Chaitra and Shardiya Navratri 2025: Navratri is not limited to just one season, it occurs twice a year. The first, Chaitra Navratri, is celebrated in March-April (the Hindu month of Chaitra), coinciding with the onset of spring. The second, Shardiya Navratri, is observed in September-October (the Hindu month of Ashwin), marking the beginning of autumn. In total, there are four Navratris celebrated each year, corresponding to the transitions between the Hindu seasons. These include Chaitra Navratri in spring, Ashadha Gupt Navratri during the monsoon, Sharad Navratri in autumn, and Magha Gupt Navratri in winter. While Chaitra and Sharad Navratri are widely observed with public festivities and rituals, the Gupt Navratris hold special significance for more intensive spiritual practices, such as tantra sadhana, meditation, and chanting.
In 2025, Shardiya Navratri will begin on September 22 and conclude on October 2 with Vijayadashami (Dussehra). This is the most widely celebrated Navratri, also known as Maha Navratri, because of its grand rituals, fasting traditions, and cultural festivities across India.
Why Navratri Happens Twice a Year
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The timing of Navratri is closely connected to seasonal and cosmic transitions. Both Chaitra and Shardiya Navratris occur during periods of equinox, when day and night are nearly equal, symbolising balance. These transitional phases are seen as spiritually powerful, making them ideal for invoking Goddess Durga and seeking protection, clarity, and renewal.
Chaitra Navratri ushers in the new year in the Hindu calendar (Vikram Samvat) and is associated with beginnings, fertility, and growth.
Shardiya Navratri marks the harvest season and is linked with Durga’s triumph over Mahishasura, symbolising the victory of good over evil.
Thus, both Navratris honour Shakti: the divine feminine energy, while aligning with the natural cycles of the earth and cosmos.
The Nine Forms of Durga Worshipped in Both Navratris
During both Navratris, devotees worship the Navdurgas, the nine forms of Maa Durga, across nine nights:
Maa Shailputri: Strength and nature
Maa Brahmacharini: Devotion and penance
Maa Chandraghanta: Courage and serenity
Maa Kushmanda: Cosmic energy and creation
Maa Skandamata: Motherhood and compassion
Maa Katyayani: Warrior spirit
Maa Kalaratri: Destroyer of fear and darkness
Maa Mahagauri: Purity and peace
Maa Siddhidatri: Wisdom and enlightenment
Each form represents qualities that guide devotees toward resilience, compassion, courage, and spiritual awakening.
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Traditions and Regional Practices
Both Navratris are marked by fasting, prayers, devotional songs, and rituals. In Gujarat, the festival is synonymous with Garba and Dandiya Raas, while in West Bengal, Shardiya Navratri overlaps with Durga Puja, one of the grandest celebrations in the region.
In states like Maharashtra, women wear different colors for each day of Navratri, linked to planetary energies (Navgrahas). Devotees also prepare and offer specific Prasad to the goddess daily, such as jaggery, coconut, or kheer, seeking blessings of prosperity and protection.
Spiritual Meaning of Two Navratris
The dual celebration of Navratri emphasizes renewal and balance. Chaitra Navratri signifies sowing seeds, not just in the fields but also in life, dreams, and spiritual practices. Shardiya Navratri, on the other hand, represents the harvest, reaping the results of discipline, devotion, and inner growth.
Together, they remind us that life is cyclical, and just like nature, we too must balance beginnings and completions, effort and rest, light and darkness.
The Culmination: Vijayadashami
Both Navratris end with Vijayadashami (Dussehra), celebrated as the day of victory. This year, Dussehra will be celebrated on October 2, 2025. While it commemorates Maa Durga’s triumph over Mahishasura, in the Ramayana tradition, it also marks Lord Rama’s victory over Ravana. This dual symbolism makes Dussehra a festival of courage, justice, and the eternal triumph of good over evil.
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