Chaitra Navratri 2025: Fasting Rules, Foods to Avoid, and Essential Do’s & Don’ts

Chaitra Navratri 2025: Nine days of worshipping the divine nine forms of goddess Durga with strict fasting for the purity of mind and body, Chaitra Navratri is that time of the year for Hindus. A significant spiritual festival celebrating the power of Shakti, Navratris occurs four times every year with two major ones i.e. Chaitra and Shardiye.  

Chaitra Navratri holds immense significance as it is also the time when the Hindu lunar calendar begins. This year Chaitra Navratri will begin on 30th March and end on 6th April. 

The Ghatasthapana will happen on 30 March from 6:01 AM to 10:02 AM. Devotees will start observing nine days of fasting from the first day of Navratri till Ram Navmi. Some only observe the last two fast. 

However, everyone follows a set of fasting rules for nine days worshipping Goddess Durga and performing daily prayers. Let’s dive into the essential fasting rules to be followed during Navratri.   

Foods To Eat 

Chaitra Navratri is a time of purification of the body as well as maintaining a healthy and light diet. Hence a special emphasis is laid on the kind of food one can eat during the fasting period. 

• Fruits, milk, curd, water foxnuts or makhana, and dry fruits.
• Rock salt in place of regular salt. 
• Buckwheat flour (kuttu), water chestnut flour (singhare ka atta), and amaranth flour (rajgira) instead of regular flour.
• Sweet potatoes and sabudana (sago).

Foods to Avoid 

Apart from grains, tamasic food is avoided during fasting along with onion, garlic, meat, regular salt, wheat flour, and any alcoholic food or beverage. 

Do’s 

• Do the Ghatasthapana on the first day of Navratri in its given time period. 
• Recite Durga Saptashati for protection from Rahu-Ketu dosha.
• Perform the Kanya Pujan on Asthami or the Navami to seek the blessings of the goddess from the young girls symbolizing the Shakti. 
• Do maintain celibacy during fasting.
• Do maintain mental and physical purity by regulating your thoughts and desires. 

Don’ts 

• Do not wear black color during the nine days.
• Do not cut nails, hair, or shave. 
• Do not keep negative emotions about people or situations. 
• Do not get angry or yell.