2025 Navratri: Nine Nights Festival — Rituals, Colours & Goddess Worship
Every year, Indians wait for the wonderful time of the year that starts with Navratri. At this time of the year, skies are bright after heavy rains and the monsoon has begun its retreat, giving people nine nights of colourful dedication, rites, dance and spiritual growth. Across the country, Indian communities began a myriad of festivities that are often a reflection of their local customs and culture. Navratri is not just a time to worship the nine forms of Goddess Durga, but it is also a time for Indians to come together, enjoy with family and friends.
Here, we will understand the rituals, colours and different forms of Navadurga. Let’s understand the magnificence of Durga Puja 2025, to take a personal journey—a trip that is full of will, colour, and change..
When Does Navratri 2025 Begin and End?
This year, Navratri is starting from September 22 to October 2, with Vijayadashami / Dussehra (Dashami) on October 2 included. The fact that the festival is going on for more than nine days is due to a small difference in counting some of the lunar calculations, which makes the day of Dashami the tenth day of the festival cycle. According to the Drik Panchang and other calendars, Sharad Navratri in 2025 will start on the 22nd of September and end on the 2nd of October.
Because of this extension, the festival spans ten days in practice—nine nights of worship followed by the final day of victory (Vijayadashami).
The Spirit of Navdurga: Nine Faces of the Divine
Navratri is not just a festival that is celebrated with vigour in the Hindu community; it is a spiritual journey through the nine different forms of Durga, where each one shows you a different side of strength, love, change, and beauty.
In 2025, Day 1, we start with Maa Shailaputri, the daughter of the mountain—the seeded foundation. On Day 2, Maa Brahmacharini becomes the image of devotion and sacrifice. The third and fourth days belong to Ma Chandraghanta, whose quiet face shows peace and courage at the same time. On Day 5, the goddess of the sun gave us her light in the form of Maa Kushmanda. The sixth day is dedicated to the mother of the baby, full of light, Maa Skandamata. The 7th day brings the worship of the powerful warrior, Maa Katyayani. On Day 8, we get the support of the night frightener, Maa Kalaratri. The ninth day of the Navratri is dedicated to the all-compassionate purifier, Maa Mahagauri. On the 10th day, which this year coincides with Vijayadashami, we honour the Goddess Siddhidatri, the one who grants spiritual and material gifts.
Daily Goddess Worship & Navratri Rituals
Prayer and rituals are held each day during the festival, keeping the devotees' enthusiasm and devotion alive. Ghatasthapana (or Kalash Sthapana) on the first day is the most important ritual when a sacred pot is put and charged, thus creating a divine seed for the next nine days. On the day of the ritual, the devotees complete their pujas and aartis, offering flowers and incense to the lamp, food (bhog) to the goddess, reciting mantras, and meditating on the goddess of the day.
In general, people fast (either full or partial) during the festival. Very often, they do not eat grains, meat, onions, or garlic, so they can purify their bodies and minds. The act of negation strengthens the spiritual feeling, putting the attention of the devotee on the goddess Durga. Charity, feeding the hungry, and sharing prasad are some of the indispensable elements of the rituals; they constitute the link between individual worship and community uplifting.
When night comes, these locations are filled with the sounds of Garba, Dandiya, dance, and the collective singing of the devotees. The different types of art present during the festival represent the inner devotion, hence they attract the energies of happiness, unity, and celebration to the festival. On the last day of the festival, the festival will come to an end with the submersion of the goddess idols in the water bodies.
Navratri Colours: Symbolism & Daily Attunement
The practice of symbolically aligning the devotee's outer world with inner aspiration by wearing a special Navratri colour each day is one of the evocative features of Navratri. Over the course of Navratri 2025, the colours guide mood, energy, symbolism, and intention.
