Patna: Preparations for Durga Puja are under way across India as devotees look ahead to a rare 10-day Navratri festival, which will begin on September 22.
Traditionally lasting nine days, this year’s Sharadiya Navratri will run an extra day because the Chaturthi Tithi, or fourth lunar day, falls on both September 25 and 26. The overlap means worshippers will observe rituals for 10 days instead of the usual nine.
The Navratri celebrations will conclude on October 1, with Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashami, observed nationwide on October 2. According to the Panchang (Hindu calendar), such a 10-day Navratri last occurred in 2016 and is happening again after nine years.
Astrologers say that this year, the goddess Durga is believed to arrive riding on an elephant – an omen considered to symbolise prosperity, abundance and progress.
Key festival dates:
- September 22: Navratri begins
- September 25–26: Chaturthi Tithi
- September 30: Durga Ashtami (Maha Ashtami)
- October 1: Navami Tithi, end of Navratri
- October 2: Vijayadashami (Dussehra)
