- By Kashish Rai
- Sun, 30 Mar 2025 02:23 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Chaitra Navratri 2025: Navratri, a vibrant nine-day Hindu festival honours Goddess Durga and her nine divine forms. Chaitra Navratri are set to take place from 30th March 2025 to 6th April 2025. During this sacred period, devotees often observe a fast, known as 'Vrat' to seek the goddess's blessings and purify their entire being. By following specific dietary and ritualistic guidelines, devotees demonstrate their devotion and commitment to spiritual growth.
This fasting period allows them to focus on their spiritual journey, cultivate self-discipline and ultimately, connect with the divine energy of Goddess Durga. However, certain guidelines must be followed during Chaitra Navratri while fasting. Below is the list of fasting rules for Chaitra Navratri. Know what to do and avoid during this 9-day period below:
Chaitra Navratri 2025: Fasting Rules For Navratri Vrat
- Devotees can start their day early, refreshing themselves with a wash and dressing in their finest attire. They then proceed to perform ritualistic puja, a sacred ceremony to invoke the divine. This puja is an integral part of Navratri, allowing devotees to connect with Goddess Durga and seek her blessings. Devotees must also light an akhanda deepak, a continuous flame that burns throughout the nine days.
- During Navratri, devotees who fast or follow partial fasting must adhere to a sattvic vegetarian diet, avoiding onions,garlic, grains and non veg. These ingredients are believed to disrupt the spiritual vibrations during this sacred period. This mindful approach to eating helps devotees cultivate self-discipline and devotion, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in the festive spirit.
- Devotees observing the Navratri fast also follow a set of niyamas or guidelines to enhance their spiritual experience. These include sleeping on the floor, refraining from shaving or nail-cutting and avoiding recreational activities.
- Performing charity during Navratri is highly advised as it believed to bring good fortune. This virtuous act also hels to purify the mind and soul, allowing devotees to receive the goddess's blessings more fully.
- The custom of breaking the Navratri fast varies among devotees, with some choosing to do so on the eighth day (Ashtami) and others on the ninth day (Navami). This significant ritual involves performing ‘Kanya’ or ‘Kanchika Pujan’, where nine young girls are worshipped and their feet washed.
- The ‘Kanya Pujan’ ritual is a poignant conclusion to the Navratri fast. After worshipping and washing the feet of the nine girls, devotees must offer them puri, halwa and chana along with a gift of appreciation. They must also seek blessings of these girls and thereby culminate their fast by consuming Anna prashad.
Chaitra Navratri is a 9-day festival honouring Goddess Durga, where devotees fast and follow guidelines to seek blessings and spiritual growth. (Image Source: Canva)
Chaitra Navratri 2025: Do’s And Don’ts Of Navratri Fasting
- When observing a fast during Navratri, grains like wheat and rice are avoided, but you can opt for substitutes like buckwheat flour, water chestnut flour, amaranth flour, barnyard millet, and sabudana. These alternatives provide essential nutrients while respecting the fasting guidelines.
- Fresh fruits and dry fruits are allowed during the fast, offering a nutritious and satisfying option. You can indulge in a variety of seasonal fruits and dry fruits to keep your energy levels up.
- To add flavour to your food, use rock salt instead of regular table salt. Rock salt is a preferred choice during fasting as it's considered a more natural and purifying option.
- When cooking, choose vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, arbi, kachalu, lemons or pumpkin. Other options include carrots, cucumber, spinach, tomatoes, bottle gourd and cucumber.
- Dairy products like milk, curd, white butter, cottage cheese, ghee and malai are permitted during the fast. These items offer a rich source of protein, calcium and energy.
- For cooking, use peanut oil and desi ghee instead of refined or seed-based oils. These options are considered more pure and suitable for fasting.
- You can also enjoy makhanas, dishes made with coconut or coconut milk, Sonth ki Chutney, melon seeds and peanuts. These foods are nutritious, delicious and allowed during the fast.
All foods prepared during the fast must be made without onion or garlic. This guideline helps maintain the spiritual and purifying intent of the fast.
- Certain foods are strictly prohibited during the fast, including lentils, legumes, rice flour, all-purpose flour, corn flour, whole wheat flour, semolina, non-vegetarian meals, eggs, smoking, alcohol and aerated beverages.
(Disclaimer: This content includes advice providing generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified spiritual or astrological opinion. Always consult a specialist for more information before adopting any measures.)
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