Navratri

Navratri — 'nine nights' — is the Goddess's festival, celebrated twice a year (Sharad Navratri in Ashwin / October, Chaitra Navratri in March–April). The central story is the killing of the buffalo-demon Mahishasura by Durga. Mahishasura had won a boon that no man or god could kill him; the gods, unable to confront him, combined their energies into a single being — Durga — who fought him for nine nights and slew him on the tenth (Vijayadashami, also called Dussehra).

Each of the nine nights is dedicated to one of the Navadurga — the nine forms of Durga: Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri, Siddhidatri. In eastern India, especially Bengal, the festival takes the form of Durga Puja: pandals are built, Durga idols installed, and the slaying of Mahishasura is re-enacted nightly. In Gujarat, the nine nights are nights of Garba — circular folk-dance honouring the Goddess as Shakti.

Many households observe a partial or full fast through the nine days — eating only fruits, dairy, and 'farali' foods (sabudana, kuttu flour, sendha namak). A ghatasthapana (kalash establishment) is performed on day 1 to invoke the Goddess; the kalash is worshipped daily through to Vijayadashami.

Garba and Dandiya — circular dances done with sticks or empty hands — are nightly community events in Gujarat and Maharashtra. In Bengal, the four-day Durga Puja (Saptami through Vijayadashami) sees elaborate processions, music, food, and the final immersion (visarjan) of the Durga idol in a river or pond.