Shardiya Navratri Begins Sept 22, End Date Varies Across Regions

Shardiya Navratri began on Monday, September 22, as millions of devotees across India performed Ghatasthapana, the installation of the sacred Kalash, and began nine nights of worship of Goddess Durga. The festival, which honours the nine forms of the goddess known as the Navadurgas, will culminate in the victory rituals of Vijayadashami, though reports varied on whether celebrations will conclude on October 1 or October 2. According to the Drik Panchang calendar and several Hindu calendar authorities, this year’s Sharad Navratri runs from September 22 to October 2, making it effectively a ten-day observance in some traditions because one day from Pitru Paksha has been added to the festival period.

The precise start date prompted confusion because the Pratipada tithi that marks Navratri spans the nights of September 21 and 22. Astrologer Dr. Mrityunjay Tiwari of Maharishi Panini Sanskrit and Vedic University, Ujjain, said the recognised convention is to use the sunrise tithi, which places the festival’s official start on the morning of September 22. Drik Panchang sets the primary Ghatasthapana muhurat in the early morning, roughly between 6:09 a.m. and 8:06 a.m., with an...