Durga Ashtami 2022: Date, Time, Colour, Rituals, Mantra, and Significance of Maha Ashtami

Durga Ashtami 2022: Date, Time, Colour, Rituals, Mantra, and Significance of Maha Ashtami.

Durga Ashtami 2022 date in India: Durga Ashtami, also referred to as Maha Ashtami or just Ashtami, is that the third day of the four-day festival, celebrated in many Indian states and around the world mainly by the Bengali community.

This year, Maha Ashtami falls on Monday, October 3. in keeping with Drik Panchang, the Ashtami tithi begins at 06.47 pm on October 2 and ends at 04.37 pm on October 3.

Durga Ashtami 2022

Durga Ashtami is taken into account as the most important festival day, which begins with ‘mahasnan’ in the morning. this is often followed by the installation of nine small pots that are then wont to invoke the nine Shaktis of Goddess Durga.

A key feature of Maha Ashtami is the ‘sandhi puja’ which, because the name suggests it, means puja that happens usually within the ‘evening’. it's to be performed with austerity because devotees believe during this point, the Goddess opens her eyes to stare at people and hear the prayers of her devotees.

Drik Panchang states that sandhi puja has special significance because it's done at the juncture when Ashtami Tithi ends and Navami tithi begins. it's said that Devi Chamunda — another fierce avatar of Durga — had given the impression to slay demons, Chanda and Munda, now.

It is customary to try and do a symbolic sacrifice during this puja; previously, people would sacrifice animals until it absolutely was outlawed. Nowadays, there's a symbolic cutting of banana, cucumber, or pumpkin.

It should be noted that sandhi puja can happen any time within the day, not necessarily within the evening. it's also customary to light 108 earthen lamps during ‘sandhi kaal’.

Another unique feature of Ashtami is that in the ‘Kumari Puja’, those prepubescent girls are treated as Goddess Durga herself, and worshipped.