Durga Ashtami 2023: The festival of Strength and Femininity!

Did you know that Durga Ashtami comes every month? Many of us do not know of this fact. The biggest and most important celebration of Durga Ashtami is during Navratri. Navratri is a nine-day-long festival where people all over India celebrate women and worship the goddess for 9 days. However, Durga Ashtami is not only celebrated during Navratri, but it comes every month! It signifies the victory of good over evil and teaches us valuable lessons in life. Let’s celebrate Durga Ashtami 2023 with great joy!

Now that we know that this auspicious day comes every month, we might wonder when Ashtami is this month. Keep reading to know more about Durga Ashtami Date, time and how to celebrate it!

• Durga Ashtami 2023 Date: June 26 2023, Monday
• Tithi Begins: June 26, 2023, 12:25 AM
• Tithi Ends: June 27, 2023, 2:05 AM

What is Durga Ashtami?

To understand the significance of Durga Ashtami, we should first understand what its name means. In Sanskrit, ‘Durga’ means undefeatable. Now we might wonder, what is Ashtami? The word ‘Ashtami’ means the 8th day. This is the meaning of Durga Asthami.

We celebrate Durga Ashtami every month. Goddess Durga is the ideal of strength and infinite power. Maa Durga is a deity who symbolises the divine feminine energy. Her worship signifies the triumph of good over evil.

We know Maa Durga by many names, such as Kali, Bhagvati, Bhavani, Ambika, Lalita and Gauri. Maa Durga also has nine manifestations which represent power, strength, bravery, knowledge, beauty, grace, and auspiciousness.

Durga Ashtami is the day when the mighty goddess defeated the demon Mahishasura. It is a day to worship the goddess and celebrate the divine feminine. If you follow the rituals for Durga Ashtami, goddess Durga will bless you with prosperity and remove obstacles from your life.

Monthly Durga Ashtami Significance

Masik, or Monthly Durga Ashtami, is the day of strength and divine power. It falls on the eighth day or Ashtami on the Shukla Paksha (bright lunar fortnight) every month. It is an extremely auspicious day in the Hindu community.

On Durga Ashtami, people observe a daylong fast which starts from dawn and goes on till dusk. This is a gesture of their love and devotion to the goddess. People perform Pooja and sing hymns and aartis for Maa Durga.

The biggest celebration dedicated to the goddess Durga is held during Navratri. We call it Mahanavami. People across the country worship the nine manifestations of the goddess, which represent different qualities.

On Durga Ashtami, we offer things like Paan, cloves, Akshat and Kumkum. They also offer fruits and sweets to impress goddess Durga and seek her blessings. By keeping the durga ashtami vrat and doing durga ashtami puja, you can receive the blessings of the goddess and bring fortune into your life.

This day is an opportunity for worshippers to seek blessings from Goddess Durga. We pray for strength, courage, prosperity, and protection against negative energies and obstacles in life. Maa Durga showers her devotees with grace and fulfils their sincere prayers.

Durga Ashtami gives devotees a chance to strengthen their spiritual connection and faith in the divine. The festival serves as a reminder of the ultimate power and the presence of divine energy that can help overcome challenges and guide individuals on the correct path.

Also Read: Dev Uthani Ekadashi: An Ideal Time To Seek God’s Blessings

Rituals to celebrate Durga Ashtami 

Durga Ashtami rituals can give you great benefits and blessings. Various regions of India have different rituals to celebrate this auspicious day, but some rituals are widely followed. To gain the protection and divine blessings of this goddess, you can follow these rituals on Durga Ashtami 2023.

1. Durga Ashtami Puja

People wake up early in the morning, bathe and dress in neat clothes. Then they remember Maa Durga to start their day with her blessings. On this day, people decorate the goddess’s idol in red clothes and offer sindoor, Akshat, cardamom, flowers and cloves.

2. Durga Ashtami Vrat

After praying in the morning, people begin with a day-long fast. They light the Aakhand Jyoti, which is a diya that is kept alive throughout the day. Some people who keep the Durga Ashtami vrat sleep on the floor as a moto of dedication to Maa Durga. You cannot consume non-vegetarian food or Alchohol during the Durga Ashtami Vrat.

3. Kumari Pujan

Kumari, or Kanya Pujan, is one of the most widely performed Durga Ashtami rituals. On the day of Durga Ashtami, people invite young girls, also called Kanya. They are usually 6-12 years old, as many believe Maa Durga resides in them. Therefore, these young girls are pure and divine. People welcome them into their homes and wash their feed. Then, they feed the girls and touch their feet to receive blessings. They also give them gifts and things like coconuts and fruits as offerings.

4. Donating to Brahmins

During the evening, people visit goddess Durga’s temples. They also donate to Brahmins, which is a holy practice. Donating to Brahmins is a very common auspicious practice which people perform on many auspicious occasions. Many say that doing this pleases the gods, and you receive many blessings from them. After visiting the temples, people break their durga ashtami vrat in the evening.

5. Sowing Barley Seeds

According to Hindu mythology, barley was the first crop after the beginning of creation. Therefore, whenever deities are worshipped, people offer barley. Barleys are representatives of the lord Brahma and remind us to respect the grain. After the barleys have grown almost 3-5 inches, people offer them to Maa Durga and then distribute them amongst their families.

Durga Ashtami Vrat Katha

There are many variations of the interesting story behind this day. If you Read or listen to Durga Ashtami Vrat Katha, Maa Durga will bless you with prosperity and fortune. It will give you the desired fruit on Durga Ashtami 2023. 

According to mythological beliefs, there was a demon known as Mahishasura. He had a strong desire to be immortal since childhood. To fulfil this desire, he started severe penance of Lord Brahma. This pleased Lord Brahma, and hence, he decided to grant Mahishasura the boon he sought. Mahishasura asked to be made immortal, to which Lord Brahma replied that the cycle of birth and death is certain.

Mahishasura accepted and, therefore, asked for another boon. It was that only a woman would be able to kill him, and no other deities would be able to defeat him. Lord Brahma granted him the boon, and therefore, he became undefeatable.

Mahishasura started creating chaos in the universe, due to which all the gods were deeply distressed. They went to Kailash and asked for Lord Shiva’s help. Tridev, which is the trinity of Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, came together and created Durga.

They blessed Maa Durga with all their strength and also gave her many weapons to defeat evil. She then defeated Mahishasura and freed everyone from his destruction. Therefore, many believe that the festival of Durga Ashtami (Masik durga ashtami) started from the day when Maa Durga freed heaven, earth and the underworld from Mahishasura’s sins.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Durga Ashtami is a significant day that celebrates the victory of good over evil and worships the divine feminine energy.  Maa Durga is the symbol of power and energy. She teaches us how to be victorious and not let evil overcome our goodness. Durga Ashtami 2023 is a time for devotion, celebration, and seeking blessings for strength, prosperity, and protection in life. Our Hindu festivals have many interesting stories behind them. We at InstaAstro encourage our readers to explore further about these festivals and their meanings. To read more about such fascinating festivals, visit our website and download the app!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

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