During the nine-day festival of Navratri, Navratri fasting, also known as “Vrat” or “Upavas,” holds significant importance in Hindu religious observance. The fasting practices may differ based on regional customs and personal beliefs, but I would like to provide general guidelines for Navratri fasting rules 2024. The term “ratri” signifies deep rest or relief from the three “tapas,” which represent three types of fire or botherations: the physical, the subtle, and the causal.
Navratri offers a period of prayer and rejuvenation, providing a deep rest that can alleviate these three botherations – the worldly, cosmic, and soul-related botherations. This year, Navratri started on Thursday, 3rd October 2024. It will end on 12th October 2024; the Durga Visarjan and Dussehra will be celebrated on 12th October 2024.
The ten days of Navratri are dedicated to meditation and introspection. Traditionally, Navratri is celebrated by fasting, praying, and culminating with a feast. However, it’s important to note that I wouldn’t recommend complete abstinence from food for everyone. Instead, consider consuming limited food, eating fruits, and reducing your overall intake. For example, if you typically have one full meal, you can reduce it to half or a quarter of the usual portion. It’s also advisable to avoid continuous snacking throughout the day and refrain from overindulging in sensory activities to give rest to all five senses.
The rules for fasting during Navratri are intended to promote physical health and spiritual development. It is believed that abstaining from certain foods and following the guidelines with devotion can purify the body and mind, facilitating a deeper connection with the divine. The nine-day festival is dedicated to worshipping the nine forms of Goddess Durga, each representing a distinct aspect of feminine energy.
Through sincere observance of the fast, devotees seek the blessings of the Goddess for well-being, prosperity, and spiritual growth. As you prepare for Shardiya Navratri 2024, keep these fasting guidelines in mind and fully embrace the divine energy of the festival. May the Goddess give you happiness, prosperity, and success during this auspicious time.
“The entire cosmos consists of a single energy known as Devi. The universe is composed of pulsating and sparkling consciousness, and our bodies are like drifting shells in the unseen ocean of consciousness. It’s invisible but tangible. Therefore, during these nine days, you should experience the unfamiliar. It’s a voyage into the unknown.”
According to the Navratri fasting rules 2024, there are numerous dishes that you should try during Navratri. During Navratri fasting, consume sattvic foods like fruits and vegetables and avoid white salt, chaat masala, and black salt.
Sabudana Khichdi is made by soaking the pearls and cooking them in ghee, green chillies, cumin, and curry leaves. The dish is then garnished with cumin powder, coriander powder, roasted peanuts, sendha namak (wrath salt), black pepper, fresh coriander leaves, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
This dessert consists of grated coconut cooked with milk powder, condensed milk, milk, sugar, and cardamom powder, shaped into laddoos and topped with nuts.
This probiotic-rich one-pot dish is made with grated and sauteed cucumbers mixed in beaten curd and topped with sugar, sendha namak, black pepper, a pinch of ghee, green chilli, and cumin seeds. You can try A2 Gir cow ghee for a better experience.
This one-pot dessert has soaked Sabudana pearls cooked in A2 Gir cow milk, sugar, and nuts.
This healthy snack is made with seasonal fruits like bananas, apples, papaya, kiwi, and pears. The fruits are cut into dice and then topped with sendha namak, black pepper, and beaten curd.
Around the time of Navratri, specific food items are considered pure and allowed to be consumed while the Navratri fasting rule 2024. These food items stay light on the digestive system and give the required energy to sustain throughout the fast. This is the list of permitted food items:
Fresh fruits, milk, and dairy products such as curd and paneer are eaten during Navratri. These foods keep the body hydrated and provide essential nutrients.
Sabudana is the most demanding ingredient used during Navratri’s fasting. It is mainly prepared as Sabudana Khichdi or Sabudana Vada, providing a good source of carbohydrates and energy.
Buckwheat flour is preferably used to prepare rotis, puris, or pakoras during the fast. It is gluten-free and highly nutritious, making it suitable for fast devotees.
Singhara Atta is another commonly used flour during Navratri. It is used to make puris; it offers a delicious and healthy alternative to regular wheat flour.
Samak rice, most known as Vrat ke Chawal, is consumed as a substitute for regular rice. It is used to prepare pulao or kheer, adding a new variety to the Navratri meals.
During fasting, potatoes and sweet potatoes can be prepared in various ways, such as boiled, roasted, or as a part of curries and chaats.
Rock salt is used instead of regular salt during Navratri fasting. It is considered pure and is believed to have multiple health benefits.
During the Navratri fasting period, it is essential to maintain the sanctity of the fast by refraining from certain food items. Here’s a comprehensive list of items that should be avoided:
Rice, wheat, lentils, and other grains and pulses are not consumed during Navratri. Alternatives like buckwheat and samak rice are preferred.
During fasting, regular salt is replaced by rock salt (sendha namak), believed to be purer and more unprocessed.
Meat, fish, and eggs are strictly avoided during Navratri fasting. The attention is on sattvic or pure food that does not include tamasic or rajasic items.
Onion and garlic are avoided as they are considered tamasic foods, which are stimulating and can distract one’s focus from spiritual quests.
Consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and any other intoxicating substances is forbidden during Navratri fasting.
Fasting during Navratri is a sacred tradition that allows Hinduism followers to purify their body and soul while seeking the blessing of goddess Durga. By following the fasting rules and guidelines on what to eat and avoid, devotees can maintain their fast purely and spiritually. The regulations for Navratri fasting in 2024 highlight that this ancient practice offers more than just physical benefits. This guide discloses how fasting during Navratri can lead to spiritual growth, improved health, and a deeper connection with one’s faith.
Following the traditional rituals outlined in this all-inclusive overview, individuals can begin a transformative journey combining physical discipline with spiritual enlightenment. The focus on consuming sattvic foods, maintaining proper hygiene, and highlighting meditation and prayer highlights the complete nature of this fast.
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We should avoid grains and pulses like wheat, rice, lentils, beans, meat, eggs, and seafood. Instead, we should consume sattvic foods like fruits and vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, bottled gourd, raw bananas, and more.
Navratri 2024, celebrated from October 3 to October 12, honours the nine forms of the goddess Durga. The essential rituals are Ghatasthapana, daily goddess worship, fasting, Sandhi Puja, and Durga Visarjan.
During Navratri, we should eat sattvik food, pure and fresh food like fruits, vegetables, dairy products, nuts, etc. We should also drink plenty of water, herbal teas, moderate milk, and fruit juices to stay hydrated.
– 10 Essential Navratri Fasting Rules 2024 to be followed:
– Consume fruits & fasting foods
– Avoid non-vegetarian foods
– Prepare food in desi ghee
– Break the fast after sunset and keep it light
– Avoid shaving & cutting
– Stay hydrated
– Offer prayers and perform rituals daily
– Wear fresh clothes every day.
– Avoid salt; instead, you can have sendha namak
Grains and cereals like rice, wheat, and lentils are prohibited during the Navratri fast. They are usually replaced by Kalahari foods like samak ke chawal, kuttu ki roti, amaranth, and water chestnut flour.
During the nine long days of fasting, you must avoid fast foods, packed food, rice flour, cornflour, semolina, and all the team’s food items, including onion, garlic, egg, and meat.
Read more Blogs: Chaitra Navratri Fasting: Things to eat and avoid
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