Navratri Fasting Rules — What Is Allowed and What Is Not

Commonly allowed

• Fruits, milk, curd, paneer, ghee
• Kuttu (buckwheat), singhara (water chestnut) and rajgira (amaranth) flours
• Sabudana, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin
• Makhana, peanuts, dry fruits
• Rock salt (sendha namak), black pepper, cumin, green chilli

Commonly avoided

• Wheat, rice and regular pulses
• Onion and garlic
• Regular table salt
• Meat, eggs and alcohol

Different families, different rules

Some fast only on the first and last day, some eat one meal a day, some take only fruit and milk. Follow your family's tradition — and if you are diabetic, pregnant or on medication, talk to your doctor first.

Sample day of a Navratri fast

• Morning: tea or milk, fruit, a handful of dry fruits
• Lunch: kuttu puri or singhare ka paratha with vrat-wali aloo, curd
• Evening: roasted makhana, fruit chaat with rock salt
• Dinner: sabudana khichdi or samak rice (barnyard millet) pulao, cucumber raita

Staying healthy while fasting

Drink plenty of water and buttermilk, include protein from milk, curd, paneer and nuts, and avoid relying only on fried foods. If you feel dizzy, eat something — the intention of the fast matters more than strictness. Diabetics, pregnant women and people on medication should consult a doctor.

Kanya Puja and breaking the fast

On Ashtami or Navami many families invite nine young girls (and often a boy, as Bhairav) for Kanya Puja: their feet are washed, they are given halwa, puri and chana, and gifts. The fast is broken after the puja or on Dashami.

Regional fasting styles

Gujarati families may eat one meal a day during garba nights; Bengali families celebrate Durga Puja without fasting except on Ashtami for pushpanjali; in North India strict fasts are common. Recipes: sabudana khichdi and kuttu puri.