in front of the Kalash and singing devotional songs. Seek the blessings of the Goddess for yourself and your family.
This is how you can perform the Navratri Kalash Sthapana Puja with faith and love.
Significance of Navratri 2023
Navratri celebrates the victory of good over evil. The festival is associated with the popular legend of Goddess Durga defeating the demon Mahishasura after a nine-day-long battle.
Each of the nine days is dedicated to an incarnation of Durga such as Shailputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri, and Siddhidatri.
The nine days also signify the nine nights when Goddess Durga is worshipped with utmost devotion. In eastern and northeastern states, Navratri is associated with Durga Puja celebrations and cultural festivities.
The occasion carries deep spiritual and cultural significance for Hindus across the country. It reaffirms faith in the purity and power of the feminine divine embodied by Maa Durga.
In 2023, the auspicious festival of Navratri will be observed from October 15 to October 24 with traditional fervor and religious rituals. The nine nights will be dedicated to the worship of the nine divine forms of Durga.