Durga Puja 2023 in Kolkata will begin on Friday, October 20, and culminate on Tuesday, October 24. It begins with Subho Sasthi, which will be celebrated on October 20, 2023, and will culminate on Vijayadashami, which will be celebrated on October 24. Durga Puja festival is observed in the month of Ashwin across India, especially in the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Tripura, Odisha, Jharkhand, and parts of Uttar Pradesh. Traditionally, the festival is observed for 10 days by Hindus, but the actual puja that takes place in the 'pandals' is held over a period of 5 days, starting from Sashthi. The festival dedicated to Maa Durga falls in the month of September or October in the Gregorian calendar.

Durgotsava refers to a grand festivity of five days, which are known as Subho Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and Vijayadashami. In this article, let’s know more about the Durga Ashtami 2023 date, puja vidhi and the significance of this auspicious day.

Durga Ashtami 2023 Date

Durga Ashtami falls on the bright lunar fortnight Ashtami tithi of Ashwin month, according to the Hindu calendar. This year, Durga Ashtami 2023 or Maha Ashtami 2023 will be celebrated on Sunday, October 22.

Durga Ashtami Puja Vidhi

  1. Devotees should wake up early in the morning, take a bath, and then begin the puja rituals.

  2. The priest symbolically awakens the Goddess and invokes the Goddess by blowing the conch shell.

  3. Devotees should then light a ghee diya and offer flowers and fruits to the Goddess while reciting mantras.

  4. Elaborate aartis are performed, which symbolises offering light, removing darkness, and seeking the blessings of Durga Maa.

  5. Special foods and sweets are prepared for the Goddess and are offered as bhog, which are later distributed as prasad to the devotees.

Durga Ashtami Significance

Durga Ashtami is also popularly known as Maha Ashtami. It is the eighth day of the Navratri festival celebrated by Hindus for worshipping Goddess Durga and is marked by the ritualistic 'pushpanjali'. This day is also known for 'Astra Puja' (Worshipping Weapons), as on this day, the weapons of Goddess Durga are worshipped. According to religious beliefs, it is believed in some regions, the Goddess Chamunda appeared on this day from the forehead of Mother Durga and annihilated Chanda, Munda, and Rakthabija, the demons who were associates of Mahishasura.

Sandhi Puja Time and Significance

Sandhi Puja holds a significant place during Durga Puja celebrations. According to Drik Panchang, Sandhi Puja is done at the juncture when Durga Ashtami Tithi ends and Maha Navami Tithi starts. It is believed that Devi Chamunda appeared during this time to kill demons, Chanda and Munda. Sandhi Puja prevails for two Ghatis, which lasts approximately 48 minutes.

Durga Puja 2023: Know Start & End Date, Rituals, Significance & When To Perform Dhunuchi Naach

The 64 Yoginis and Ashta Shakti are worshipped during the Durga Puja rituals on Maha Ashtami. The Ashta Shakti worshipped during Durga Puja includes Brahmani, Maheswari, Kaumari, Vaishnavi, Varahi, Narasinghi, Indrani and Chamunda.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 10, 2023 07:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).