Navaratri is a nine-night observance of the Devi. Four fall in the year — Sharad Navaratri in Ashwayuja is the principal one, Vasanta Navaratri in Chaitra the second, and two Gupta Navaratris are observed by fewer households. Kumkumarchana, the archana with kumkum, is the observance most consistently kept through the nine days in Telugu practice.
Four Navaratris, not one
The nine-night structure recurs four times in the lunar year, each beginning on Padyami of a bright fortnight.
- Sharad Navaratri — Ashwayuja masam, September–October. The principal observance, ending in Vijayadashami.
- Vasanta Navaratri — Chaitra masam, March–April. Begins at Ugadi and closes on Sri Rama Navami.
- Ashada and Magha Gupta Navaratri — observed chiefly by those following a specific upasana rather than by households generally.
Kumkumarchana through the nine days
Kumkumarchana is the offering of kumkum to the Devi with recitation of her names — commonly the Lalita Sahasranama, the Ashtottara Shatanamavali, or the Khadgamala depending on the household's practice. It is performed daily through the nine days in many Telugu households and is the observance that most often continues where the fuller alankaram tradition is not kept.
It is customarily performed by women, often in a group, and is one of the observances that can be kept at home without a Purohit — which is a large part of why it is the one that persists.
What the nine days involve at home
Beyond the daily archana, the customary elements are a kalasham installed on the first day and kept through the nine, a daily naivedyam, and for households keeping the alankaram tradition a different presentation of the Devi each day. Some households keep a fast for all nine days, some for the first and last, and some not at all.
The observance closes differently depending on which Navaratri it is: Sharad Navaratri closes on Vijayadashami, Vasanta Navaratri on Sri Rama Navami.
What is established, and what varies
These are kept apart deliberately. The first list is what published practice describes consistently; the second is where families, regions and sampradayams legitimately differ, and where a Purohit’s own tradition decides the answer rather than a general rule.
Consistently described
- Four Navaratris occur in the lunar year, each beginning on Shukla Padyami of its month.
- Sharad Navaratri is the principal observance and closes on Vijayadashami.
- Kumkumarchana is an archana offering kumkum with recitation of the Devi's names.
Varies by tradition
- Which sahasranama or namavali is recited in the kumkumarchana differs by household upasana.
- The daily alankaram sequence has no single fixed order and follows a local temple or family practice.
- Fasting practice through the nine days varies from complete to none.
Related service
If this applies to you, Kumkumarchana is the service that addresses it. It sits under Poojas & Rituals — Durga & Shakti.
Written and reviewed by the AnugrahaSidhi editorial team. Last substantive review: . How we source and correct this material is set out in our editorial policy.