Time & skyNine nights, twice a year
Navratri
Nine nights honouring the Goddess.
Try it at home
Light a lamp each evening and read or chant Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu. Any fast is optional; ask a doctor first if you have a health condition.
Optional, as always. Adapt it to your family, region and health.
The wisdom
Nine nights of worship of the Goddess in her forms, most widely in Sharad Navratri (autumn) and Chaitra Navratri (spring), often with fasting, garba and dandiya dances, and Durga Puja in the east.
Each night honours a different form of the Goddess, so the festival becomes a nine-step journey through qualities such as courage, wisdom and grace.
What the evidence says
Evidence: LimitedSmall or preliminary studies.Studies of intermittent fasting show some metabolic effects, but there are few trials on this fast itself. Its spiritual meaning is a matter of faith.
How we rate evidenceSignificance
What it means to the people who keep it. Faith-based meaning is described as belief, not as proven fact.
The nine nights are held to mark Durga's battle with the demon Mahishasura, ending in victory on the tenth day, Dussehra or Vijayadashami.