Maha Ashtami & Sandhi Puja (Durga Puja)

19 October 2026

Significance

The most vital day of the Durga Puja festival. The exact junction of the Ashtami and Navami lunar days is known as Sandhi Puja. It marks the precise moment Goddess Durga took the fearsome form of Chamunda to slay the demons Chanda and Munda.

Rituals & Customs

Devotees bathe early, wear new clothes, and offer Pushpanjali in the morning. During Sandhi Puja, 108 pink lotuses are offered to the Goddess, and 108 earthen lamps are lit simultaneously.

Fasting Rules

A strict waterless fast is observed from the morning until the Ashtami Pushpanjali is offered. Many devotees extend this fast until the completion of Sandhi Puja, breaking it with Luchi or fruits. Eating rice is forbidden on this day.

Auspicious Timing

Morning hours for Ashtami Anjali, and a highly specific 48-minute window (the last 24 minutes of Ashtami and the first 24 minutes of Navami) for Sandhi Puja.

Consult an Astrologer