How do you do Navratri fasting and worship? Most powerful time of the year!

Your short guide for the Navratri period starting October 15th

Navratri is the most powerful time in the year for Shakti worship. Navratri celebrates 9 nights of the divine feminine, Maa Durga where Kali is worshipped for the first three days, Lakshmi is worshipped for the next three years and Saraswati for the last three days. The festival culminates on Vijayadashami, which is the 10th day.

There are many different ways that you can do Navratri sadhana according to Hindu traditions. Even the smallest of efforts will yield you BIG results in this time because the energy you accumulate now will last the whole year. The whole of the universe is regenerating itself right now and you can easily tap into higher states of consciousness.

By following some basic fasting and rituals, you will gain increased strength, open yourself to receiving the influx of divine energies during this time and be able to access greater depths in your own spiritual practice.

Did you know that there are actually FOUR Navratris in a year? The main ones being now and in Chaitra Navratri which is in spring. Our Hindu ancestors were very precise in their understanding of the cosmos and all of our ancestral lineage rituals are rooted in that understanding which empowers us on all levels.

First, how do you do Navratri fasting or vrat? Let’s read.

There are many ways to take vrat or fasting in Navratri. The way I fast is that I only consume dry fruits, fruits, desi indigenous cow milk (only) and if I’m very hungry then maybe some boiled sweet potato at night otherwise I don’t eat any cooked food. I break my fast on the 10th day which is Dusshera.

What are the benefits of fasting during Navratri?

Plain and simple, doing a basic fasting discipline during Navratri will allow your body and energy field to receive the frequencies during this time and access higher states of consciousness.

If you can’t do a complete fruit fast, you can also take special vrat food which is easily available in India.

The MAIN things to avoid are alcohol, salt, grains, meat, and certain vegetables.

You can also take one meal in the evening and fast the whole day which is another kind of vrat. Search more on this by yourself and definitely even the smallest of effort will pay off if you keep discipline over your food during this time!

How do you start a spiritual sadhana or practice during Navratri?

Navratri is the peak time for Shakti worship. The first three days are dedicated to Maa Kali, second three to Maa Lakshmi and last three to Maa Saraswati. We celebrate all the various forms of Maa Durga during this time.

Let’s FIRST know the different forms of Maa Durga worshipped on each of the days which you can integrate into your practice:

• Day 1 (Pratipada): Maa Shailaputri

• Day 2 (Dwitiya): Maa Brahmacharini

• Day 3 (Tritiya): Maa Chandraghanta

• Day 4 (Chathurthi): Maa Kushmanda

• Day 5 (Panchami): Maa Skandamata

• Day 6 (Shashti): Maa Katyayani

• Day 7 (Saptami): Maa Kalratri

• Day 8 (Ashtami): Maa Maha Gauri

• Day 9 (Navami): Maa Siddhidhatri

The meanings of each will be shared in a separate article.

Here is a very simple way to worship Shakti during these entire 9 days.

1. Every evening, simply light a ghee or oil lamp with some incense, if you have a home temple or print a picture of Maa Durga to keep in front of you on a table. Ensure that Maa Durga is facing east or west direction.

2. First light the lamp and incense and offer to Maa Durga. Chant Aum Gam Ganapataye Namah three times to invoke Ganesh.

3. Sit and observe your breathing for sometime and practice meditation. Meditate upon the form of Maa Durga in your mind and offer prayers.

4. Open and recite these 32 names of Maa Durga and you can learn them or simply listen and chant with Sanskrit pronuncation. Listening is good but making efforts to chant and learn with the video will have a lot more benefit. This can then be continued as a daily practice.

5. Search for the particular AARTI of the form of Maa Durga worshipped on that day and then offer the lamp, ring bells and sing this Aarti every evening. For example here is Maa Shailputri Aarti

What about other practices?

There are a lot more many forms of Puja. Here are some important points to consider:

• This is one of the biggest times for accumulating and conserving energy. So spend even just 10 minutes in meditation every day will give you a lot of progress and support.

• Visit the traditional Hindu Shakti temples during this time. The new age organisations may have their own events but that doesn’t substitute for the Hindu traditions and their origin. Spend time in the temples and sit and meditate there to connect to the energy.

• Do danam or contribute to dharmic causes during this time will reap a lot of puny or good karma. You can donate to people for dharma who are rebuilding traditional Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu here, I have personally visited them. Make sure you put a 1 at the end of your donation!

• Get up as early as you can to make use of the energy. The most powerful time to wake up is in Brahma Muharat and it will absolutely pay off if you wake up at 3-5am and do your spiritual practice, learn Sanskrit stotrams during this time as your memory power is way more active and so is your third eye / pineal gland. Shakti worship is generally done in the night so if you can then keep a morning and an evening practice.

• To get proper pujas done and to establish Maa Durga in your home you can also call a Karmakandi brahmin pandit to do Pran Pratishta or establishment of the deity, there are so many Vedic rituals but that is beyond the scope of this article. Best is to speak to an authentic pandit who can do puja for you and guide you.

There is much more to write on this but this is the simplest format you can follow and integrate to make the best use of this time and connect to the consciousness of Maa Durga. Leave your questions in the comments.

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Jaa Maa Kamakhya