Shardiya Navratri 2023 Dates and 9 Maa Durga Forms

The holy Shardiya Navratri celebration is almost approaching, and Maa Durga’s followers are preparing to celebrate the nine-day event in style. Hindus commemorate four Navratris each year. However, two Navratris—Chaitra Navratri and Shardiya Navratri—are marked by extensive festivities. The forthcoming Navratri will be Shardiya, or from Ashwin Shukla Paksha’s Navami to Pratipada. Devotees worship Maa Durga and her nine incarnations, known as the Navadurgas, during this period. Knowing the exact dates and the accompanying Goddess is important because the event is observed throughout the course of nine days. Discover the Shardiya Navratri calendar, which lists the dates of the auspicious nine-day celebrations, by scrolling through.

Shardiya Navratri 2023 Calender

• October 15 – Ghatasthapana (invocation of Goddess Shakti), Shailputri Puja
• October 16 – Brahmacharini Puja (Maa Brahmacharini)
• October 17 – Sindoor Tritiya, Chandraghanta Puja (Maa Chandraghanta)
• October 18 – Kushmanda Puja (Maa Kushmanda), Vinayak Chaturthi
• October 19 – Skandamata Puja (Maa Skandamata)
• October 20 – Katyayani Puja (Maa Katyayani)
• October 21 – Saraswati Puja, Kalratri Puja (Saptami) (Maa Kalratri)
• October 22 – Durga Ashtami, Mahagauri Puja (Maa Mahagauri) and Sandhi Puja
• October 23 – Maha Navami
• October 24 – Navratri Parana (breaking the fast), Durga Visarjan and Vijayadashami

Following the nine-day festivities, Durga Visarjan and Vijayadashami, also known as Dussehra, mark the conclusion of Navratri. On this day, Maa Durga worshippers ask for her to return the next year by submerging her statues in bodies of water. It also commemorates Maa Durga’s triumph over Mahishasura and Lord Rama’s victory over Ravana.

Shardiya Navratri, meantime, occurs in the autumnal lunar month of Ashwin. Women in Maharashtra and Gujarat, in particular, dress in nine different hues over the nine days of Navratri. The day of the week determines what colors to choose. Since each iteration of Maa Durga is unique and special in her own right, devotees also make a specific bhog for each one.