Chaitra Navratri: the Goddess's nine nights in spring

What Chaitra Navratri is

There are two major Navratris in the year: Sharad Navratri in autumn (Ashvina) and Chaitra Navratri in spring. Chaitra Navratri begins on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada and ends on Navami, and that Navami is Ram Navami. So in these nine days the worship of the Goddess is joined by remembrance of Shri Rama; many homes read the Ramcharitmanas or Ramayana over nine days.

The worship is much the same as in Sharad Navratri: ghatasthapana, sowing barley, a lamp, readings to the Goddess and kanya pujan. For detail see our Navratri page; this page builds on it and gives no different rule.

How the date is decided

Shastra (Dharmasindhu): the Goddess's Navratra begins on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada itself, and the particular decisions such as the parana are to be understood as for the Ashvina Navratra. So the start rule is the same as in Sharad Navratri: the Pratipada that lasts three muhurtas after sunrise (about 2 h 24 min), else one lasting two; and no start on a Pratipada joined to Amavasya.

For Chaitra, Dharmasindhu also says the Pratipada joined to the following tithi (Dvitiya) is taken here, even if it lasts only a short while. In most years both point to the same day; our calendar applies the Sharad Navratri rule.

Navratri is counted by tithis, not calendar dates, so a tithi dropping or repeating can make it eight or ten days. The Navami (Ram Navami) is fixed by its own rule, given on our Ram Navami page.

With the new year

Shastra (Dharmasindhu): the year begins on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada. For that day the text speaks of raising a flag at every house, eating neem leaves, hearing the new year's forecast, and starting the Navratra.

Today it is kept under many names (tradition): Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra and Goa (a gudi is raised outside the home), Ugadi in Karnataka, Andhra and Telangana (the neem-and-jaggery ‘pachadi’), Cheti Chand among Sindhis, Navreh among Kashmiri Pandits, and Nava Samvatsara in north India. Tradition reads eating neem and jaggery together as accepting both the bitter and the sweet in life.

The story: tradition / Purana story

The Goddess's stories are those of Sharad Navratri: in the Devi Mahatmya (Durga Saptashati) Goddess Durga overcomes Mahishasura and other asuras, and it is widely read in these days. Worshipping nine forms of the Goddess over the nine days (Shailaputri to Siddhidatri) is also a tradition.

Chaitra Navratri's own story is Rama's birth: tradition holds that Rama was born in Ayodhya on Chaitra Shukla Navami. So many families see the Navratri as a lead-up to Ram Navami. Goddess temples in Jammu, Himachal and Uttarakhand hold large fairs in these days.

How families celebrate

North India: ghatasthapana, barley shoots, readings of the Durga Saptashati or Ramayana, kanya pujan on Ashtami or Navami, and Rama's birth festival on Ram Navami. Maharashtra: the new year welcomed with Gudi Padwa. South India: Ugadi and Sri Rama Navami festivals, in places called ‘Vasanta Navaratri’. Bengal: Basanti puja in many homes. Rajasthan: the Gangaur festival also falls around this time.

Each region's custom differs; no one way is required of everyone.

A simple puja

1. Ghatasthapana: on the Pratipada morning sow barley in a clay tray and set a kalasha of water on it, with mango leaves and a coconut.
2. A picture or image of the Goddess, and a lamp (daily or constant, as suits you).
3. Daily flowers, roli, rice, and chanting the Goddess's name or a hymn; a little Ramayana if you like.
4. On the new year's day, a few tender neem leaves with jaggery.
5. On Ashtami or Navami, feed young girls with respect (kanya pujan), as your family's custom is.
6. Rama's birth on Navami; put the barley shoots into plant soil, not flowing water.

No paid puja is needed.

Health and safety

Fasting and health: keep the fast as your health allows. With diabetes, blood pressure, pregnancy, breastfeeding, older age, if you are unwell, or on regular medicine, choose a lighter form (fruit, milk, or one simple meal), or ask your doctor first. Don't change medicine timings. For health, the doctor comes first; no vrat replaces that. A full nine-day fast is not required; shorter options are in the tradition too (see our Navratri page).

The heat begins in Chaitra: keep taking water, lemon water, buttermilk or coconut water even while fasting, avoid long queues in the sun, and break the fast if you feel dizzy. Dharmasindhu speaks of giving a water stall (prapa) on this very Pratipada: keeping water out for passers-by, animals and birds in the heat is a lovely custom of the season. Don't leave a constant lamp unattended.

In ePandit

In ePandit: our calendar shows the festival day with your city's sunrise and sunset. The day is decided once, for Ujjain; your city's times are shown separately. We don't compute muhurta yet, and we never call a festival good or bad for anyone.

Frequently asked questions