On the eighth night — Ashtami — Maa Mahagauri is worshipped. After her long penance, Parvati’s skin had darkened with dust and sun; Shiva bathed her in the waters of the Ganga, and she shone white as a conch, the moon and jasmine. Mahagauri means “the extremely fair, radiant one”.
How she is shown
Dressed in white, she rides a white bull and has four arms, holding a trident and a damru (small drum), with the other two in blessing and protection.
What the eighth night means
Mahagauri stands for purity, calm and forgiveness — the washing away of past mistakes. Ashtami is one of the most important days of Navratri: many families perform Kanya Puja today, worshipping young girls as forms of the goddess and feeding them halwa, puri and black chana. In Bengal, it is Durga Ashtami, with Sandhi Puja at the moment Ashtami turns into Navami.
Offering and prayers
Coconut is traditionally offered to her. Her mantra is “Om Devi Mahagauryai Namah”.
What to wear on the eighth night
Many families follow a colour for each day of Navratri — the order changes each year with the weekday on which the festival begins, so check the list for this year. Whatever the colour, choose something you can sit, pray and dance in: light cotton or chanderi kurta sets, a dupatta for the puja, and a little mirror work or gota for the evening garba.
Explore the Navratri edit, and read about all nine nights in our Navratri guide.
Jai Mata Di.
