Chaitra Navratri 2012
Chaitra Navratri is the spring Navratri: nine nights of worship of the nine forms of Goddess Durga, from the first to the ninth day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra. It ends with Ram Navami.
In 2012, Chaitra Navratri runs from Friday, 23 March 2012 to Sunday, 1 April 2012.
Ghatasthapana: Friday, 23 March 2012
- Shukla Pratipada begins: 22 Mar 2012, 8:07 PM
- Shukla Pratipada ends: 23 Mar 2012, 10:00 PM
Date and timings for New Delhi.
All days of Chaitra Navratri 2012
| Date | Observance | Tithi / timing |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, 23 Mar | Ghatasthapana | Shukla Pratipada: 22 Mar 2012, 8:07 PM to 23 Mar 2012, 10:00 PM |
| Friday, 23 Mar | Navratri day 1 — Shailaputri | Shukla Pratipada: 22 Mar 2012, 8:07 PM to 23 Mar 2012, 10:00 PM |
| Saturday, 24 Mar | Navratri day 2 — Brahmacharini | Shukla Dwitiya: 23 Mar 2012, 10:00 PM to 25 Mar 2012, 12:15 AM |
| Sunday, 25 Mar | Navratri day 3 — Chandraghanta | Shukla Tritiya: 25 Mar 2012, 12:15 AM to 26 Mar 2012, 2:47 AM |
| Monday, 26 Mar | Navratri day 4 — Kushmanda | Shukla Chaturthi: 26 Mar 2012, 2:47 AM to 27 Mar 2012, 5:28 AM |
| Tuesday, 27 Mar | Navratri day 5 — Skandamata | Shukla Panchami: 27 Mar 2012, 5:28 AM to 28 Mar 2012, 8:07 AM |
| Wednesday, 28 Mar | Navratri day 5 — Skandamata (continues) | — |
| Thursday, 29 Mar | Navratri day 6 — Katyayani | Shukla Shashthi: 28 Mar 2012, 8:07 AM to 29 Mar 2012, 10:32 AM |
| Friday, 30 Mar | Navratri day 7 — Kalaratri | Shukla Saptami: 29 Mar 2012, 10:32 AM to 30 Mar 2012, 12:27 PM |
| Saturday, 31 Mar | Navratri day 8 — Mahagauri | Shukla Ashtami: 30 Mar 2012, 12:27 PM to 31 Mar 2012, 1:42 PM |
| Sunday, 1 Apr | Navratri day 9 — Siddhidatri | Shukla Navami: 31 Mar 2012, 1:42 PM to 1 Apr 2012, 2:08 PM |
How the date is fixed
Ghatasthapana falls on Shukla Pratipada of Chaitra. The day is decided by the tithi prevailing at sunrise (udaya tithi). When the tithi touches that time on two days, the day it covers more is used.
Calculated for New Delhi. Festival dates can differ by a day between cities and between regional traditions; your family priest's panchang has the final word.
How it is celebrated
On the first morning a kalash is installed and barley sown (ghatasthapana). Devotees fast or eat sattvic food, worship one form of the goddess each day, and on Ashtami or Navami worship young girls as the goddess (kanya puja).
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Frequently asked questions
When is Chaitra Navratri in 2012?
In 2012, Chaitra Navratri runs from Friday, 23 March 2012 to Sunday, 1 April 2012. (New Delhi)
Why do calendars sometimes show different dates for Chaitra Navratri?
Hindu festivals follow the lunar tithi, which begins and ends at different clock times. Each festival has a rule about which part of the day the tithi must cover — sunrise, midday, dusk or midnight. When the tithi straddles two days, calendars that apply the rule for a different city, or a different tradition, can land on different days. We show the rule we used and the tithi timings so you can check.