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Thali

Next: 11 to 20 Oct 2026

Navratri

Nine nights of the goddess: fasting food without grain, then halwa, puri and chana for young girls.

Arati at the rakshitbARi puja in Giridih , Jharkhand (Earlier in Bihar ). The priest is performing a ritual dance with the lamp.
Photo: Mukerjee, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What is eaten for Navratri

Navratri is nine nights in honour of the goddess Durga, ending with Dussehra on the tenth day. Many Hindus fast, and the fast has its own kitchen. Rice, wheat, lentils, onion and garlic are set aside. In their place come buckwheat and water chestnut flour, sago, potatoes, milk, fruit and rock salt. On the eighth or ninth day young girls are honoured as forms of the goddess and served halwa, puri and black chickpeas. In the south, sundal is given to visitors. Gujarat ends with fafda and jalebi.

The dishes

HalvaSemolina halwa served to young girls on the eighth day.PuriFried bread served with the halwa and chickpeas.JalebiThe sweet half of the Dussehra breakfast.

Also part of it, and being written: Sabudana khichri (Sago with peanuts, a main fasting dish.), Sabudana vada (Fried sago and potato patties for the fast.), Fafda (Crisp gram flour strips eaten with jalebi on Dussehra in Gujarat.).

About this page

Written by the Thali desk with AI assistance. Background: "Navaratri" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from family to family and place to place. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

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