“Fasting Rituals for Navratri and What You Need to Keep in Mind”

India is a land of many festivals. Among them, Navratri holds a prominent place. This celebrated every year in the month of Ashvin and is also known as Sharada Navratri. This festival dedicated to Maa Durga and her nine different forms, or Avatars, and celebrated for nine days and nights.

Apart from the “VIDHAN” that tells us how to carry out this nine days ritual, today we will discuss what one should do while observing this fast and the important things we should keep in mind so that we may receive blessings from the deity.

Fasting Rituals for Navratri

1. If you want to fast for nine days only on water, it is best to do so by consuming only fruit, milk, and dry fruits.
2. “YEEKAL” RATRI (ONE) vrat can also observed which can be the last day of the Navratri. That is in case, due to some reason, you are unable to perform the fast for nine full days.
3. YUGAL RATRI (TWO) vrat observed on the first and last days of Navratri.
4. “TRIRATRI” VRAT with respect to tri SHAKTI “SARASWATI” “LAXMI” “KALI” can be kept on the 7^TH /8^TH/9^TH day of Navratri.
5. “SAPTRATRI” vrat for the first seven days can also observed depending on your health, mindset, and devotion.
6. Pregnant women, feeding mothers, sick, and people suffering from disease or any type of ailment exempted from keeping the fast.
7. If any death or birth has taken place, in the family, “SUTAK” then to you exempted from observing Navratri fast, till the time “SUDHIKARAN” done.
8. You should do “SANKALP” on the first day of Navratri, at the time of “KAILASH/GHAT” sthapna, as to which type of vrat or fasting you will observe as per the choices given above.
9. It is very important to do “STHAPNA of Kailash on the first day, on the auspicious time of MOHOORAT. If you are unable to do so, then you should worship MAA and her forms in a normal way as you do daily
10. Avoid grains and pulses during these days. The scientific reason behind this is that as Navratri falls during season change and our immunity is low during these days, it is good to have light food, in less quantity and easily digestible. This will help you with your worship and devotion.
11. Stay away from intoxication things like eating tamsik food – egg, meat, onion, and garlic as they will increase “TAMAS” in you and take you away from “SATVA”
12. If you have lit the “AKHAND DEEPAK” in your home, then it is very important to pay proper attention to it. You should not lock your home and go out for these days especially if you have done the STHAPNA of KALASH /AKHAND DEEPAK in your home.
13. “Om Aim Hreem Kleem Chamundaye Viche” or Durga saptsati or any strotra or mantra of MAA can recite during these days to pay homage and gratitude to ADDI SHAKTI MAA.
14. Also, note that MAA only wants you to feel “BHAV” for her. So, if by mistake you have food, you can ask for her forgiveness and pray to her. You can worship the deity through “SODASUPCHAR”, do some charity for a needy person, do “HAVAN” for the deity and ask for forgiveness, from ADDHI SHAKTI MAA, for your unknowing mistake through these simple but important ways.
15. After all the rituals, you can do VISHARJAN of all the objects used during the nine days of rituals, in a river.
16. You should follow “BRHAMCHARYA” during these days. Try to speak less, be calm and patient, avoid anger and greed, and try to remain in a state of worship of the different deities or forms of MAA.

By following the above rituals, your Navratri poojan will be completed in the best possible way and the blessings of ADDHI SHAKTI will be showered upon you.