Patna: Chaitra Navratri, one of the most significant Hindu festivals, begins today, coinciding with the start of the Hindu New Year. The nine-day celebration opens with the Kalash Sthapana, or installation of the sacred pot, symbolising the arrival of the Mother Goddess mounted on a palanquin.
The festival falls on the Pratipada (first day) of the Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of the moon) in the month of Chaitra, accompanied by the auspicious alignment of the Uttarabhadrapada Nakshatra and Shukla Yoga. The Pratipada Tithi begins at 6:51 AM today, Thursday, when devotees will formally commence Navratri rituals, including vows (Sankalp), scriptural recitations, and mantra chanting.
The Kalash Sthapana, rooted in the Devi Purana, is central to Navratri worship. The Kalash is considered the abode of deities including Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, the nine planets (Navagrahas), all rivers and oceans, the seven mythical islands, the sixteen divine mothers (Shodasha Matrikas), the sixty-four Yoginis (Chausath Yoginis), and all 330 million Hindu deities. Worshipping the Kalash is believed to bring happiness, prosperity, peace, familial progress, and the removal of disease and sorrow.
Devotion to the nine forms of the Goddess, or Navadurga, across the nine days of Chaitra Navratri is said to foster spiritual growth, inner strength, intellectual development, and overall well-being. The period is considered especially auspicious for self-purification, spiritual discipline, and seeking divine grace.
Auspicious Timings for Kalash Sthapana
- Pratipada Tithi: From 6:51 AM onwards
- Taurus Ascendant Muhurat: 08:52 AM – 10:49 AM
- Guli Kala Muhurat: 09:06 AM – 10:33 AM
- Abhijit Muhurat: 11:38 AM – 12:24 PM
- Char-Labh-Amrit Muhurat: 10:33 AM – 02:57 PM
- Leo Ascendant Muhurat: 03:21 PM – 05:35 PM
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Forms of the Goddess Worshipped During Navratri
- March 19 – Shailaputri
- March 20 – Brahmacharini
- March 21 – Chandraghanta
- March 22 – Kushmanda
- March 23 – Skandamata
- March 24 – Katyayani
- March 25 – Kalaratri
- March 26 – Mahagauri
- March 27 – Siddhidatri
- March 28 – Vijayadashami
Devotees across India mark the festival with prayers, fasting, and celebrations, heralding both spiritual renewal and the start of a new year in the Hindu calendar.
