A Comprehensive Guide to Navratri Fasting Ingredients Allowed and Puja Vidhi

Here's everything you need to know about a 9-day-long celebration of beauty, grace, and power. 

Navratri, a nine-night Hindu festival celebrated with immense enthusiasm and devotion, holds a special place in the hearts of millions. This festival marks the victory of good over evil and honors the Goddess Durga in her various forms. 

Maa Durga is believed to bless her devotees with peace and prosperity during the holy 9-days of Navratri. Want to embrace her divine blessings? Here’s everything you need to about this 9-day-long celebration of beauty, grace, and power. 

Significance of Navratri Fasting

Navratri fasting is observed by many devotees as a means of cleansing the body and mind, as well as seeking the blessings of the Goddess Durga. Fasting during Navratri involves abstaining from certain foods and adhering to a strict vegetarian diet. 

This period of fasting is believed to detoxify the body and promote spiritual awareness. It's also a way to discipline the mind and increase one's devotion to the Goddess.

Ingredients Allowed During Navratri Fasting

During Navratri fasting, devotees abstain from consuming grains, pulses, and non-vegetarian food. However, there are several ingredients that are allowed and commonly used in Navratri recipes. Here is a list of fasting-friendly ingredients you can order from Indian grocery online:

1. Buckwheat (Kuttu): Buckwheat flour is one of the most popular choices for making fasting dishes. It's used to prepare puris, parathas, and pakoras.

2. Water Chestnut Flour (Singhara Atta): Singhara atta is another gluten-free flour that's commonly used during Navratri fasting. It's used to make pancakes, dosas, and snacks.

3. Potatoes: Potatoes are a versatile fasting ingredient and can be used to make various dishes such as sabzi, vrat ke aloo, and cutlets.

4. Sabudana (Tapioca Pearls): Sabudana is widely used to prepare snacks like sabudana khichdi, sabudana vada, and sabudana kheer.

5. Rock Salt (Sendha Namak): Regular table salt is avoided during Navratri fasting, and rock salt is used instead.

6. Fruits and Nuts: Devotees often consume fruits, nuts, and dry fruits like almonds, cashews, and raisins as a part of their fasting diet.

7. Dairy Products: Milk, yogurt, and paneer (cottage cheese) are allowed and used in various fasting recipes.

8. Herbs and Spices: Use herbs and spices like green chilies, ginger, cumin seeds, and black pepper to enhance the flavor of your dishes.

9. Ghee (Clarified Butter): Ghee is considered pure and is used for cooking and preparing prasad (offering to the Goddess).

10. Coconut: Coconut, in various forms like grated coconut or coconut milk, is used in many Navratri recipes.

Navratri Fasting Recipes

Now that you know which ingredients are allowed during Navratri fasting, here are a few popular fasting recipes. You can seek Indian food delivery if you have no time to cook! 

1. Sabudana Khichdi: A delicious dish made with soaked sabudana, peanuts, and spices.

2. Kuttu Ki Puri: Buckwheat flour puris that go well with potato sabzi.

3. Singhara Atta Cheela: Savory pancakes made from water chestnut flour.

4. Vrat Ke Aloo: Spicy potato curry prepared without onions and garlic.

5. Sabudana Vada: Deep-fried snacks made from sabudana, potatoes, and spices.

6. Makhana Kheer: A creamy dessert made with fox nuts (makhana) and milk.

Navratri Puja Vidhi

Navratri is not just about fasting and feasting; it's also a time for puja (worship) and seeking the blessings of the Goddess Durga. Here is a simplified Navratri puja vidhi:

1. Setting up the Puja Space: Create a sacred space or altar in your home where you will perform the puja. Place a picture or idol of Goddess Durga on the altar.

2. Kalash Sthapana: On the first day of Navratri, install a Kalash (a pot filled with water) and place it near the altar. Decorate it with mango leaves and a coconut.

3. Lighting the Lamp: Light a diya (oil lamp) and incense sticks as a symbol of purity and spirituality.

4. Offerings (Prasad): Prepare your favorite dishes as offerings to the Goddess. You can also offer fruits, sweets, and flowers.

5. Chanting Mantras: Recite Navratri mantras and sing bhajans (devotional songs) in praise of Goddess Durga. You can book Pandits online to chant holy mantras during online puja.

6. Aarti: Perform our online Navratri Puja of Goddess Durga with devotion.

7. Fasting: Maintain your fasting routine throughout the nine days, breaking it only with prasad offered to the Goddess.

8. Dandiya and Garba: After the puja, people often participate in the traditional Garba and Dandiya dance, celebrating the joyous spirit of Navratri.

Perform Navratri puja with sincerity and devotion with our esteemed Indian Brahmins and Pandits who guide you with to the spiritual significance of this auspicious festival. Our Navratri Puja begins on October 15, 2023, till October 23, 2023.

No matter where you're in the world, perform the intricate 9-day-long Navratri Puja online guided by our esteemed Indian Brahmins & Pandits. With our virtual assistance, Shubhpuja Pandits help you with Puja's mahurat, the specific rituals involved, and the required puja samagri (ritual items).