Durga Ashtami (Maha Ashtami): Thursday, 7 October 2027. Ashtami tithi in New Delhi: 7 Oct, 04:14 – 8 Oct, 06:28 IST.
Timings in New Delhi
- Ashtami tithi
- 7 Oct, 04:14 – 8 Oct, 06:28
How we calculate this
- Computed with Swiss Ephemeris (Lahiri) from each city's own sunrise and sunset. Other almanacs can differ by a minute or two.
Durga Ashtami (Maha Ashtami) (दुर्गा अष्टमी (महा अष्टमी)) is a festival falling in the Hindu lunar month of आश्विन. Its position is fixed by tithi rather than by the Gregorian calendar, so the date moves every year and is computed from the panchang. Tradition keeps a fast on the day.
Durga Ashtami (Maha Ashtami)
दुर्गा अष्टमी (महा अष्टमी)
Hindu month: आश्विन
Panchang Basis (Tithi Rule)
Ashvina Shukla Ashtami fixes the day, so the English date moves each year.
About This Festival
The Maha Ashtami of Sharad Navratri — the fiercest day of Durga worship, with Mahagauri puja, Sandhi puja at the junction of ashtami and navami, kanya pujan of nine young girls, and the pushpanjali offered in pandals across Bengal and the north.
शारदीय नवरात्रि की महाष्टमी — महागौरी पूजा, संधि पूजा, नौ कन्याओं का कन्या पूजन और पुष्पांजलि के साथ माँ दुर्गा की आराधना का सबसे प्रमुख दिन।
Significance
The eighth night is when Durga's shakti is worshipped at its peak: Mahagauri, the radiant eighth form, grants purification of past karma, while the Sandhi muhurat — the join of ashtami and navami — recalls the moment Chamunda slew Chanda and Munda. Kanya pujan treats nine unmarried girls as living forms of the Devi; feeding them is held to complete the entire Navratri vrat. Devotees with a weak or afflicted Chandra or persistent fear-patterns take this day's Devi upasana as a strengthening upay.
Puja Vidhi (How to Observe)
Bathe and set the puja before Maa Mahagauri; offer white flowers, halwa, puri, and chana — the classic ashtami bhog. Perform the Durga Saptashati path or at least the Argala and Kavach, followed by pushpanjali. Observe the Sandhi puja in the final ghadi of ashtami with 108 diyas where the tradition permits. Invite nine kanyas and one boy (Bhairav), wash their feet, apply roli, tie kalava, feed them halwa-puri-chana, and see them off with dakshina. Evening aarti concludes the vrat for most families.
Regional Names
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Durga Ashtami (Maha Ashtami) celebrated?
Durga Ashtami (Maha Ashtami) falls on Monday, 19 October 2026 and on Thursday, 7 October 2027.
Is Durga Ashtami (Maha Ashtami) a fasting (vrat) day?
Yes, Durga Ashtami (Maha Ashtami) is a vrat.
Dates in recent and coming years
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2023 | |
| 2024 | |
| 2025 | |
| 2026 | |
| 2027 | |
| 2028 | |
| 2029 | |
| 2030 |
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