Navratri is the most auspicious nine-day long Hindu festival. The first day of Sharad Navratri in 2023 falls on Sunday, October 15, 2023 and is dedicated to Maa Shailputri. During navratri we worship 9 forms of Goddess Durga. There are 5 Navratris in Hindu calendar and they are- Chaitra, Aashad, Ashwin, Paush and Magh. Navratri falls in Paush, Magh, and Ashadha are known as Gupt Navratris.
Different forms of Goddess Durga- Maa Shailputri, Maa Brahmacharini, Maa Chandraghanta, Maa Kushmanda, Maa Skandamata, Maa Katyayani, Maa Kalaratri, Maa MahaGauri, Maa Siddhidatri are worshiped during Sharadiya Navratri.
Shardiya Navratri 2023 Overview
| Festival | Sharad Navratri (शारदीय नवरात्रि) |
| First day of Sharad Navratri 2023 | October 15 |
| Date | October 15, 2023 to October 24, 2023 |
| Other Navratri in a year | Chaitra navratri, Gupt navratri |
| Dedicated | 9 forms of Maa Durga |
| Vrat Paran | October 24 |
Shardiya Navratri 2023 Date
This year, Sharad Navratri is starting from 15th October while the Vijayadashami falls on 24th October 2023. Have a look at full Sharad Navratri 2023 schedule:
| Day 1 | Maa Shailputri Puja, घटस्थापना | 15th October |
| Day 2 | Maa Brahmacharini Puja, Dvitiya, चंद्र दर्शन | 16th October |
| Day 3 | Maa Chandraghanta Puja, Tritiya | 17th October |
| Day 4 | Maa Kushmanda Puja, चतुर्थी | 18th October |
| Day 5 | Maa Skandamata Puja, Panchami | 19th October |
| Day 6 | Maa Katyayani Puja, Shashti | 20th October |
| Day 7 | Maa Kalaratri Puja, Saptmi | 21st October |
| Day 8 | Maa MahaGauri Puja, Maha Ashtami | 22nd October |
| Day 9 | Maa Siddhidatri Puja, Maha Navami | 23rd October |
| Day 10 | Vijaya Dashmi, Dussehra, Durga Puja Visarjan | 24th October |
Different Colors you should wear on Navratri
Navratri is a 9-day long Hindu festival when we worship Goddess Durga and her 9 avatars. Each day in Navratri is associated to a special color and it has massive religious significance. Let’s have a look at 9 different colors you should wear on 9 days of coming Sharad Navratri.
| Navratri Day 1 | Yellow |
| Navratri Day 2 | Green |
| Navratri Day 3 | Grey |
| Navratri Day 4 | Orange |
| Navratri Day 5 | White |
| Navratri Day 6 | Red |
| Navratri Day 7 | Royal Blue |
| Navratri Day 8 | Red |
| Navratri Day 9 | Pink |
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9 Avatars of Goddess Durga we worship
| Navratri Day 1 | Mata Shailputri | The festival of Sharad navratri starts with worshipping Mata Shailputri. She is daughter of Mountains. We should wear yellow colour on this day which marks the brightness and happiness. |
| Navratri Day 2 | Mata Brahmacharini | On second day, we worship Mata Brahmacharini. This unmarried form of Maa Parvati was born at the home of Daksha Prajapati. |
| Navratri Day 3 | Mata Chandraghanta | Mata Chandraghanta is the third form of Goddess Durga we worship on the third day of Navratri. This form of Maa Dugra is also known as Chandika, Chandrakhanda, or Rannchandi. The third eye of Mata Chandraghanta is always open which means she is always prepared to fight against demons. |
| Navratri Day 4 | Mata Khushmanda | We worship Mata Khushmanda (smiling goddess) on fourth day of sharad navratri. She is the fourth form of Goddess Durga. It is believed that Maa Khushmanda created the universe with her radiant smile. |
| Navratri Day 5 | Maa Skandmata | Maa Skandmata is the fifth form of goddess durga we worship on 5th day of sharad navratri. This form of goddess durga protects her devotees like a mother protects her child. |
| Navratri Day 6 | Mata Katyayani | We worship Mata Katyayani on the sixth day of sharad navratri. She is the slayer of the tyrannical demon Mahishasura. This day is associated to colour red as fearlessness and beuty both are associated to Red colour. |
| Navratri Day 7 | Maa Kalaratri | Maa Kalaratri is worshipped on seventh day of sharad navratri. This form of Goddess durga is believed as her fiercest form who destroys darkness and evil. |
| Navratri Day 8 | MahaGauri | The day 8 of sharad navtri is dedicated to MahaGauri who is the 8th form of goddess Durga. We should wear red clothes on this day. It is believed that Goddess Mahagauri can fulfill all wishes of her devotees. |
| Navratri Day 9 | Mata Siddhidatri | On last day of Navratri, we worship the 9th form of goddess durga Mata Siddhidatri. Worshipping to Mata Siddhidatri brings fortune and luck in our life. |
Foods allowed during Navratri Vrat
If you are observing navratri fast then you must be curious to know that which food you can eat during the vrat. Here is the list of foods which are allowed during navratri vrat.
- Flours and Grains– Kuttu ka atta, Singhare ka atta, Sama ke chawal ka atta, Rajgira ka atta, Paniphal flour, Barnyard millet
- Spices and herbs- Cumin, Ginger, Hari mirch, Dry pomegranate seeds, Sendha namak, Black pepper powder, Ajwain, Lemons, Amchur powder
- Vegetables– Sweet potato, potato, Pumpkin, Arbi, unripe papaya, Tomatoes
- Other- Makhana, Sabudana, nuts and dry fruits, fruits, milk, sugar, honey, tea, coconun milk
Shardiya Navratri 2023 Significances
Out of 5 navratris, chaitra navratri and sharad navratri are broadly known and celebrated worldwide. We worship nine forms of goddess durga on sharad navratri to take blessings from Goddess Shakti.
- Different forms of Maa shakti are worshiped on 9 days of sharad navrati. There are certain colours associated to each day of navratri.
- Sharad Navratri is also known as Maha navratri and celebrated at the beginning of winter and therefore it is also called as Shardiya Navratri.
- Sharad Navratri is observed during the lunar month of Ashvin and it also marks the end of monsoon.
- We celebrate victory of maa shakti against the demon Mahishasura during sharad navratra 2023.
- This festival is dedicated to 9 forms of maa durga only.
Frequently Asked Questions
शारदीय नवरात्रि 15 October से शुरू होकर 24 October को खत्म होगा
23 and 24 October
देवी गौरी देवी पार्वती के अनेक नामों में से एक है।
The details given above are very important and fortunately we can have an authenticated information about our festivals.
One can easily have dates for conducting family functions during the festival days this year, 2022.