Navratri 2024: When is Ashtami? Date, Shubh Muhurat, Significance and 5 Traditional Maha Ashtami Bhog Recipes

Ashtami, the eighth day of Navratri, holds immense significance in the festival’s celebrations, particularly in states like Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Bihar. Devotees celebrate this auspicious day with enthusiasm. Devotees on this day observe a fast and worship Maa Durga. A key ritual performed on this day is Kanya Pujan, where young girls are honoured as embodiments of the goddess. This year, Durga Ashtami will be celebrated on Friday, October 11. Read below to learn about the dates, shubh muhurat, significance and bhog for Ashtami 2024.

Ashtami 2024: Date

This year, Durga Ashtami will be celebrated on Friday, October 11. This important day in the Navratri festival is dedicated to worshipping Mahagauri, representing purity and serenity. It is also the day when Sandhi Puja is performed, a ritual that marks the transition between Ashtami and Navami.

Ashtami 2024: Shubh Muhurat

The Ashwin Shukla Ashtami Tithi begins from 12:31 PM on October 10 to 12:06 PM on October 11, allowing devotees to dedicate that time to auspicious celebrations and prayers of Goddess Durga.

Ashtami 2024: Significance

The eighth day of Navratri, known as Mahashtami, is a day of immense significance in Hindu culture. This day marks the peak of Goddess Durga’s energy and power, symbolising her fierce battle and victory over the buffalo demon Mahishasura. Devotees honour the goddess in her warrior form, performing rituals and prayers to invoke her strength, courage, and blessings for protection against malevolent forces and obstacles in life.

Many devotees observe fasts, offering flowers, fruits and various symbolic items to the goddess. Special pujas are conducted, and according to Drik Panchang, it is customary to install nine small pots representing Goddess Durga and worship them on Durga Ashtami.

Additionally, Sandhi Puja is observed during this time, marking the auspicious transition between Ashtami and Navami Tithi, specifically during the last 24 minutes of Ashtami and the first 24 minutes of Navami.

Ashtami 2024: 5 Traditional Ashtami Bhog Recipes

1. Sooji ka HalwaThis mouth-watering sweet dish is very easy to make at home. Simply roast sooji (semolina) in loads of ghee and mix it with sugar and sometimes milk. This classic desi dessert is then topped with chopped dry fruits like almonds and pistachios and served as one of the key foods after Ashtami puja.
2. PooriPoori is enjoyed across India, especially during festive occasions like Durga Ashtami. To make this delicious bhog, you’ll need whole wheat flour, semolina, and salt. The preparation involves mixing the ingredients to form a hard dough, dividing it into small balls and rolling them out into circles. The rolled pooris are then deep-fried in hot oil until they reach a golden brown colour.
3. KheerThis creamy rice pudding, made with rice, milk, sugar and dry fruits, symbolises sweetness and abundance during festive occasions like Durga Ashtami. To prepare it, start by washing and soaking the rice for a few hours. Then, heat a pan and combine the soaked rice with milk and some water. Stir continuously, allowing it to boil until the rice is fully cooked. Once cooked, add sugar to taste and mix until dissolved. For added flavour and richness, include your favourite dry fruits such as kaju (cashews), pista (pistachios), badam (almonds) and kismis (raisins). Optionally, you can also add a pinch of cardamom for an enticing aroma.
4. Sookha ChanaAnother delicious and easy recipe to try this Ashtami is Chana. Start by boiling the chana until it is soft. In a pan, heat oil and add the boiled chana. Season it with salt and spices such as roasted cumin powder (bhuna pissa jeera), coriander powder, and garam masala to create a flavorful balance of sweet and savoury in your Ashtami bhog thaali. Cook for about two minutes, and your dish will be ready to serve as prasad during Navratri.
5. RosogullaNo festival is complete without the delicious rosogulla, a quintessential Bengali sweet that holds a special place as bhog for Maa Durga. These juicy, spongy balls are made from chhena (fresh cheese) and soaked in sugar syrup, making them an irresistible treat. To prepare rosogulla at home, you need to boil milk, curdle it to make chhena, and then knead it to form smooth balls. After frying them in ghee or oil, they are soaked in a sugar syrup.