Shardiya Navratri 2023: Foods to eat and avoid during the festival

Shardiya Navratri 2023: From vegetables to spices, here is a list of food items that we can eat or avoid.

Shardiya Navratri 2023: Navratri is one of the largest festivals celebrated across the country. Literally translating to nine nights, Navratri is dedicated to feminine divinity of Goddess Shakti. Each day of the nine-day festival is dedicated to the nine avatars of Goddess Shakti. The avatars of Goddess Shakti that are worshipped during this period are Maa Shailputri, Maa Brahmcharini, Maa Chandraghanta, Maa Kushmanda, Maa Skandmata, Maa Katyayani, Maa Kaalratri, Maa Mahagauri, and Maa Siddhidatri. Navratri is celebrated as Durga Puja in the eastern part of the country – mainly in the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Assam. Gujarat also celebrates Navratri with a lot of pomp and grandeur. Devotees keep fast on these nine days and follow Satvik diet. Each day of Navratri follows a colour code which is further followed by the devotees.

For this year, Navratri starts from October 15 and will end on October 24. As we gear up to celebrate one of the largest festivals of the country, here are a few things to remember about the food that we can consume and food items that we should avoid during this festival.

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Flours and grains: For Navratri fasting, regular wheat and rice should be avoided. Kuttu ka atta, singhare ka atta or rajgire ka atta should be used for making preparations. Sabudana is one of the significant items consumed during the festival. It is also used in making khichdi, papad and vadas.

Fruits: Every fruit can be consumed during the nine days of Navratri. We should, in fact, increase the consumption of fruits in the diet during the fasting time to keep the body hydrated.

Spices and herbs: Spices and herbs can be consumed during this time of the year. However, table salt should be avoided, and rock salt can be used as an alternative for making food.

Vegetables: All kinds of vegetables can be consumed during the festival. People should avoid consuming onion and garlic during this time.

Non-vegetarian food: Meat, fish and eggs should be avoided during Navratri. Consumption of alcohol and smoking should be strictly avoided.