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Chaitra Navratri has begun, and devotees of Goddess Durga around the world are hyped up about the celebration. It is one of the most important Hindu festivals, as it marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. Chaitra Navratri is a nine-day celebration that concludes with Ram Navami, honouring the birth of Lord Rama. These nine days are dedicated to the nine forms of Goddess Durga.
This Navratri usually falls in the Hindu lunar month of Chaitra, which typically corresponds to March-April in the Gregorian calendar. During this festival, Goddess Durga bestows her blessing on her devotees. Navratri translates to nine nights when nighttime worship and rituals are considered important. For nine consecutive days, a soul-cleaning fast is observed to devote the mind, body, and soul entirely to the worship of Goddess Durga.
Fasting is of utmost importance during this festival. It contributes to spiritual growth, rekindles digestive fire, detoxifies the body, and balances aggravated doshas. During fasting, it is important to avoid non-vegetarian foods and foods, including onions and garlic. Additionally, many also street clear from grains, cereals, and table salt, which falls in the Shaak Aahar category, meaning “vegetable diet”. These foods are usually replaced with falahaar or “fruit diet” which includes foods grown in the manner of fruits. Read the detailed guide below to learn what foods are eaten and avoided during Navratri.
Know What Foods You Can Eat And What You Need To Avoid This Navratri
Foods You Can Eat:
1) Fruits
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Phalaahaar usually includes a diet based on fruits. Almost all kinds of fruits are acceptable in the Navratri vrat diet. These fruits offer a hydrating boost to the body and impart nutritional benefits for keeping energy up.
2) Vegetables
Vegetables like cauliflower, pumpkin, plantain, cucumber, tomatoes, spinach and bottle gourd are commonly eaten during the Navratri fast. These vegetables are generally grown as fruits, and tomato is even referred to as a potent fruit in botanical language.
3) Roots
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Root vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, arbi, yam, radish, and carrots are permissible for the Navratri fast. Even Sabudana or sago is made from cassava root, which is why it is largely eaten during fasting in India. These foods offer a sustained energy boost to the body.
4) Vegetarian Protein
Protein is gained from milk and milk-based foods like paneer, which are often eaten during fasts. In addition, amaranth seeds and buckwheat flour or kuttu atta are also consumed to gain a protein boost.
5) Probiotics
Probiotics aid easy digestion and gut cleansing, which is why they are an important addition to fast meals. Curd and buttermilk are usually sources of probiotics, and they are often paired with sabudana khichdi or eaten on their own.
6) Nuts, Seeds and Dry Fruits
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Nuts, including peanuts, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, and cashews, are usually paired with vrat meals to serve as a source of various complex vitamins and minerals. Seeds like pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are also added along with nuts to enhance nutritional benefits. Dry fruits, including figs, apricots, dates, and raisins, are also popular additions to vrat feasts.
Foods To Avoid:
1) Tamasic Vegetables
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Onion and garlic are tamasic vegetables. These vegetables are known to enhance tamasic qualities in the body, which include laziness, anger, depression, dependency, attachment, lust, sexual desires, irritation, addiction, apathy, and ignorance.
2) Grains and Cereals
Grains and cereals are often considered difficult to digest, so they are suggested to be avoided during the Navratri fast.
3) Non-vegetarian foods
Non-vegetarian foods, such as eggs, chicken, and all animal products, also fall into the tamasic category. These foods are known to trigger tamasic qualities in the body and mind.
4) Processed foods
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Processes and deep-fried foods are high in fats, which can interfere with focus, reduce the body’s vigour, and diminish spiritual power. Therefore, it is often avoided during Navratri and fasting.
5) Table Salt
Table salt is prepared with heavy processing and refinement, which diminishes the purity. It also has high sodium content, which can lead to several blood and heart-related diseases. For its replacement, rock salt is considered a healthy substitute, which, in contrast with table salt, is made with less processing and contains comparatively low sodium.
This Navratri, Immerse yourself in the devotion of Goddess Durga and replenish your body with vrat-friendly foods. After nine days, you will feel a new wave of happiness flowing throughout your body as you nurture it with a nutritious and spiritual diet.
