There are two main Navratris celebrated by the Hindus in a year- Chaitra Navratri and Sharad Navratri. While Chaitra Navratri is celebrated at the cusp of Summer and Spring, Sharad Navratri is celebrated in Autumn.
Chaitra Navratri is usually celebrated around the months of March and April while Sharad Navratri is celebrated around October-November. This year Chaitra Navratri will start on 2 April 2022.
Hindus will celebrate it with full fervor while they fast and pray to Goddess Durga and ask for her blessings. Few people observe fast for the entire 9 days whereas others might fast for the first two or last days of Navratri.
No matter for how many days you observe the fast, there are certain rules one should follow. Let's have a look at the fasting rules of Navratri.
Avoid Eating Grains
People who observe the Navratri fast must avoid grains like wheat and rice. They can replace these foods with buckwheat flour, water chestnut flour, and amaranth flour. You can use barnyard millet instead of rice which can be used to make kheer, pulao, Khichdi, and Dhoklas. Sabu dana can also be used to prepare dishes instead of rice.
Do Not Use Table Salt
Salt is an ingredient that is important in all dishes but dishes prepared for fasting devotees should not include table salt. Instead, use sendha namak or rock salt which is prepared by boiling the seawater and does not has sodium chloride.
In Ayurveda, rock salt is the superior salt since it has not undergone any processing. And other spices that can be used to enhance the taste of the dishes include cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, cumin seeds, cumin powder, ajwain, kokum, tamarind, nutmeg, etc.
Cooking Oil
The dishes for lunch, breakfast, or snacks should not be prepared in seed based-oils or refined oil. The food prepared during the Navratri must strictly be prepared in pure Ghee or peanut oil.
Do Not Use Onion or Garlic
Onions or Garlic are considered vegetarian food but still cannot be used to prepare food for the people fasting in Navratri. Other things like legumes, rice flour, all-purpose flour, cornflour, lentils, semolina, wheat flour also come under the foods that need to be avoided during Navratri fasting.
Stay Clean
Before starting the day or cooking for the Navratri, the devotees must shower daily. It is believed that people observing the fast must take a bath before 9 AM and must offer the food to the deity before consuming it themselves.
You should also try to keep your house and surroundings clean. People start preparing for the festival a few days before so that Goddess Durga enters a clean home.
Chant Mantras and Light Diya
People who fast during the Navratri do so to show their devotion to the Goddess. They should not only observe the Vrat but also worship the deity every day till the ninth day of Navratri.
People can chant Durga artis, shlokas, and mantras to pray and worship Goddess Durga. A diya needs to be lighted in front of the deity every day and nine girls are served food and worshipped on the last day of Navratri since they are considered the Navdurga.
Have Your Meal after Sunset
Devotees fasting during the Navratri cannot have a proper lunch or dinner before the sunset. They can consume nuts, fruits, or milk during the day but cannot eat the dishes prepared. They are allowed to eat a proper meal only after the sun has set.
Alcohol, smoking, and non-vegetarian food is also prohibited during the Navratri fasting.
Avoid Fried Foods and Snacks From the Market
During the Navratri shopping, you might come across snacks with Navratri snacks or Fasting foods written on their packets. Remember it is a marketing gimmick. These packets can have food that you need to avoid.
The safest option is to eat freshly prepared food in minimal oil. There is no point in starving or hogging on food the whole day if you want to detox or observe the fast as a form of devotion.
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