The first day of the festival invites the devotees to identify with the purity of white, between a calm and a fresh spiritual start. The next day features red, which stands for energy, love, and devotion. Day 3 constructs the mood with the deep blue of the sea, representing peacefulness, depth, and protection. A vibrant hue of clarity and hope - yellow was the colour of the fifth day. The green of day five reflects the growth, rest, and prosperity of nature. Green, blue-grey, or neutral tones are being introduced on day six, offering emotional stability and calmness. Orange on the seventh day suggests the qualities of bravery and transformation. The use of peacock green (or dark green) is to call for fear-dissolution and regenerative power under Kalaratri's fierce gaze on day eight. Pink was chosen to be the colour on the ninth day, symbolising healing love and gentleness. On Vijayadashami, the combination of red and orange captures the power of victory, warmth, and energy.
These colours are not mere cosmetics; they help align thoughts, surroundings, and intentions with that day's goddess's vibration.
What Each Day Offers & How to Observe It
The spiritual development of each day of Navratri is re-enacted every night. On day one, in the presence of Maa Shailaputri, the worshippers meditate on the stability of the core and the act of surrender. On day two, the accent under Maa Brahmacharini is on the discipline of the will and internal toughness even in hard times. The third and fourth days by the side of Maa Chandraghanta are the lessons of balancing sanctimony with bravery.
On Day 5, Mata Kushmanda exhorts us to revive our inner light and creative energy. Day 6, Maa Skandamata, leads us back to the love of our mother and care. On the seventh day, Maa Katyayani demands assertiveness and the removal of obstacles. Through the experience of Day 8 with Maa Kalaratri, one has to deal with fear, darkness, and ego. Day 9 ends with the arrival of Maa Mahagauri, who not only gives compassion but also peace and purification. On Day 10 (Vijayadashami) with Maa Siddhidatri, blessings, joy, and power are given to spiritual endeavours.
To observe these days more deeply, one can:
Practice daily wearing colours, flowers, and offerings according to the Navratri colour and the Goddess of the day
Tune spiritual intention to that goddess's lesson
Practice disciplined fasting or dietary restraint
Chant her specific mantra or stuti, meditate on her form
Participate in communal worship or cultural devotion
Durga Puja 2025 & Navratri: Two Expressions of Devotion
Though Navratri is a festival celebrated all over India and involves nine nights of goddess worship, Durga Puja 2025 (mainly in East India) is a grand cultural and devotional festival focused on Durga's defeat of the buffalo demon, Mahishasura. In many places, the days of Durga Puja and Navratri coincide, and people attend pujas, visit pandals, engage in art & music, and perform rituals both in homes and public spaces.
However, Navratri's daily goddess worship, called Navdurga, is focused on internal change. It is very different from Durga Puja's public expressions - idol installations, processions, immersion - that offer collective glory, social celebration, and artistry.
Why Navratri 2025 Holds Significance
Navratri in 2025 is giving a second opportunity to everyone to rejoice after some difficult years on the globe. The longer journey from the very beginning (22nd September) to the last Vijayadashami (2nd October) gives devotees a longer period for devotion and dedication. For many, the combination of the internal rituals of Navratri and the outward festivity of Durga Puja 2025 results in a perfect balance: the transcendent and the communal, the private and the public.
Moreover, the current reporting of Navratri colours and rituals contributes to the younger generations' connecting with tradition mainly in more expressive ways, i.e., through coordinated dressing, social posts, and venue. The ritual practice remains unchanged, while the expressions are adapting to the current lifestyle.
Tips to Observe Navratri 2025 with Depth
If you want to make this Navratri not just a festival but a life-changing one, you should consider:
Planning your clothing, offerings, and devotional actions for all days ahead
Maintaining a daily journal of intentions, inner reflections, and transformations
Going to temple worship or community events, especially for Ashtami, Navami, and Vijayadashami
Using the nights for reading stories, singing devotional songs, and meditating on the goddess forms
Respectfully closing Vijayadashami—thankfulness, revival, and next steps in spiritual life
Navratri, a festival that celebrates vibrant colours, melodious sounds, and deep devotion, is also a flow of spiritual power - nine nights of welcome to evolve, change, and harmonise with the Navdurga. As the nine forms of goddess Durga navigate through, she invites us to rejoice as well as to think, give up our ego, and re-energise. To all those who worship with love and faith, may this Navratri 2025 be a source of deep blessings, inner strength, purity of mind, and God's will.