Navratri fasting rules 2022: Ten dos and dont’s during the nine-day festival

New Delhi, Sep 21: Navratri 2022: The festival of Navratri is celebrated with much pomp by Hindus across the world. There are two main Navratris which are marked every year and they are Chaitra Navratri and Sharadiya Navratri.

While Chaitra Navratri is celebrated at the cusp of Summer and Spring, Sharadiya Navratri is celebrated during Autumn.

The Sharadiya Navratri will begin on September 26 and end on October 5. The festival is marked with devotees keeping fasts during the nine days and praying to Goddess Durga for her blessings. Some mark the festival by observing fast for the entire nine days while others keep the fast for the first two or last two days of Navratri.

Here are some of the dos and dont's of fasting during Sharadiya Navratri.

• Do not cut your hair during Navratri celebrations
• Stay away from non-vegetarian food, tamasic food and alcohol
• Use rock salt to prepare dishes instead of regular table salt
• Do not use seed based oils or refined oil to prepare food. Instead use pure ghee or peanut oil
• Avoid wheat and rice during the fast. Instead use Kuttu ka atta, Singhade ka atta, amaranth flour, Barnyard millet/Bajra and Sabu dana to prepare dishes like poori, kheer, pulao, khichdi, dhoklas
• Skip phaliyaan, rice flour, all-purpose flour, cornflour, lentils, and semolina. Avoid garlic too
• Stay hygenic, clean. Shower daily before you start the day, prepare prasad and offer food to the deity. Keep the house and surroundings clean
• During the first day of Navratri do the Kalash Sthapana or Ghatasthapana. It is extremely significant and should be done when the Pratipada is prevailing
• A diya has to be kept in front of the deity every day and girls are served food and worshipped on the last day as they considered Navdurga
• Chant Durga artis, mantras and shlokas